law briefs
The disabled Army veteran thought he’d found a decent apartment. After serving his country, he’d secured a special housing voucher designed to help veterans get back on their feet in Boston's punishing rental market. But when he presented his voucher, the landlord refused to accept it.
It’s a story that plays out more often than it should—veterans coming home only to face a roadblock with housing. That’s exactly why Suffolk Law launched the Veterans Legal Advocacy Project (V-LAP).
When this veteran’s case came to the V-LAP team, student attorney Jamie Imbrogna, JD ’25, stepped in to help. Under faculty supervision, she coordinated with Suffolk’s Housing Discrimination Testing Program (HDTP)—a project of the Law School’s Center for Housing Justice and Policy. Fair housing testers, trained by the HDTP, posed as prospective renters and documented what the veteran already knew; discrimination was happening.
With solid evidence in hand, Imbrogna filed an administrative complaint. The result: The veteran secured an apartment and received coverage for moving expenses; the landlord also agreed to policy changes to prevent future violations.
V-LAP sits at the intersection of Suffolk Law’s longstanding focus on clinical legal education and addressing pressing social needs. Launched as part of the Law School’s nationally ranked Clinical Programs, the initiative tackles a stark reality—Greater Boston is one of the nation's most expensive rental markets, and veterans face unique barriers that some landlords don’t understand.
Student attorneys in the program fight voucher discrimination, secure disability accommodations like wheelchair ramps and accessible parking, and defend against wrongful evictions. They also fan out across the community, training social workers at the VA and staff at organizations like Home Base, teaching them to recognize the warning signs of housing discrimination.
The project leverages resources from across Suffolk Law, including the newly established Center for Housing Justice & Policy and the award-winning Accelerator to Practice Program. It’s made possible through the generosity of Suffolk Construction, Jay Tangney, JD ’96—the firm’s executive vice president and general counsel—and the law firm Hinckley Allen. Tangney is a member of the Suffolk Law Dean’s Cabinet.
For the veterans served by V-LAP, the legal victories restore what should never have been denied: the right to fair housing under federal law. —Michael Fisch
Return to Table of Contents
winter 2026
Photography: Adobe
Jamie Imbrogna, JD ’25
Photograph: Michael J. Clarke
The disabled Army veteran thought he’d found a decent apartment. After serving his country, he’d secured a special housing voucher designed to help veterans get back on their feet in Boston's punishing rental market. But when he presented his voucher, the landlord refused to accept it.
It’s a story that plays out more often than it should—veterans coming home only to face a roadblock with housing. That’s exactly why Suffolk Law launched the Veterans Legal Advocacy Project (V-LAP).
When this veteran’s case came to the V-LAP team, student attorney Jamie Imbrogna, JD ’25, stepped in to help. Under faculty supervision, she coordinated with Suffolk’s Housing Discrimination Testing Program (HDTP)—a project of the Law School’s Center for Housing Justice and Policy. Fair housing testers, trained by the HDTP, posed as prospective renters and documented what the veteran already knew; discrimination was happening.
With solid evidence in hand, Imbrogna filed an administrative complaint. The result: The veteran secured an apartment and received coverage for moving expenses; the landlord also agreed to policy changes to prevent future violations.
V-LAP sits at the intersection of Suffolk Law’s longstanding focus on clinical legal education and addressing pressing social needs. Launched as part of the Law School’s nationally ranked Clinical Programs, the initiative tackles a stark reality—Greater Boston is one of the nation's most expensive rental markets, and veterans face unique barriers that some landlords don’t understand.
Student attorneys in the program fight voucher discrimination, secure disability accommodations like wheelchair ramps and accessible parking, and defend against wrongful evictions. They also fan out across the community, training social workers at the VA and staff at organizations like Home Base, teaching them to recognize the warning signs of housing discrimination.
The project leverages resources from across Suffolk Law, including the newly established Center for Housing Justice & Policy and the award-winning Accelerator to Practice Program. It’s made possible through the generosity of Suffolk Construction, Jay Tangney, JD ’96—the firm’s executive vice president and general counsel—and the law firm Hinckley Allen. Tangney is a member of the Suffolk Law Dean’s Cabinet.
For the veterans served by V-LAP, the legal victories restore what should never have been denied: the right to fair housing under federal law. —Michael Fisch