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Minority-Owned Small Businesses Face Increased Inequities during COVID-19

by The Neighborhood Entrepreneur Law ProjectJuly 22, 2020

Businesses across the United States have been financially impacted by COVID-19. Many businesses have had to close their doors or have seen decreased revenue since March, when COVID-19 cases started to increase throughout the U.S. Although all types of businesses and people have been affected, the worst impacted have been minority-owned small businesses.

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Blog - Price Gouging

Price Gouging: What It Is and What You Can Do About It

by Kyara MartinezJune 25, 2020

In response to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), New York City’s Department of Consumer Affairs (“DCA”) has expanded protections related to the illegal practice of price gouging. An emergency Rule enacted on March 15, 2020 makes price gouging illegal for any personal or household goods or services that are necessary to prevent or limit the spread of COVID-19 (the “NYC Rule”).

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Homeless Need Internet Access to Find a Home: A Client Story – Part 2

by CBJC StaffJune 24, 2020

In Part 1 of “Homeless Need Internet Access to Find a Home”, the City Bar Justice Center published a white paper from meetings with shelter residents in 2019 showing homeless family shelters didn’t have reliable Wi-Fi and access to technology. We surveyed 84 families and shared their struggles to find work, do homework, and locate permanent housing. The white paper also looked at other cities that were able to provide Wi-Fi to their homeless population.

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How COVID-19 Magnified Issues of Elder Abuse & Senior Care

by Vivienne Duncan, Esq.June 17, 2020

As we observed World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) earlier this week, the City Bar Justice Center recognized the ways in which COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the vulnerability of the elderly in residential facilities.

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Honoring the Spirit of Pride Month: Protecting Vulnerable LGBTQ Homeowners

by Sofia ColosimoJune 16, 2020

June is Pride Month: a time to celebrate the LGBTQ community and commemorate the 1969 Stonewall Riots, during which the New York City LGBTQ community pushed back against pervasive homophobia and systemic persecution from law enforcement. This year, Pride Month has already brought about another necessary and long-overdue victory for the LGBTQ community, as we celebrate the recent landmark United States Supreme Court decision protecting employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

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In Solidarity: The City Bar Justice Center Supports Black Communities through Pro Bono Work

by Lynn Kelly, Executive DirectorJune 8, 2020

The City Bar Justice Center (CBJC) joins in mourning the recent killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and other victims of violence resulting from longstanding systemic injustices and the toxic river of white supremacy poisoning our country. These tragic incidents highlight the disproportionate social, economic and civic inequalities to which Black people and people of color are subjected.

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Homeless Need Internet Access to Find a Home: The City Bar Justice Center Documents Lack of Technology in NYC Homeless Shelters – Part 1

by Cheryl LopezMay 20, 2020

The lack of access to technology – specifically Internet access – in homeless shelters severely hampers shelter residents in finding permanent housing, a report by the City Bar Justice Center (CBJC) finds. Further, the report highlights how lack of access to the Internet and technology creates significant academic barriers for homeless students – an issue that is suddenly front and center as schools moved to remote learning during the COVID-19 crisis.

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Change of Plan: A Pro Bono Scholar’s Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

by CBJC Staff

The Scholar’s Perspective: AnnMargaret Shea When I learned about the work of the City Bar Justice Center’s (CBJC) Cancer Advocacy and Elderlaw Projects, I knew where I wanted to spend my time as a Pro Bono Scholar. When I was offered a position on these projects, I began to imagine my time working in a … Continue reading Change of Plan: A Pro Bono Scholar’s Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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The Legal Clinic for the Homeless is on a Mission to Support New York City’s Most Vulnerable During COVID-19

by CBJC StaffMay 19, 2020

New Yorkers served by the City Bar Justice Center’s Legal Clinic for the Homeless (LCH) are among the most vulnerable community members who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Since then, LCH has been highly responsive in addressing the immediate needs of their clients, mainly homeless and poverty-stricken New Yorkers in need of essential public assistance benefits to make it through the pandemic.

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