Morehead State University
Foreclosure Defense in the Commonwealth: An Undergraduate Partnership with Kentucky Legal Services Programs
Institution
Morehead State University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Kelly Collinsworth
Abstract
The number of foreclosures across the country has risen in the past several years, and Kentucky is no exception. Although the foreclosure rates in the Commonwealth remain below the national average, one in every 1,731 homes falls to foreclosure. (RealtyTrac 2009). Many of the families who stand to lose their homes are indigent and rely on the services of Kentucky Legal Services for foreclosure defense. In response to the growing caseloads at Legal Aid, law schools have developed clinical programs to ease the burden on attorneys by allowing students to represent clients, under the supervision of licensed attorneys. The purpose of this study was to determine the need and methods for implementation of a foreclosure defense education program for individuals facing foreclosure in Eastern Kentucky. Similar programs, which provide families with literature and a forum to answer foreclosure questions, have been offered through local Legal Services offices across the state. In addition to an education program, another objective of this study was to design a clinical curriculum, comparable to those found in law schools, to allow undergraduate paralegal students at Morehead State University the opportunity to assist Legal Services attorneys in foreclosure defense.
Foreclosure Defense in the Commonwealth: An Undergraduate Partnership with Kentucky Legal Services Programs
The number of foreclosures across the country has risen in the past several years, and Kentucky is no exception. Although the foreclosure rates in the Commonwealth remain below the national average, one in every 1,731 homes falls to foreclosure. (RealtyTrac 2009). Many of the families who stand to lose their homes are indigent and rely on the services of Kentucky Legal Services for foreclosure defense. In response to the growing caseloads at Legal Aid, law schools have developed clinical programs to ease the burden on attorneys by allowing students to represent clients, under the supervision of licensed attorneys. The purpose of this study was to determine the need and methods for implementation of a foreclosure defense education program for individuals facing foreclosure in Eastern Kentucky. Similar programs, which provide families with literature and a forum to answer foreclosure questions, have been offered through local Legal Services offices across the state. In addition to an education program, another objective of this study was to design a clinical curriculum, comparable to those found in law schools, to allow undergraduate paralegal students at Morehead State University the opportunity to assist Legal Services attorneys in foreclosure defense.