Atenedoro Gonzalez ’16

Gives Back to the Bronx Community That Raised Him

City Council District 15 covers about a dozen neighborhoods in the middle of the Bronx, one of New York City’s most diverse boroughs and the place that Atenedoro Gonzalez has called home his entire life. Today, he serves that vibrant community as General Counsel and Legislative Director for Council Member Oswald Feliz, who has represented District 15 since April 2021. For Gonzalez, who defended tenants in his early legal career, public service is more than a job. It’s a calling.

“I’ve seen poverty and inequity my entire life through the lens of my community,” he says. “I was born in the South Bronx to immigrant parents from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic and grew up in what was, at the time, the poorest congressional district in the country. I was better off than many people I knew thanks to my hardworking parents, but a lot of my neighbors and family members weren’t so lucky. These life experiences are what motivated me to become a public interest lawyer.”

Gonzalez was studying to take the LSAT when a large fire broke out in his apartment building. While his family was spared the worst of the damage, others lost everything. “I watched the legal process unfold in the fire’s aftermath,” he explains. “Because they weren’t represented by counsel, people didn’t know that they had rights as rent-stabilized tenants. Some left the building, and others continued paying rent, even though their apartments were largely uninhabitable. Witnessing that injustice piqued my interest in real estate law.”

At St. John’s Law, Gonzalez found diverse opportunities to pursue that interest. As a member of the N.Y. Real Property Law Journal, he was introduced to articles written by experts in the field. During the summer, he interned for the nonprofit Part of the Solution, where he assisted low-income tenants in Bronx housing court. In his final year at the Law School, Gonzalez served as the Journal’s editor-in chief. “Earning that leadership post was a point of pride,” he shares, adding, “I keep the certificate of appreciation signed by our faculty advisor, the late Professor Vincent DiLorenzo, on my office wall as a reminder of how I got to where I am today.”

After graduating from St. John’s, Gonzalez spent five years at Bronx Legal Services, where he defended tenants in housing court and worked to protect their rights more broadly. It was a rewarding experience that led him to a pivotal realization. “I started seeing the system as a leaking pipe,” he says. “I could try to bandage the pipe, but it wouldn’t stop the larger issues that were causing the leak. I needed to help replace the pipe, and I could only do that by putting myself into a position to influence actual change.” Council Member Feliz offered Gonzalez that changemaking role last year. The two worked closely together as tenant lawyers and share a strong commitment to promoting housing rights for their Bronx constituents and all New York City residents. “Our office has worked diligently with local property owners to provide more affordable housing,” Gonzalez notes. “We’ve also brought significant funding to address the homelessness crisis impacting our Bronx communities. And, from day one, our team was hands on, tackling housing issues worsened by the pandemic. We’ve helped hundreds of families apply for government programs to alleviate the burden of rental obligations during this unprecedented time.”

As he gives back to the community that raised him, Gonzalez credits the St. John’s Law community that helped him build a rewarding career. “During law school, I found familia with student groups like the Latin American Law Students Association that helped balance life in a competitive environment, giving me comfort in a world historically lacking in people of color,” he says. “I wouldn’t be where I am today, making substantive and macro changes to not just the Bronx, but to New York City as a whole, without the legal education I received and the relationships I fostered at St. John’s. I’m a very grateful and proud alumnus.”