Earlier this year, Syracuse University College of Law launched its Housing Clinic to bring much-needed free legal services to low-income Syracuse residents facing profound living conditions issues. Student attorneys provide a wide range of legal services, including representation in court, under the supervision of Housing Clinic Director Gary Pieples.
In a news story on Spectrum News, Syracuse Law students D’Andre Gordon L’25 and Connor Hamilton L’25 discussed their experiences in the clinic and their impact on the community.
“Some of the cases we cover are eviction defense – you’re getting evicted, you need legal counsel, for non-payment of rent. We work on conditions cases [like] you’re suing your landlord because there are code violations that are impacting your quality of life,” said Gordon.
The student lawyers are gaining more than important advocacy skills. For Hamilton, a Syracuse native, it means giving back to his hometown. He said the clinic is enabling him to “connect more with my community and feeling like I’m actually being a part of something a little bit bigger than myself and making a difference in someone’s life that is from my area, that has a lot of special meaning to me personally.”