“I figured I’d take a benefits case or a CORI case [at the Legal Clinic], but then I met Liana and her story tugged at my heartstrings. As a lawyer, you think, ‘I need to figure out a way to help this person.’ And having volunteered with Lawyers Clearinghouse in the past, I knew that the resources would be there, which made me feel confident taking the case.” – Joshua Carroll, Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP
“[Pro bono] is something I take on happily. It’s important that we help people who have issues that they can’t necessarily resolve on their own or can’t resolve as successfully or as easily on their own. It’s one way lawyers can give back to the community and it’s so important to keep doing it.” – Caitlin O’Neill, Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP
When Ropes & Gray associates Joshua Carroll and Caitlin O’Neill first met Legal Clinic client Liana*, she had just received an eviction notice from her landlord. It was late fall and Liana was concerned that she and her young daughter would end up without a home.
Months prior, Liana learned she was pregnant and requested her landlord perform a lead test to ensure the unit was safe for her future child. The test came back positive for lead and, a month later, Liana received the eviction notice. The landlord claimed he was simply selling the building, but Josh and Caitlin believed the eviction was actually retaliatory and that the landlord was trying to avoid the legally-required deleading process.
Over the next few weeks, Josh and Caitlin worked with Clearinghouse Legal Clinic mentor Dick Bauer, a housing law expert, to come up with a settlement offer for the landlord. Dick provided further guidance throughout the negotiation process with the landlord’s attorney and gave Josh and Caitlin tips on what to expect were the case to go to court.
Following a series of offers and counter-offers, the landlord agreed to settle out of court. Liana received reimbursement for 8+ months of rent, equaling almost $10,000, as well as a reference letter from the landlord, in exchange for vacating the unit. Thanks to the settlement, Liana and her daughter will easily be able to afford new housing.
*Client’s name has been changed to protect privacy.
