A Volunteer Lawyers Project Director Stands Guard Over Brooklyn Homes
By Samuel Newhouse
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
REMSEN STREET — “Sometimes you just need an attorney to cut through all the bureaucracy.”
That’s what Jaime Lathrop, the director of Brooklyn’s Volunteer Lawyers Project Foreclosure program, said about his work helping homeowners fight foreclosure in the borough. And the first priority on Lathrop’s mind is the unique families in Brooklyn’s communities.
One mother living in a Coney Island co-op had mailed in forms for a loan modification package that she filled out without any legal assistance. The request was rejected for no specified reason — and that’s when Lathrop stepped in.
Lathrop, who was made the director of the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project’s (VLP) Pro Bono Foreclosure Intervention Program in March, is fearful of what could happen in Brooklyn if foreclosure spreads unchecked. In places like Ohio and Michigan, “entire communities have been decimated with little tangible gain,” he said.
“Our clients pay their taxes. In many cases, these homeowners have transformed their neighborhoods into living, vibrant communities,” Lathrop said. “It’s only fair that we lend a hand.”
Lending a Hand
Through the Pro Bono Foreclosure Intervention Program (FIP), Lathrop — who goes by Jaime or Jimmy — is overseeing 40 local attorneys who have volunteered pro bono to assist homeowners in foreclosure.
The VLP works in association with the Brooklyn Bar Association, with its offices located on Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights. The purposes of the VLP and FIP are to address specific legal needs for members of the community who can’t afford representation.
“Assisting homeowners facing losing their homes through foreclosure is one of the most difficult and demanding programs that we’ve instituted to date,” said Jeannie Costello, executive director of the VLP. “We are extremely fortunate to have Jimmy leading the program.”
The primary responsibility of attorneys on the Foreclosure Pro Bono Panel is to represent clients in court during mandatory settlement conferences between homeowners and the banks. Other litigation includes deed theft and equity stripping.
These foreclosure settlement conferences, recently made mandatory by a law signed by Gov. David Paterson, were described by Lathrop as “an ingenious tactic” to prevent homeowners from settling cases without a real understanding of the legal ramifications.
“The mandatory settlement conferences create a structure which is relatively easy for lawyers to do,” Lathrop said. “We have attorneys who aren’t necessarily specialists in real estate or banking, [but they can] act as a buffer between the lenders and the complex foreclosure process.”
FIP’s work in settlement conferences has drawn wide support from the Brooklyn courts and judicial organizations.
Justice Sylvia Hinds-Radix, Administrative Judge for Civil Matters in Kings County, called Lathrop “an asset who has helped many people who have been faced with foreclosure.” Hinds-Radix said the FIP is benefiting the community and that she’s “very happy the program is moving forward.”
‘A Breath of Fresh Air’
James Slattery, VLP Board President, called Lathrop “a breath of fresh air.”
“He’s doing a great job,” Slattery said. “The project is absolutely essential to the New York metropolitan area, and we’re proud we picked him to do it.”
Lathrop, who graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 2002, is a civil practitioner with offices in Bay Ridge and Park Slope and devotes over 40 percent of his practice to pro bono work.
Energetic about his work and experienced in real estate law, Lathrop not only leads the FIP, but also trains attorneys involved in the project, which is currently handling about 65 cases.
Attorneys from South Brooklyn Legal Services, located on Court Street, perform intake for FIP clients. Jennifer Sinton, deputy director of South Brooklyn’s Foreclosure Preven-tion Project, said that FIP is “doing a tremendous job.”
“Jimmy’s often commented to me off-hand that he’s doing X, Y or Z cases [beyond his pro bono work] — and each time it surprises me that he’s taking on all these cases,” Sinton said. “The VLP has a tremendous resource in Jimmy.”
But Everyone’s Talking
About Healthcare…
Working against foreclosure is still of the utmost importance to Lathrop, even though “everyone’s talking about health care,” as he put it.
Just a few months ago, foreclosure fears were widespread across the borough, but the conversation has become subdued.
“Though the nation’s attention may be diverted by other news stories, the foreclosure crisis is continuing unabated. It doesn’t show any signs of slowing,” Lathrop said.
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Arthur Schack agreed, saying “The numbers are still there … It’s not going away overnight.”
Part of the effort in preventing a wider crisis, however, comes from the Brooklyn judges and their staff, whom Lathrop praised for their professionalism, their sensitivity to the issues, and their willingness to give each and every case the time and attention it deserves.
“We’re very fortunate in Kings County,” Lathrop said. “Other counties are not so fortunate.”
As long as Brooklyn judges are working with Lathrop and his volunteer attorneys in the fight against foreclosure, homes across the borough will be protected.
Asked why pro bono work is so important to him, Lathrop had no straight answer, simply saying,
“I’m very proud to be a New Yorker.”
“You can do a lot of things with a law license,” Lathrop said. “[But when] you’ve had the pleasure of working on cases with no expectation of compensation, solely to assist another person, you really appreciate how rewarding that law license can really be, beyond any financial reward.”
If you are a homeowner who has received foreclosure papers, call SBLS’s Foreclosure Preven-tion Project hotline at (718) 246-3279.
If you are interesting in volunteering with the VLP, call (718) 624-3894.
The VLP is scheduled to hold an open informational session about foreclosure for homeowners at the Brooklyn Bar Association at 123 Remsen St., Sept. 10, 6-9 p.m.
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