Kathi Williams (formerly Coughlin)
Kathi is one of the country's leading experts in senior and federally assisted housing, consulting regularly with national and regional housing trade organizations. Kathi authored the Technical Assistance Brief for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), "Fair Housing: Non-elderly Persons in Elderly Housing." Prior to forming Williams & Edelstein, P.C. in 1996, Kathi served as HUD's southeast regional director of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. During her career with HUD, Kathi directed and participated in the investigation, resolution and litigation of thousands of fair housing cases.Kathi is also president of the Fair Housing Institute, Inc., a private, full-service training and consulting company whose mission is to educate and advise the nation's housing industry about the social and economic benefits of fair housing and equal opportunity. Through her association with FHI, Kathi provides fair housing training to private, public and federally assisted housing providers, trade associations and government entities across the country.
Kathi is also president of FHI Online, Inc., which provides state-of-the-art online fair housing training in an interactive, entertaining format.
Kathi graduated magna cum laude from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., with degrees in social work and urban planning. She received her law degree from Indiana University Law School in Indianapolis, where she was a member of the Law Review and Board of Barristers.
Steven J. Edelstein
With over a decade of experience as a fair housing prosecutor, Steve's practice is now focused on defending housing industry clients from claims of housing discrimination and other civil rights violations. Steve has represented national, regional and local clients in both the single-family and multifamily housing industries, including real estate brokers and sales agents, apartment developers, owners, management companies, leasing agents and maintenance staff.From April 1990 to September 2003, Steve was chief of the civil rights division of HUD's Southeast Regional Office of Counsel. There he served as the principal legal advisor to regional program directors on issues involving the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. In recognition of his achievements as a fair housing litigator, Steve was named Outstanding Professional Employee in 2002 by the Atlanta Federal Executive Board.
Steve is also vice president of the Fair Housing Institute, Inc. and FHI Online, Inc.
Steve obtained his B.A. with distinction and his law degree cum laude from the University of Wisconsin, where he was also elected to membership in The Order of the Coif, the nation's foremost legal honor society.