CLRN connects 25 attorneys across five boroughs to meet the emergent legal needs of more than 3,000 New Yorkers. Then, the pandemic happened.
More than 25 attorneys, all of whom are CUNY Law alumni, power a network of free and accessible legal services for New Yorkers across New York City’s boroughs, providing counsel on access to medical care and benefits, housing rights, matters of family court, small business support, and more. Positioned within offices of state and city elected officials and local community-based organizations, the attorneys of the Community Legal Resource Network (CLRN) – a project of CUNY Law, now in its twelfth year of operation – are the first legal responders to the nation’s biggest hotspot of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, CLRN connected more than 3,000 New Yorkers with legal consultation, training, and workshops. This year, its ability to respond quickly means that communities’ demonstrated legal needs will be addressed.
Chejin Park ’06, Serving the Korean American Community in Flushing, Queens
His team has fielded more than 730 phone calls since April 1, 2020. CJ Park, a veteran CLRN attorney has been working with KACE (Korean American Civic Empowerment) for the past three and a half years has been a life-long advocate for the Korean American community. His work supporting the NY Metro area typically focuses on supporting individuals and families navigating immigration and citizenship processes and the myriad pitfalls surrounding them. Now, he says, “Everything is in chaos.”
“Information cannot penetrate the language barrier,” he says, explaining that for non-native English speakers, “navigating government instructions and processes around resources and aid is next to impossible.” A linguist before attending CUNY Law, CJ notes that “it’s known that Arabic, Swahili, Korean — these are the hardest languages for English-speakers to learn; acquiring English for them is just as hard.” And, despite a state ruling that government offices must make information accessible in multiple languages, New York isn’t making it any easier. “Right now, all they are doing is providing a link that is automatically translated by Google Translate. When it’s a matter of survival. Why should we die or be hungry or be in need because we don’t know English?”
Along with KACE, CJ is calling on the New York State to make a change. The Korean American community is behind on filing for unemployment, seeking aid for small business owners, understanding the tax filing extension, and ensuring access to money for food and basic needs because of the lack of outreach and translation from the government. Programs like CLRN are one way to ensure minority communities are supported with direct action.
“The program is really flexible to ensure we’re accommodating all the needs of the community; I was able to use my time to respond to more than 700 phone calls. We need more from the government, and we need advocates to ensure word gets out.”
When asked how the CUNY Law community might amplify the Korean American community’s call for action, CJ encouraged anyone who speaks Korean to reach out and volunteer a few hours of their time. It also can’t be said enough that resisting and combatting racism, xenophobia, and discrimination against Korean Americans — or any Asian people — in the face of increased threats is essential. “We are going to be ready for any kind of escalated discrimination situation,” affirms CJ.
Altagracia Pierre-Outerbridge ’06, Advocating for Housing Rights in Jackson Heights/Elmhurst, Queens
Altagracia Pierre-Outerbridge ’06 works from her home office during the COVID-19 pandemic
In contrast to CJ, Altagracia has noted a decline in calls to her team. “Previously, most of my work revolved around the daily worries of ‘how to be’ in court: How do I settle my case? Can they sue me? What are my rights as a tenant?” Now, she says, “things have shifted to pure panic.”
While she speculates that New York’s moratorium on rent, effective through June 20, 2020, as of the publication of this piece, seems to have people feeling safe from actual eviction, she notes that on the eve of each new month, the number of calls she receives increases.
From landlord harassment around the payment of rent, access to commercial spaces, and refusal to allow caregivers and roommates entrance to units, to increased exposure to physical and emotional abuse, to a lack of drinking water, gas, and utilities, callers are often “at their wits’ end.” It’s not uncommon, Altagracia notes, for her to get a call where someone needs counsel when “their landlord is at the door right now.”
To combat what she fears is a lack of awareness around the free and accessible housing rights’ support provided through CLRN, Altagracia is working Facebook’s algorithm. “We know that video content is what is most likely to get pushed to people. So, all the time I am creating updates and making weekly posts in groups for my practice and the larger community.”
When asked what the CUNY Law community can do to amplify her work, Altagracia cited the Cancel Rent movement; “People are writing to elected officials about the need to cancel rent and have a plan on how to deal with the surge of housing cases when the courts reopen. Reach out to your elected officials — both local and at the state level — and let your voice be heard.” She also says that helping to spread the word about CLRN’s larger network of free and accessible services can only help more people know their rights.