Promoting cooperative initiatives through community transactional lawyering and community planning in New Jersey and New York

Elizabeth is the Founding Executive Director of the Urban Cooperative Enterprise Legal Center (UCELC), a grassroots nonprofit with a mission to create and support cooperative enterprises within low and moderate income communities in order to promote local sustainability. She is also the Principal Attorney for The Law Office of Elizabeth L. Carter, a community development law firm representing investors, entrepreneurs, small businesses, nonprofits, artists, and other creatives in business, real estate, and entertainment-related transactions.

Prior, Elizabeth was the Assistant Legislative Director & Special Counsel for the City of Newark's Department of Economic and Housing Development where she assisted in policy development and strategy; reviewed, drafted and facilitated redevelopment contracts, leases, grant agreements and corresponding legislation in the areas of municipal land use, redevelopment, and planning and zoning. Most notably, she was instrumental in the drafting and passage of the city's amended tax abatement ordinance (Oct., 2017), a progressive policy designed to assist sustainable development  through tax benefits, including cooperative development; and the creation and management of the city-sponsored housing cooperative for low and moderate income artists. Lastly, Elizabeth is a Legal Fellow of the Sustainable Economies Law Center's Fellowship Program where she receives support for her role as Founding Executive Director of UCELC.