Introduction & Biography

The papers of Elizabeth Kinney chronicle Kinney's career in legal services: first as a law school student working in Washington DC, next as a young attorney working in Cleveland, thirdly as a Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellow (Reggie) in Ann Arbor and Los Angeles, and finally as a legal services attorney in Los Angeles.  The primary focus of the collection is Kinney's work in the areas of housing law and reform and legal services to the elderly.

In 1965, as a law school student, Kinney was selected to work for the Neighborhood Legal Services Project in Washington DC.  In Washington Kinney assisted Brian Olmstead in the landmark retaliatory eviction case, Edwards v. Habib.  This case argued that a tenant could not be evicted from his/her dwelling for reasons of retaliation against the tenant for reporting housing code violations.  The collection contains clippings and other documents related to the case.  Next, during the summer of 1966 working with the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Kinney set-up a program to train law students in neighborhood legal services; later she opened and directed a neighborhood legal services office in Cleveland.  The collection contains documents related to the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland and its Neighborhood Legal Services Program.  In Ann Arbor (1970), as a Reggie, Kinney worked with the Public Housing Tenants Organization to secure an agreement with the Ann Arbor Housing Commission.  The agreement, a copy of which is included in the collection, forced the Housing Commission to recognize the Tenants Organization and extend to them certain rights.

Around 1970, Kinney extended her Reggie Fellowship for a second year and moved to Los Angeles.  In Los Angeles she was assigned to work with the Western Center on Law and Poverty; and while with the Western Center her work, again, focused on housing issues.  The collection includes materials related to proposed legislation and specific cases.  In terms of legislation, Kinney worked on behalf of the California Housing Coalition in an attempt to create a state housing finance agency.  The legislation passed through the State Assembly and Senate but was ultimately vetoed by Governor Reagan.  Pleadings from two important cases are included: Francois v. Economic and Youth Opportunities Agency (EYOA)  and Moore v. Johnson.  Francois v. EYOA argued that community representatives should be allowed to enjoin an election, electing representatives to sit on a board which allocated OEO anti-poverty funds.  Kinney, on behalf of Francois, argued that the election procedure was unfair.  Moore v. Johnson was a lawsuit attempting to prevent veterans from being evicted from domiciliary facilities.  In 1972, Kinney helped to establish the National Senior Citizens Law Center.  The Center's mission was to provide legal services to the elderly.  The collection includes start-up materials, minutes of the Board, and progress reports.  Some publications and miscellaneous materials of The National Tenants Organization are also included in the collection.
 

Scope and Contents Notes

Series: The collection is divided into six series: 1) Kinney Publications; 2) The National Tenants Organization; 3) Washington (Neighborhood Legal Services Project)/ Edwards v. Habib; 4) Cleveland / Legal Aid Society of Cleveland; 5) Ann Arbor / Public Housing Tenants Action Organization; 6) Los Angeles - (including two sub-series: a. The Western Center on Law and Poverty and b. The National Senior Citizens Law Center).

Dates: Late 1960's to late 1970's

Provenance: Elizabeth Kinney, donated to the National Equal Justice Library in 1998

Size: Three archival quality Hollinger Boxes, approx. 1 ½ linear feet

Location: National Equal Justice Library, Archives shelves

Series Descriptions

1. Kinney Publications: Contains two articles authored by Kinney.
2. National Tenants Organization: Contains official publications of the Organization, materials related to NTO's conference in 1973, and other promotional materials.
3. Washington: Contains materials from Edwards v. Habib and related newspaper clippings.
   Cleveland: Contains materials related to the Cleveland Legal Aid Society's Neighborhood Legal Services Program, and its summer program for law students.
4. Ann Arbor: Contains recognition agreement made between Ann Arbor Housing Commission and Ann Arbor Public Tenants Organization.
5. Los Angeles: This series is divided into two sub-series, materials related to Kinney's work with the Western Center on Law and Poverty and materials related to Kinney's work with the National Senior Citizens Law Center.  While with the Western Center on Law and Poverty Kinney worked in the area of housing law and legislation.  She was one of the founders of the National Senior Citizens Law Center.

Arrangement

Box 1

Kinney Publications, folder 1
National Tenants Organization, folders 2-3
Washington, folders  4-7
Cleveland, folder 8
Ann Arbor, Folder 9
Los Angeles - Western Center sub-series, folders 10-13

Box 2

Los Angeles - Western Center sub-series, all folders 1-11
 

Box 3

Los Angeles  - National Senior Citizens Law Center sub-series, all folders 1-5
 

Folder List

(Box 1 begin)

Series I. Kinney Publications, folder 1
   Folder 1. Kinney Publications
 

Series II: National Tenants Organization, folders 2-3
   Folder 2. Misc. materials related to the National Tenants Organization
   Folder 3. NTO Publications
 

Series III: Washington, folders 4-7
   Folder 4. Newspaper clippings on Edwards v. Habib - November 1965 to March 1966
   Folder 5. Edwards v. Habib, Memorandum Opinion
   Folder 6. Edwards v. Habib, Decision
   Folder 7. Edwards v. Habib: Brief For Appellant Yvonne C. Edwards. Attorney Brian Michael Olmstead
 

Series IV: Cleveland, Folder 8
   Folder 8. Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Summer 1966

Series V: Ann Arbor, folder 9
   Folder 9. Ann Arbor - Materials on Housing Issues
 

Series VI: Los Angeles, folders 10-13
   Folder 10. Western Center on Law and Poverty
   Folder 11. Western Center on Law and Poverty Housing and the Elderly Project
   Folder 12. Housing Development Legislation
   Folder 13. Housing Legislation, Western Center

(Box 1 end)

(Box 2 begin)

Los Angeles Cont., folders 1-12
   Folder 1.  Francois v. Economic and Youth Opportunities Agency of Greater Los Angeles (pleadings)
   Folder 2.  Francois v. Economic and Youth Opportunities Agency of Greater Los Angeles
   Folder 3. Francois v. Economic and Youth Opportunities Agency of Greater Los Angeles
   Folder 4. Francois v. Economic and Youth Opportunities Agency of Greater Los Angeles (law)
   Folder 5. Francois v. Economic and Youth Opportunities Agency of Greater Los Angeles (extra copies)
   Folder 6. Moore v. Johnson (affidavits and research data)
   Folder 7. Moore v. Johnson (pleadings)
   Folders 8 -12 Miscellaneous Pleadings, Western Center
 

(Box 2 end)

(Box 3 begin)

Los Angeles Cont., folders 1-5
   Folder 1. National Senior Citizens Law Center - Start Up Materials
   Folder 2 NSCLC Governing Board
   Folder 3.NSCLC Progress Reports
   Folder 4 NSCLC Minutes of Meetings
   Folder 5. NSCLC misc.