KRISTIE E. ORTIZ (FORMERLY LAM) Public Due Diligence Report – Full Text Version Source: https://kristieortiz.com Last updated: 2026-10-14 This report compiles publicly available information regarding Kristie E. Ortiz (formerly Lam), focusing on professional background, housing-policy advocacy, public statements, litigation activity, testimony, and public-facing profile. It is intended as a research reference and not as a statement of fact beyond the cited public sources. ================================================================================ SECTION 1: IDENTITY & PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS ================================================================================ EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT Kristie Ortiz (formerly Lam) appears to be a career public-interest attorney whose work has centered on affordable housing preservation, tenant representation, legal-aid services, community development, eviction prevention, and housing-policy reform. Her public statements and testimony support tenant protections, eviction-record sealing, right to counsel, and municipal rental inspections. CREDENTIALS - Education: J.D., New York Law School (https://opengovny.com/attorney/4843207) - Bar Admissions: Admitted to the New York bar in 2010; also admitted in Florida (https://opengovny.com/attorney/4843207) - Current Role: Managing Attorney, Housing & Community Economic Development Program, ABLE (Advocates for Basic Legal Equality), Dayton, Ohio - Prior Firm: Brooklyn Legal Services Corp A (c. 2015–2023) - Focus Areas: Affordable housing, tenant representation, eviction prevention, legal-aid services, community development, housing policy reform CAREER TIMELINE - 2010: Admitted to the New York bar (also admitted in Florida). https://opengovny.com/attorney/4843207 - Before Brooklyn A: Solo practitioner (Law Office of Kristie E. Ortiz). - c. 2015–2023: Brooklyn Legal Services Corp A, Preserving Affordable Housing Program — Deputy Director by 2020, Director by 2022. https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2022/09/30/lifes-a-beach-coney-island-residents-sue-nycha-over-lack-of-gas-and-maintenance/ - 2021: Public affordable-housing and eviction-prevention work during the COVID-19 period. - 2021–2023: NYCHA-related tenant advocacy and litigation (New York City Housing Authority housing-conditions matters). https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2022/09/30/lifes-a-beach-coney-island-residents-sue-nycha-over-lack-of-gas-and-maintenance/ - 2023: Right-to-counsel testimony to the NYC Office of Civil Justice (Feb. 24, 2023). https://nylag.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NYLAG-Joint-Testimony_OCJ-RTC-Hearing-2.24.2023.pdf ; coverage: https://citylimits.org/at-overdue-hearing-advocates-push-nyc-to-fulfill-promise-of-housing-court-help-for-low-income-tenants/ - Current: Managing Attorney, Housing & Community Economic Development, ABLE (Advocates for Basic Legal Equality), Dayton, Ohio. Start date not publicly confirmed. - 2025–2026: Ohio legislative testimony and amicus briefing regarding tenant protections and housing regulation. https://statecourtreport.org/sites/default/files/2025-12/cf_homes_legal_aid_amicus.pdf ; https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/committees/cmte_s_judiciary_1/meetings/cmte_s_judiciary_1_2025-11-19-0945_961/testimony/13203/support_of_sb_204.pdf ================================================================================ SECTION 2: LITIGATION DATABASE ================================================================================ NYCHA GAS OUTAGE & HOUSING-CONDITION LITIGATION Represented tenants in New York City Housing Authority matters relating to gas outages and inadequate housing conditions. Litigation centered on ensuring NYCHA met basic habitability standards for public housing residents. Sources: https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2022/09/30/lifes-a-beach-coney-island-residents-sue-nycha-over-lack-of-gas-and-maintenance/ ; https://buj.org/coney-island-residents-sue-nycha/ Tags: New York, NYCHA, Tenant Representation OHIO SUPREME COURT AMICUS BRIEFING Counsel for Ohio legal-aid amici, North Canton v. CF Homes (Ohio S.Ct. 2025-0458), supporting municipal rental-inspection warrants. Source: https://statecourtreport.org/sites/default/files/2025-12/cf_homes_legal_aid_amicus.pdf Tags: Ohio, Amicus Brief, Municipal Authority NEW YORK HOUSING COURT – GENERAL REPRESENTATION Broad tenant representation in New York housing matters through Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, spanning eviction defense, housing-condition enforcement, and habitability claims. Tags: New York, Eviction Defense, Legal Aid LEGISLATIVE TESTIMONY – EVICTION RECORD REFORM Provided testimony in support of eviction-record sealing legislation, arguing for