National Housing Law Project Housing Law Bulletin

Summary Description of Project Services, Products and Fees
Effective January 1, 1996

The total loss of federal Legal Services funding has forced the National Housing Law Project (NHLP or the Project) to begin charging a fee for many of our services and for our products. Our fee schedule was developed with consultation from legal services field attorneys and managers.

The Following Services and Products are Offered

PLEASE NOTE: This is a summary. Detailed descriptions of each service are available by contacting NHLP's Oakland office.

Publications

By subscribing to some or all of NHLP's publications, field advocates will have access to NHLP's analyses of national policy and legal developments that affect clients and the low-income community at the local and state level, and will provide local advocates with an ability to identify issues and devise strategies to meet the legal needs of their clients. Orders for NHLP's publications may be placed by using the publications list on the last page of this issue (before the Index).

Training

NHLP will continue to offer an assessment of training needs and provide training that gives participants a unique opportunity to engage in a discussion of legal needs, creation of remedies and defensive strategies to engender efficient and effective representation of clients. NHLP will also provide information about other training and advocacy resources, and written training materials.

Price

Where NHLP staff are requested to conduct training at an event sponsored by others, NHLP will charge a standard fee of $130 per hour (including preparation and presentation time) for each trainer, plus out-of-pocket expenses. For NHLP-sponsored trainings, a registration fee will be applied in the range of $200-300 per participant, depending on the costs incurred in sponsoring the training event. In addition to the registration fee, training participants will be expected to cover their own travel expenses, including transportation, lodging and meals.

Technical Assistance and Consultation

1.Response to Brief Service Requests. NHLP will respond briefly (i.e., 20 to 30 minutes) without charge to as many requests for consultation and advice from field attorneys as is possible, given our limited resources.

NHLP will continue to operate a service hotline. Field advocates will be able to place service requests through the hotline. Due to limited resources, NHLP staff will not be able to provide consultation to every call placed to the hotline. Staff will screen and return calls which, in the judgment of staff, can be adequately and competently handled, taking into account such factors as the nature of the issue, the number of people affected, the staff time available to devote to the call, the available remedy and likelihood of rendering useful information.

2.Extended Consultation. Where NHLP determines that a service request requires more than a brief consultation (e.g., 20 to 30 minutes), a program may contract for additional consulting services at the rate of $130.00 an hour, or $32.50 per 15-minute increment. Fractions of an hour will be rounded off to the nearest quarter hour.

Prior to contacting NHLP, where a field program anticipates a need for more extensive consultation services, or if during the course of the initial consultation it becomes clear that an extended amount of NHLP staff time will be required, the Project and field program will execute a service contract, and an advance deposit of $500.00 will be required at the time the contract is executed against which time will be billed.

The hourly rate of $130.00 covers actual telephone and research time necessary to deliver the requested information.

3.Co-counseling/Expert Consultation. The Project will address requests to participate as co-counsel or of-counsel on litigation, legislation and administrative representation of clients on a case-by-case basis. Fee arrangements in such cases are negotiable on a case-by-case basis. In cases where the Project is not formally on the pleadings, staff will be available to consult as legal experts at the rate of $130.00 per hour.

4.Methods of Payment. The Project will offer programs the option of paying for consultation services on a monthly billing basis (i.e., opening a service account), or by the use of a major credit card.

If you have any questions regarding the schedule of fees and services, please contact Manuel A. Romero or David Bryson at the Project's Oakland office (510) 251-9400.