Louis Manuta

Experience

• 

  NYS Telecommunications Association

  Aug 1998 - Feb 2006

  VICE PRESIDENT -- REGULATORY COUNSEL

  o Coordinated regulatory and legal policy for non-profit organization representing Independent local telephone carrierso Worked hand-in-hand with the Board of Directors on strategic planning initiatives to improve member serviceso Drafted comments and was an active party in State and federal regulatory proceedings

• 

  Herzog Law Firm

  Mar 2006 - Aug 2007

  COUNSEL -- TELECOMMUNICATIONS PRACTICE GROUP

  o Successfully represented competitive telephone providers and non-profit organizations in regulatory proceedings

• 

  Public Utility Law Project

  Aug 2007 - Aug 2010

  SENIOR ATTORNEY

  o Worked directly with the Executive Director to provide legal representation to dozens of individuals facing loss of electric service, heat, and Lifeline telephone serviceo Successfully drafted Federal, State, and State Bar Association grant applications for civil legal services firmo Worked with the Board of Directors on strategic planning and budgeting to continuously improve client serviceso Met one-on-one with State legislators and their staffs to successfully secure funding through the State budget processo Advocated energy efficiency policies for low-income families in State and Federal regulatory and court proceedings that saved consumers thousands of dollars every yearo Testified before State Senate Committee on taxation issueso Advocacy efforts prevented the State from enforcing an unnecessary mandate to add an area code in a rural area Show less

• 

  Schenectady Community Action Program

  Oct 2010 - Mar 2012

  DIRECTOR OF HOUSING & COMMUNITY SERVICES

  o Managed a staff of 18 case managers at local community action agency, providing homelessness prevention, food stamp applications, and safety net services for hundreds of vulnerable familieso Wrote State and foundation grant applications, including the Community Services Block Grant and United Way grantso Served as the Eviction Prevention Task Force Coordinator for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program, bringing together co-grantees to minimize evictions for working families and kept hundreds of families from becoming homelesso Drafted comments in regulatory proceedings to better allocate Home Energy Assistance Program resources Show less

• 

  NYS Joint Commission on Public Ethics

  Jul 2012 - May 2015

  ASSOCIATE COUNSEL/LEGAL INTERN COORDINATOR

  o Provided legal analysis and advice to current and former State employees on ethical issues to help avoid penaltieso Provided guidance to lobbyists and clients of lobbyists on registration and disclosure requirementso Drafted regulations and guidance documents that provided a framework of permissible ethical conduct o Participated in investigations of potential ethical and lobbying law violations of elected officials, bureaucrats, and major political donorso Trained hundreds of State workers on new ethical ruleso Responsible for hiring, mentoring, and managing legal interns Show less

• 

  Eastside Legal Assistance Program

  Sept 2015 - Sept 2016

  MANAGING ATTORNEY

  o Managed two staff attorneys at civil legal service organization’s Domestic Violence Legal Program – reviewed referrals, assigned cases, provided direct client representation, and completed required monthly grant reportso My legal team assisted over 300 clients in a 12 month period o Coordinated Family Law Fellowship Program – organized year-long incubator program for six recent law school graduates, scheduled extensive CLE course schedule, and mentored Fellow attorneyso Member of leadership team developing proposal to create a Medical-Legal Partnership at the organization Show less

• 

  Magnuson Lowell PS

  May 2017 - Jul 2017

  FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY (temporary)

  o Represented clients in King County Superior Court and Snohomish County Superior Court on family law matterso Advised clients on dissolutions, child custody, and visitation legal issues o Represented clients in settlements and mediations

• 

  King County Department of Public Defense -- Northwest Defenders Division

  Jul 2017 - Oct 2020

  CIVIL COLLATERAL CONSEQUENCES ATTORNEY

  o Advised public defenders and low-income clients on civil issues arising from arrests, pleas, and convictionso Trained public defenders in the civil legal consequences arising from criminal activitieso Vacated more than 200 convictions and saved clients over $300,000 in court feeso Empowered low-income clients to represent themselves in court and administrative proceedingso Expertise in housing, employment, employment licensing, and public benefits issues affecting low-income clients Show less

• 

  Self Employed

  Oct 2020 - now

  OFF-GRID GENTLEMAN FARMER

  Relocated to southeastern Arizona in October 2020 to live sustainably. Supervised and participated in construction of energy efficient home, drilling a well, installing solar power system with battery backup, and building greenhouse, office, art studio, and workshop structures.

• 

  Southern Arizona Legal Aid, Inc

  Dec 2021 - Feb 2024

  STAFF ATTORNEY

  Provided brief legal services to and full representation of crime victim clients with emphasis on family law matters and obtaining protection orders.