Housing Justice for All
Northeast Legal Aid is seeking pro bono attorneys to represent tenants in eviction defense cases in the Northeast Housing Court. The cases in this project are evictions for non-payment of rent and no cause.
“My attorney helped me understand the process so much better.”
“My attorney made me feel confident, as I arrived very nervous.”
“My attorney was kind, informative, sensitive to my issues, responsive, respectful.”
“My attorney was very helpful telling me what I could and couldn’t do and what would be best.”
Help make a difference in your community.
By the numbers:
Together we can extend our reach, prevent homelessness, and ensure housing justice for all. Attorneys looking to give back to the local community, gain advocacy experience, and build their litigation skills can volunteer to represent tenants across the Merrimack Valley region.
You will have access to training materials, as well as the close supervision of two experienced housing attorneys. We will review your pleadings, attend hearings with you- even co-counsel the case, if you’d like. Motion hearings in Lowell, Lawrence, and Lynn are a great opportunity to gain litigation skills and practice arguing before a judge. New attorneys welcome.
Throughout the representation, experienced attorneys in Northeast Legal Aid’s Pro Bono Unit will be there to provide training, support, and guidance.
•Data from the Trial Court of Massachusetts shows that in recent years the Northeast Housing Court has had more eviction filings than any other Housing Court in the state.
•Due to limits in funding and staff capacity, NLA is not able to take every case. In the past six months, 1751 clients seeking housing assistance from NLA were turned away.
• A top NLA priority is to advance racial justice. A report from the Boston Globe noted that eviction rates during the pandemic were higher in communities of color. Our coverage area includes the cities of Lynn, Lowell, and Lawrence, of which the Latinx population is over 80%.
Volunteer Sign Up
Interested in volunteering? Fill out some info and we will be in touch shortly! We can't wait to hear from you!