Web Letters: Lawyers for the Poor Muzzled in Subprime Mess

Thank you for drawing attention to the challenges that legal services lawyers face in our efforts to help low- and moderate-income homeowners avoid foreclosure. One point in the article does merit correction, however. While a lack of resources does force us to turn away many deserving clients who could otherwise save their homes, we have not stopped taking new cases. Our hotline, through which we provide advice to hundreds of homeowners in New York City, was briefly closed this fall, but has since been reopened. If any of your readers wish to help or learn more about what we do, they can find information on our website.

Meghan Faux and Jessica Attie
Foreclosure Prevention Project, South Brooklyn Legal Services

Brooklyn, NY

Who wants a legal aid attorney, anyway? In my experience they no longer represent the poor. If you don't have assets, they won't represent you. I was told I was too poor for them to represent me. The recent claims of illegal activity with their government monies make them just another government/private sector contractor that looks like the subprime organized crime market. Stop privatizing my government.

Legal aid services should be put under the government-run public defender's office. Public defenders should have a civil and criminal division. I do remember why the Republicans privatized legal aid in the nineties. It was to make legal services for citizens less effective and to stop them from challenging state and federal legislation. Both have been accomplished.

Emma Thompson

Ashtabula, OH