Ms. Poltrock focuses her practice on affordable housing and commercial real estate matters, as well as general corporate, non-profit organizations, and administrative law.  She represents housing authorities in the financing and renovation of large public housing communities, statutory and regulatory compliance, and the defense of housing discrimination cases.  Prior to joining Cohen & Grigsby, Ms. Poltrock served as the General Counsel of the Philadelphia Housing Authority and Senior Counsel for the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh.

Leigh focuses her practice in:

• Affordable Housing
• Commercial Real Estate
• General Corporate
• Administrative Law

Bar Admissions

• Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania

Education

• J.D., (Member, Pitt Law team, Gibbons National Criminal Procedure Moot Court Competition), University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 1996
• B.A., English (Dean’s List; Charles E. Attig Memorial Scholarship recipient; Leadership Fellow, Spalding Leadership Program), Frankin & Marshall College, 1991

Representative Matters

• Ms. Poltrock has represented housing authorities on statutory and regulatory issues including compliance with the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, the Moving to Work Program, the Uniform Relocation Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Head Start Act, and fiscal appropriations.
• Ms. Poltrock has considerable experience defending housing authority clients in HUD audits, as well as litigating cases in state and federal court. In this regard, Ms. Poltrock has handled HUD OIG housing discrimination cases, both before administrative tribunals and in litigation, and other constitutional cases, including §1983 claims.
• Ms. Poltrock also has experience with dispute resolution and litigation relating to construction contracts, procurement processes and policies, software agreements and licenses, and utility rates and services.

Memberships

• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Allegheny County Bar Association
• Past Member, Allegheny County Landlord-Tenant Advisory Committee
• Pro Bono Conflict Attorney, Allegheny County Juvenile Court, Fall 2000 – October 2003
• Team Member, Rotary Foundation’s Group Study Exchange Program to Mumbai, India, 2000
• Member, American Inns of Court – Pittsburgh Chapter, September 1999 – April 2003
• Court Appointed Special Advocate, Allegheny County CASA, Spring 1997 – October 2003
• Committee Member, Community Revitalization & Development Committee of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials ("NAHRO")

Seminars & Speeches

• Speaker, Pennsylvania Association of Housing and Redevelopment Agencies Annual Conference, 2003
• Speaker, Pennsylvania Association of Housing and Redevelopment Agencies Annual Conference, 2001
• Speaker, Housing and Development Law Institute Annual Fall Conference, 2000

Prior Experience

• General Counsel, Philadelphia Housing Authority, October 2003 – January 2006
• Senior Counsel, Housing Authorityof the City of Pittsburgh, March 1997 – October 2003