WilmerHale associate finds success with first pro bono case
Louis Manzo, while working as a journalist in Boston, was first drawn to the legal profession after covering a murder trial. The courtroom setting appealed to him, and he liked the idea of presenting a case and arguing on behalf of an idea or client. When he moved to South Africa to work for a media development nonprofit – a job that entailed editing a newspaper covering the typical crime and politics stories, as well as less general fare, such as interactions with hippos – he found himself thinking more about becoming a lawyer.
After leaving South Africa, Manzo went back to school for a law degree. He joined WilmerHale as a litigation associate in October 2013 and attended his first Legal Clinic for the Homeless with the firm a month later.
While doing intake at the clinic, Manzo met Leslie*, who had recently become homeless after her Section 8 voucher expired. Vouchers expire if they are not used by a certain time, and Leslie had been unable to secure housing due to bad credit, poor references, and a criminal history. She was seeking help getting her voucher extended and ultimately securing housing. Her goal was straightforward, and senior lawyers at the firm agreed to let Manzo work on her case, which he said evolved from there.
Manzo argued for a reasonable accommodation for Leslie, due to her mental health issues. The Boston Housing Authority agreed to grant Leslie an extension, but she faced additional challenges securing an apartment.
Leslie unsuccessfully applied to multiple landlords, but eventually found one apartment complex that she really liked because she had a support network nearby and it was close to her hospital. However, the building management team initially rejected her application because of her references and credit history. After requesting an internal appeal, Manzo and Leslie drove out to the apartment complex and met with the building management team and their legal representation.
By presenting new documents and explaining more about Leslie’s history, Manzo persuaded the landlord to accept her as a future tenant. Since there were no open units, Leslie was placed on a waitlist and Manzo periodically followed up with the necessary personnel.
Four months after she met Manzo at St. Francis House, Leslie received the keys to her new apartment. That day, she left Manzo a voicemail with “about one million thank yous” to everyone at WilmerHale. “Now I’m a person with a home,” she said.
Manzo said working one-on-one with a client was an interesting change of pace. “It was nice to really have one-on-one contact. I work on a lot of huge investigations where you don’t necessarily get that kind of experience,” he said. “She would send me a thank you card every few weeks and she was really great to work with.”
Manzo said he was glad the landlord was willing to sit down to discuss Leslie’s case in detail, so both parties could work together to find a solution. He looks forward to participating in more legal clinics in the future.
“Attorneys at WilmerHale are dedicated to serving the community and I think the firm’s ongoing relationship with the Lawyers Clearinghouse is a testament to that commitment,” he said. “For me personally, the clinic offers the opportunity to affect an individual life in a very meaningful and immediate way. Especially in litigation, where a lot of these cases go on for years and years, it’s nice to be able to say, ‘Ok, here’s something I did that was concrete, and had an impact on the world.’“
*Client’s name has been changed.
The Clearinghouse would like to thank Lou Manzo for his hard work, and WilmerHale for the firm’s strong support over the past 20 years. Thank you to Seth Orkand, WilmerHale counsel and clinic coordinator; George Mykulak, partner and Clearinghouse board member; and Anne Bowie, Public Service Manager, for the ongoing assistance.