Contact: Carole Roper, Manager of Public Affairs, 703/797-0616 or carole@naahq.org
ARLINGTON, Va. / July 27, 2010 – If a member company is involved in a case at the appellate level, the National Apartment Association can help by submitting a “friend of the court” (amicus curiae) brief on the company’s behalf. NAA’s appellate Legal Assistance Program (LAP) provides expert attorneys who draft and submit a legal brief that:
• Supplements and strengthens the arguments your counsel makes to the court
• Reminds the court of the national policy implications of your case and why your company’s legal position strengthens the country’s vital housing industry
To determine whether to grant your application for friend of the court assistance, NAA’s legal assistance committee will review your request based on the following factors:
• Is the legal matter significant to the industry or limited to the parties involved?
• Would a favorable judgment enhance the stature of NAA and its members?
• What is the likelihood of success and what would the impact be to the multifamily housing industry if the case is unsuccessful?
• Is the case consistent with NAA’s established policies?
• What is the ability of additional interested parties to contribute financially to the legal action? (Interested parties may include NAA state and local affiliates, individual apartment firms and supplier companies.)
NAA encourages members to take advantage of this service. Please note that NAA’s amicus curiae brief does not create an attorney/client relationship between NAA and your company or any other entity. Amicus assistance is typically limited to cases before an appellate court – not at trial or during a lower level landlord-tenant court.
For information, contact John McDermott, Greg Brown, Michael Semko or Scot Haislip at 703/248-9440.
###
The National Apartment Association (NAA) is America’s leading advocate for quality rental housing. NAA’s mission is to serve the interests of multifamily housing owners, managers, developers and suppliers and maintain a high level of professionalism in the multifamily housing industry to better serve the rental housing needs of the public.
NAA is a federation of nearly 200 state and local affiliates, comprised of more than 51,000 multifamily housing companies representing more than 6.3 million apartment homes throughout the United States and Canada.