LETTER TO A YOUNG PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY
LOS ANGELES PUBLIC INTEREST LAW JOURNAL
2 L.A. PUB. INT. L.J. 234
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LETTER TO A YOUNG PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY*
Michael Bodaken

I am what one might call a “Recovering Public Interest Lawyer.” I’m recovering in the sense that I no longer practice public interest law. It took working alongside some fabulous public interest lawyers early in my career to realize that while I wanted to be committed to public interest pursuits throughout my career, my best
arguments would not be made in the courtroom but in the offices of legislators to change public policy. I graduated three decades ago and practiced just over 10 years at San Fernando Valley Neighborhood Legal Services and Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.

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President of the National Housing Trust and of the National Housing Trust/Enterprise Preservation Corporation.** Mr. Bodaken has been largely responsible for growing the
organization in becoming a nationwide leader in the field of affordable housing preservation. The Trust urges state and federal governments to devote sufficient resources to save existing housing,
with a particular emphasis on preserving housing in communities of opportunity.

Mr. Bodaken also serves as President of NHT/Enterprise, an organization founded by the Trust which owns and operates 5,000 affordable apartments in eight states and the District of Columbia. The Trust’s CDFI, NHT Community Development Fund, provides low interest loans to preservation developers across the U.S. During his tenure, the Trust has nanced and preserved over 20,000 apartments throughout the nation, involving over $1 billion in nancing.

Prior to joining the Trust, Mr. Bodaken practiced public interest law for over a decade, specializing in class action homeless litigation, tenants’ rights and affordable housing advocacy before local and state government bodies. He practiced at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley Neighborhood Legal Services. Mr. Bodaken also worked for Mayor Tom Bradley as Deputy Mayor for Housing for the City of Los Angeles.

(**For identification purposes only.)