The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) thanks Nicola Paterson of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher for regularly volunteering with our eviction defense settlement clinic, the Housing Negotiation Project (HNP). In the past year, Nicky has represented 12 low-income San Francisco residents. Her limited-scope representation helped many of them stay housed and avoid homelessness.

HNP is an eviction defense clinic held every Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. There, attorneys represent tenants being evicted during their mandatory settlement conferences. Nicky has found that settlement conferences provide a fantastic opportunity to work on advocacy and negotiation skills in a fast-paced environment.

Volunteering with JDC has allowed Nicky to develop her advocacy skills, as well as give back to the community. Getting the chance to help clients who otherwise would have no legal representation is the best reward, according to Nicky, particularly in San Francisco where finding housing can be very challenging at the best of times.

Nicky grew up in the United Kingdom, but had the opportunity to study at UC Berkeley for a year during college. After attending law school at Georgetown Law Center she moved back to the Bay Area, where she has works as a litigation associate at Gibson Dunn, generally working on government enforcement and complex financial and securities litigation matters. In her free time, Nicky enjoys ceramics, sailing, and diving.

To learn more about the Housing Negotiation Project and how to volunteer, visit http://www.sfbar.org/probono or email JDC’s volunteer coordinator at probono@sfbar.org.