Case Study 8: Civil Litigation with GMHC, New York City–based Legal Services Firm

Litigation · Multi-Practice Legal Advisory · Access to Justice

Context

A New York City-based legal services organization providing free legal representation to low-income individuals across multiple practice areas including immigration, housing, employment, and family law. With a high-volume caseload and a drop-in clinic model serving the community directly, the organization required attorneys capable of managing complex, multi-disciplinary legal matters simultaneously under significant time and resource constraints.

What I Did

I appeared in court 3-4 days per week across immigration, housing, employment, and family law matters managing a broad and complex caseload simultaneously. Each practice area required distinct legal expertise, jurisdiction-specific knowledge, and the ability to shift quickly between very different types of legal proceedings. I developed and executed legal strategies across a portfolio of cases, negotiating favorable settlements on behalf of clients.

I met with 10-20 clients per week through the organization's drop-in clinic conducting intake assessments, providing immediate legal guidance, and determining the appropriate course of action under time pressure and with limited information. This required legal judgment, emotional intelligence, and the ability to build trust quickly with vulnerable clients navigating some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Outcome

Optimal settlements secured across multiple practice areas including reinstatement of employment and housing for clients who had been wrongfully removed from their jobs and homes. Over 300 individuals served across litigation, advisory, and clinic work during my tenure.

This engagement demonstrates the ability to operate across complex and high-stakes legal environments while simultaneously bringing rigorous legal judgment, strategic thinking, and deep human empathy to bear on behalf of people who needed it most. It is the foundation of everything I bring to every engagement since.