Reading Housing Court Cases

[Pandyon]

The home page of the Housing Court Decisions page says the best way to learn is to read cases.

Where can I go, either online or in person, to read complete cases. I've been to housing court many times over the last few years, and looked a lot of cases, but I could only search for cases based upon the plaintiff name or respondent name. Is there a law library or someplace I can go to just read cases over the last two years, or can I use something like Lexis/Nexis to search Housing Court.

Thanks,

Mark

[TenantNet]

Every borough maintains an open law library (although I'm not sure off the top of my head where they are). Look for a publication called Housing Court Reporter, which should have the text of decisions. Also the Law Journal published LLT cases once a week (was it Wed. or Friday?). And if you can get Lexis/Nexis, that's another source.

BTW, the HCD here has been interrupted by maternity leave.

[Aubergine]

There are state-mandated public access law libraries in each borough: http://www.aallnet.org/chapter/llagny/publawlib.html
The one at the Queens Supreme Court may be especially useful, because the public has access to the main collection maintained for the use of judges and law clerks.

The county public access law libraries offer Lexis access for research, as well as standard treatises on landlord-tenant law (Scherer, Rasch, Finkelstein & Ferrara). These books are probably the best starting point for identifying and researching most issues.

Several of the public access law libraries have the Housing Court Reporter available. The one in Manhattan, at 80 Centre Street, does have the HCR.

If you want to look up a Housing Court or other case that was reported in the NYLJ, most law libraries should have it via Lexis (if published as a "Decision of Interest" since 1989) or on microfiche.

The CUNY Law School library is open to the public, too. Their catalog says they have the Housing Court Reporter, and of course they have the NYLJ and the other resources mentioned above.

The NY Public Library's Science, Industry, and Business Library on Mad. and 34th receives "Landlord v. Tenant," a newsletter summarizing cases from the courts and DHCR.

There are lots of accessible resources out there, if you know what you're looking for and how to use it when you find it.

<small>[ September 23, 2005, 11:23 AM: Message edited by: aubergine ]</small>