Seton Hall Law Center for Social Justice Makes an Impact  

New Jersey Housing Justice Project

Last summer, recognizing that the provision of free legal services to tenants in need is one of the most effective ways to address the ongoing eviction crisis, the New Jersey Legislature appropriated monies for New Jersey law schools to fund experiential housing advocacy programs that assist low- and moderate-income tenants in maintaining housing stability.  The resulting New Jersey Housing Justice Project is a coordinated effort between Seton Hall and Rutgers that provides essential services to clients and valuable experience to students and volunteers.  The Project has multiple components: 

• Clinical programs through which supervised law students provide legal assistance to tenants, particularly those whose housing has been affected by the COVID pandemic, in matters related to housing stability. As an example, earlier this month, the CSJ provided representation to a survivor of domestic violence and her children to stop an unjust eviction and keep the family from becoming homeless.
• Community education, outreach, and advocacy, including the development of effective tools to educate the public about housing law. This work includes participation in community events and resource fairs, distribution of legal information, and social media campaigns. In November, the Center for Social Justice launched its tenant legal assistance clinics, through which volunteer attorneys, CSJ staff, law students, and community partners provided eviction diversion legal assistance.
• Expanding accessibility to legal assistance. The Project is placing post-graduate fellows and law students with legal services partners doing housing work and engaging volunteer attorneys in housing work. 

The Project is off to a great start and will continue to make a critical difference to tenants in NJ.

Immigrants' Rights/International Human Rights Clinic – New Jersey Detention and Deportation Defense Initiative (DDDI)

The Immigrants' Rights/International Human Rights Clinic of the Center for Social Justice has been participating in New Jersey's Detention and Defense Initiative (DDDI) since its launch in 2018. Through this State-funded Initiative, the Clinic has dramatically expanded experiential learning opportunities for students and service for indigent individuals facing detention or deportation. In addition to expanding our clinical opportunities, law students can now engage in pro bono and extern placements with the Initiative.  Students, lawyers, law graduates, and paralegals work together to represent noncitizens facing removal and seeking asylum and other forms of relief before the Immigration Court, Board of Immigration appeals, and Circuit Courts of Appeal.

To give just one example of the work underway, the Clinic recently represented a Mexican national who has lived in the United States for almost two decades and who supports his 13-year-old son and four stepchildren, all of whom are U.S. citizens and New Jersey residents. Tragically, this man was arrested when he called the police to report a crime. Despite being released by the criminal judge, he was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and spent four months in ICE custody while dealing with an array of medical issues.  The Clinic worked closely with the client’s criminal defense attorney and his case was ultimately dismissed. The immigration judge then granted the client bond, and he was released and reunited with his family.

Categories: Law