“Saving people’s homes is a satisfaction I look forward to every day. I defend people facing foreclosure because the need exists within my community, and I love being a resource for those in need.
One of my clients was a disabled veteran. Her health had been declining and she was living on Social Security. They had already filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The mental stress of the situation had been a huge burden on her family, but they had been patiently paying off the mortgage on the land they lived on for over a decade, and you can imagine their relief when they made what they believed was their final payment.
Although she believed she had fully paid off her loan, the lender claimed that she still owed over $20,000 and were foreclosing on her home. They were relentless, but we threatened to hold them in contempt for violating her bankruptcy discharge order — so they knew we meant business. We never gave up on our client, and she never gave up on herself. We went through the entire payment history of her loan — over 10 years worth — and eventually were able to settle for less than a quarter of what the lender demanded. It took years of determination but my client and her family got to keep their home, and for the first time owned their land debt free.
I knew I wanted to go into legal aid to help people like this since law school, when extreme cuts were made to legal services funding. To me, there’s no better way I could be using my law degree. I believe that having home stability is the foundation to a successful, happier, and more productive future. It’s more than just taking on wrong-doers — I get to provide my clients the opportunity to escape poverty, or prevent them from falling into it. Everything I’ve learned at NCLC conferences and from the consumer attorney community has supported my ongoing efforts, and I am proud to be a homesaver for the people in my community.”