Yesterday, three Philadelphia residents of Bentley Manor, a large apartment complex in West Oak Lane, filed a class action lawsuit against Odin Properties LLC, one of Philadelphia’s largest landlords that is believed to own or manage over 1,500 apartments in the city, and the related companies that own and operate the building. Four months ago, […]
In 2022, Education Voters of PA filed a Right to Know request to examine how Commonwealth Charter Academy (CCA), Pennsylvania’s largest cyber charter school, spends public moneys to reimburse families for activities and classes outside of the school day. After CCA refused to provide the requested records, we represented Education Voters of PA in the […]
Providing services to help students with disabilities prepare for adult life is critically important. The federal Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) is clear about public schools’ responsibility to support this transition: students with disabilities can receive a free and appropriate public education until they turn 22. But for years, Pennsylvania has been aging […]
Seniors living in the Brith Sholom House apartment building in Wynnefield Heights–one of Philadelphia’s few affordable senior housing complexes–experience unacceptable conditions every day: broken plumbing systems, exposed wires, leaking pipes, pest infestations, fire code violations that threaten their safety, and much more. The Department of Licenses and Inspections has found more than 100 serious code […]
The Private Detective Act, a 1953 state law, bars anyone who has ever been convicted of any felony and a long list of misdemeanors from working in security for life, with no exceptions
Pittsburgh is facing an escalating crisis in housing affordability. In response, the City passed an inclusionary zoning ordinance this spring. The Builders Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh is seeking to block this law in federal court in a lawsuit filed May 12, 2022. Today, the people of Pittsburgh are fighting back. Organizations representing neighborhoods where housing costs are soaring filed a motion to intervene in the case and defend inclusionary zoning, affordable housing, and diverse communities.
Attention Southwest Philadelphia residents: Do you live close to an auto body shop or scrapyard? The Public Interest Law Center would like to learn more about how your quality of life is impacted by the large number of auto-related businesses in Southwest Philadelphia. You have the right to enjoy your home. Please call the Law […]
Your Rights When You’re Applying for a Job with a Criminal Record In Philadelphia The Fair Criminal Records Screening Standards Ordinance (“Ban the Box”) helps ensure that employers make hiring and other employment decisions based on work qualifications instead of a person’s criminal record. Under the ordinance, it is against the law for employers to […]
Update: After more than four years of growth and development, Renters United Philadelphia now operates completely independently of the Public Interest Law Center, joining One Pennsylvania’s citywide housing justice network. The Law Center continues to collaborate with RUP in their work helping renters assert their right to quality housing, and our attorneys and legal interns […]