uniformity in Ohio law to ensure due process and reduce the lasting burden of eviction records on residential histories. Source: Written testimony, Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee, SB 204, Nov. 17, 2025: https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/committees/cmte_s_judiciary_1/meetings/cmte_s_judiciary_1_2025-11-19-0945_961/testimony/13203/support_of_sb_204.pdf Tags: Ohio Legislature, Policy Advocacy, Eviction Sealing ================================================================================ SECTION 3: LEGISLATIVE & PUBLIC POLICY ACTIVITY ================================================================================ RIGHT-TO-COUNSEL ADVOCACY (NEW YORK, 2023) Joint testimony to the NYC Office of Civil Justice on right-to-counsel for tenants facing eviction (Feb. 24, 2023). City Limits reports she testified about housing-attorney attrition and vacancies among right-to-counsel providers. Sources: https://nylag.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NYLAG-Joint-Testimony_OCJ-RTC-Hearing-2.24.2023.pdf ; https://citylimits.org/at-overdue-hearing-advocates-push-nyc-to-fulfill-promise-of-housing-court-help-for-low-income-tenants/ EVICTION-RECORD SEALING (OHIO LEGISLATURE) Testified before the Ohio Legislature in support of legislation that would seal eviction records. Argued that lack of uniformity in current law creates disparate outcomes across counties, denying due process to Ohioans with evictions in their residential histories. Source: https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/committees/cmte_s_judiciary_1/meetings/cmte_s_judiciary_1_2025-11-19-0945_961/testimony/13203/support_of_sb_204.pdf MUNICIPAL RENTAL INSPECTION AUTHORITY (OHIO SUPREME COURT) Counsel for Ohio legal-aid amici, North Canton v. CF Homes (Ohio S.Ct. 2025-0458), supporting municipal rental-inspection warrants. Source: https://statecourtreport.org/sites/default/files/2025-12/cf_homes_legal_aid_amicus.pdf NYC OFFICE OF CIVIL JUSTICE – JOINT TESTIMONY Joint testimony submitted to the NYC Office of Civil Justice right-to-counsel hearing on Feb. 24, 2023. Source: https://nylag.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NYLAG-Joint-Testimony_OCJ-RTC-Hearing-2.24.2023.pdf ================================================================================ SECTION 4: PUBLIC STATEMENTS & QUOTE DATABASE ================================================================================ QUOTE 1 "It is 100% a race issue. It's a social economic issue." — Kristie Ortiz (formerly Lam) | About NYCHA ignoring low-income Black and brown tenants, Coney Island NYCHA gas lawsuit | Source: Amsterdam News, Sept. 30, 2022: https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2022/09/30/lifes-a-beach-coney-island-residents-sue-nycha-over-lack-of-gas-and-maintenance/ QUOTE 2 "These tenants are living in New York City housing. The greatest, richest city in the world is not providing the most basic needs for their tenants." — Kristie Ortiz (formerly Lam) | NYCHA housing conditions context | Source: Build Up Justice, 2022 Coney Island rally: https://buj.org/coney-island-residents-sue-nycha/ QUOTE 3 "There is no uniformity, and because of that tenants in some counties will never have any of their evictions sealed." — Kristie Ortiz (formerly Lam) | Ohio eviction-record sealing testimony | Source: Written testimony, Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee, SB 204, Nov. 17, 2025: https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/committees/cmte_s_judiciary_1/meetings/cmte_s_judiciary_1_2025-11-19-0945_961/testimony/13203/support_of_sb_204.pdf QUOTE 4 "Uniformity in the law is the best way to ensure due process and give Ohioans the chance of a brighter future without the burden of an eviction on their residential histories." — Kristie Ortiz (formerly Lam) | Ohio legislative testimony on eviction-record reform | Source: Written testimony, Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee, SB 204, Nov. 17, 2025: https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/committees/cmte_s_judiciary_1/meetings/cmte_s_judiciary_1_2025-11-19-0945_961/testimony/13203/support_of_sb_204.pdf ================================================================================ SECTION 5: PUBLICATIONS, INTERVIEWS & MEDIA ================================================================================ CITY LIMITS Quoted in City Limits coverage of the Feb. 24, 2023 Office of Civil Justice right-to-counsel hearing. Status: Source linked — https://citylimits.org/at-overdue-hearing-advocates-push-nyc-to-fulfill-promise-of-housing-court-help-for-low-income-tenants/ AMSTERDAM NEWS Quoted in the Amsterdam News (Sept. 30, 2022) in coverage of the Coney Island NYCHA gas lawsuit. Status: Source linked — https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2022/09/30/lifes-a-beach-coney-island-residents-sue-nycha-over-lack-of-gas-and-maintenance/ STATE COURT REPORT Amicus brief in North Canton v. CF Homes (Ohio S.Ct. 2025-0458), hosted by the State Court Report, listing her as counsel for amicus ABLE. Status: Source linked — https://statecourtreport.org/sites/default/files/2025-12/cf_homes_legal_aid_amicus.pdf BUILD UP JUSTICE (BUJ) Quoted in Build Up Justice's account of the 2022 Coney Island rally, where she is identified as Director of the Preserving Affordable Housing Program. Status: Source linked — https://buj.org/coney-island-residents-sue-nycha/ ================================================================================ SECTION 6: HOUSING POLICY ANALYSIS ================================================================================ POLICY PROFILE SUMMARY Based on public statements, legislative testimony, and litigation activity, Kristie Ortiz (formerly Lam) has publicly supported tenant protections, eviction-record sealing, right to counsel, and municipal rental inspections. STATED SUPPORT POSITIONS - Tenant rights and tenant protection legislation - Affordable housing preservation - Eviction-record sealing and expungement - Right-to-counsel programs for tenants - Housing-code enforcement and rental inspections - Legal-aid program funding - Housing equity and racial justice framing ================================================================================ SECTION 7: PUBLIC SOCIAL & PROFESSIONAL FOOTPRINT ================================================================================ LINKED PLATFORMS - LinkedIn (Source linked): Professional profile. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristieortiz - Build Up Justice (BUJ) (Source linked): Quoted in coverage of a 2022 rally. https://buj.org/coney-island-residents-sue-nycha/ OVERALL FOOTPRINT ASSESSMENT Kristie Ortiz (formerly Lam) maintains a focused public professional presence concentrated in legal-sector channels: LinkedIn, court registration records, and nonprofit and news coverage. ================================================================================ SECTION 8: CONTROVERSY & RISK REVIEW ================================================================================ OVERALL RISK ASSESSMENT: LOW No evidence was located of bar discipline, criminal matters, racist statements, discriminatory conduct findings, or major personal scandals. The public record reviewed does not surface significant legal, personal, or institutional risk factors. RISK FACTOR MATRIX - Bar Discipline / Sanctions: None Found - Criminal Record: None Found - Discriminatory Conduct: None Found - Personal Scandal: None Found - Political Controversy: Low POLITICAL CONTROVERSY NOTE The most politically controversial public statements identified relate to framing housing issues through racial and socioeconomic equity lenses — quoted once, with its source, in Section 4. This framing is consistent with mainstream tenant-rights and legal-aid advocacy positions but may generate opposition in contexts where racial-equity framing is politically contested. It does not represent evidence of discriminatory conduct, illegal activity, or professional misconduct. ================================================================================ SECTION 9: SOURCE APPENDIX ================================================================================ 1. LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristieortiz 2. NY court attorney registration record — https://opengovny.com/attorney/4843207 3. Amsterdam News, Sept. 30, 2022 — https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2022/09/30/lifes-a-beach-coney-island-residents-sue-nycha-over-lack-of-gas-and-maintenance/ 4. Build Up Justice, 2022 — https://buj.org/coney-island-residents-sue-nycha/ 5. Written testimony, Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee, SB 204 (Nov. 17, 2025) — https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/committees/cmte_s_judiciary_1/meetings/cmte_s_judiciary_1_2025-11-19-0945_961/testimony/13203/support_of_sb_204.pdf 6. Amicus brief, North Canton v. CF Homes (Ohio S.Ct. 2025-0458) — https://statecourtreport.org/sites/default/files/2025-12/cf_homes_legal_aid_amicus.pdf 7. Joint testimony, NYC Office of Civil Justice hearing (Feb. 24, 2023) — https://nylag.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/NYLAG-Joint-Testimony_OCJ-RTC-Hearing-2.24.2023.pdf 8. City Limits, March 2023 — https://citylimits.org/at-overdue-hearing-advocates-push-nyc-to-fulfill-promise-of-housing-court-help-for-low-income-tenants/ ================================================================================ END OF REPORT ================================================================================ Compiled from publicly available sources only. This document does not constitute legal advice or verified factual findings beyond the public record cited.