Transactional Public Interest Law: Not an Oxymoron!

Think that transactional law is just for the private sector? Think again! Join OPIA for a community discussion with Wasserstein Fellow Taylor James, Senior Staff Attorney of the Community Development Project at The Legal Aid Society. Taylor will discuss how transactional law can contribute to economic justice, equitable development, expanded access to resources for small business owners, and other social justice goals. Come learn about what organizations are doing this work, and what skills and experiences will prepare you to have a fulfilling transactional law career in the public sector.

Lunch provided. RSVP below.

Taylor James is an avid advocate for equitable development and community sustainability with over a decade of experience challenging inequality and social injustices as a public interest attorney at The Legal Aid Society in New York City. Taylor partners with nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and community-based organizations to create better opportunities for low-income communities. First and foremost, they are committed to leveraging a community lawyering model and their signature multi-disciplinary approach to client representation and advocacy at all levels. They also particularly enjoy strategizing with social entrepreneurs on how to expand individual access to business development resources and economic stability.

Taylor’s prioritization of centering community input and feedback also extends to their extensive legislative advocacy work at the city and state level. Taylor has been an advocate for commercial rent stabilization, the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), and housing rights, specifically expanding tenant protections. In 2017, Taylor testified in favor of the historic Universal Access bill, which successfully passed, codifying a right to counsel in New York City Housing Court eviction defense proceedings and representing a historic expansion of legal representation for tenants in New York City Housing Court. In her MRTA advocacy, they lobbied for the legalization of recreational marijuana in New York State as a legal services leader within the Start Smart Coalition.

Taylor received her AB in Government at Dartmouth College and her JD from the University of Maryland School of Law.

If you or an event participant requires disability-related accommodations, please contact HLS Accessibility Services at accessibility@law.harvard.edu two weeks in advance of the event.