Brown, Goldstein & Levy partner Andrew Freeman recently presented at “Mobility and Metropolitan Equity: The Legacy of Hills v. Gautreaux at 50,” a symposium hosted by the Poverty & Race Research Action Council, Mobility Works, and Impact for Equity in Washington, D.C.
Andy served as a panelist for “Public Housing/Mobility Litigation,” alongside Julie Brown, Mike Daniel, and Laura Beshara on June 11. The discussion, which was moderated by Mallory Verez, explored the role of litigation in advancing housing mobility and expanding access to opportunity for public housing residents.
The symposium brought together leading advocates, attorneys, researchers, policymakers, and housing experts to examine the lasting impact of the landmark Supreme Court decision and address challenges and opportunities that continue to shape fair housing enforcement and housing mobility initiatives across the country.
Throughout Andy’s career, he has represented individuals and classes of tenants in landmark litigation dismantling discriminatory housing practices and barriers to housing opportunity. Along with lawyers from the ACLU of Maryland, LDF, and other firms, Andy was one of the lead plaintiffs’ attorneys in Thompson v. HUD, the landmark case that found that HUD had violated the Fair Housing Act by failing to provide Black families who were eligible for public housing the same opportunities to live throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area as white families had. The Thompson case resulted in over 4,300 mobility vouchers, administered by the Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership, that have helped more than 5,000 families transition to well-resourced
communities across Baltimore City and the five surrounding counties. Thompson v. HUD has been recognized as one of the most important cases in the first 50 years of the Fair Housing Act. Andy also recently won an award of over $6 million on behalf of more than 17,000 Maryland tenants against Westminster Management, one of the nation’s largest landlords, after the court found the company had unlawfully charged illegal late fees and court-related fees.
ABOUT ANDREW FREEMAN
A talented trial lawyer, Andy is well known and highly regarded for obtaining justice by mastering the relevant law and getting to know his clients, their problems, and the evidence in their cases. Other lawyers bring him cases that present complicated combinations of law and facts or that require making new law. Andy has been a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers since 2014. His many accolades include being recognized consistently by Chambers USA, Lawdragon, and Super Lawyers. Andy was also chosen by his peers as Maryland Trial Lawyer of the Year. Learn more about Andy here.