Michael Allen
Partner
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(202) 728-1888

Practice

Michael Allen practices primarily in the area of civil rights litigation.  He represents individuals and organizations in cases and matters under the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and has written and lectured widely in these areas.  

From 1995 to 2006, Mr. Allen was Senior Staff Attorney at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, where he focused on civil rights policy development and litigation involving people with psychiatric disabilities.  Previously, he was an attorney with Legal Services of Northern Virginia from 1985 to 1995, with a focus on representing low-income clients in housing litigation and policy advocacy.

Professional Activities

PATHWAYS TO HOUSING, D.C., Washington, D.C.
Founding Member and Chair, Board of Directors 2003-present

NATIONAL COALITION ON DISABILITY RIGHTS, Washington, D.C.
Member, Board of Directors 2003-2005

YACHAD, THE JEWISH HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Member, Board of Directors 2003-present

Selected Published Cases

National Fair Housing Alliance v. A.G. Spanos Const., Inc.,, 542F.Supp.2d 1054 (N.D.Cal. 2008)(standing and continuing violation theory in design and construction case brought under the Fair Housing Act)

Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York v. Westchester County, 495 F.Supp. 2d 375 (S.D.N.Y. 2007) and 2009 WL 455269 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 24, 2009)(False Claims Act and obligation to affirmatively further fair housing)

Clark v. Alexander, 894 F.Supp. 261 (E.D.Va. 1995), aff'd 85 F.3d 146 (4th Cir. 1996)(termination of rental subsidy).

Ellis v. Ritchie, 803 F. Supp. 1097 (E.D.Va. 1992)(termination of rental subsidy)

Evans v. Sullivan, 928 F.2d 109 (4th Cir. 1991)(attorney's fees under Equal Access to Justice Act). 

Honors and Awards

Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship (1985-86)

Wasserstein Public Interest Visiting Fellow, Harvard University School of Law (2005)

Selected Publications

"'For the Rest of Their Lives': Seniors and the Fair Housing Act," 90 Iowa Law Review 101 (co-authored with Robert G. Schwemm)(October 2004), available at http://www.bazelon.org/issues/housing/moreresources/articles/11-04iowalawreview.pdf

Addressing Community Opposition to Affordable Housing Development: A Fair Housing Toolkit (Housing Alliance of Pennyslvania, May 2004)(co-authored with Sara Pratt), available at http://content.knowledgeplex.org/kp2/cache/documents/68549.pdf

"No Shelter in the Storm: The Supreme Court Hands NIMBY Forces a Powerful Weapon," SHELTERFORCE, #131 (September/October 2003), available at http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/131/shelterinstorm.html

"Preserving Elders' Housing Rights," 39(10) TRIAL 32 (October 2003)(co-authored with Susan Silverstein), available at http://www.bazelon.org/issues/housing/moreresources/articles/10-03trial.htm

Principal Author, RECONSTRUCTING FAIR HOUSING (National Council on Disability, November 2001), available at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2001/pdf/fairhousing.pdf

"Why Not in Our Back Yard?" PLANNING COMMISSIONERS= JOURNAL (Winter 2002), available at http://www.bazelon.org/issues/housing/moreresources/articles/Why-Not-In-Our-Back-Yard.pdf