The USC Gould School of Law’s Housing Law and Policy Clinic secured a significant procedural win in federal court on July 31 when a judge granted its motion to dismiss in a challenge to Los Angeles tenant protection measures.
The case, Harris v. City of Los Angeles, contests the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance and other housing laws. The clinic worked on the matter with Public Counsel and the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olsen. According to clinic director Deepika Sharma, the ruling by Judge Jesus Bernal of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California “preserves the tenant protections essential for our clients to remain housed, as well as laws that our Clinic has been directly involved with drafting and advocating for.”
“This case plays an important role in helping our clients maintain stable housing at a moment when many households face significant pressures,” said Sharma, clinical associate professor of law at USC Gould. “It also offered our students meaningful exposure to complex litigation and the opportunity to collaborate with seasoned practitioners. As the matter proceeds, we will continue working to support policies that respond to the substantial housing needs across Los Angeles.”
Sharma said the clinic’s students supported the litigation by preparing an initial memo, helping recruit the organizational client Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, drafting declarations and compiling information from clinic clients. She noted that “most of our clients are immigrant families with minor children who are extremely low income and would be most impacted by losing the tenant protections at issue in the case.”
The team submitted a detailed motion to dismiss with declarations describing tenant needs and the potential effects of the challenged laws. Sharma said the material “was important for the final ruling.”
The plaintiffs have appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Sharma said the clinic “will continue to work on the case with our litigation team and alongside the City of Los Angeles in defending its tenant protections.”
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