Joseph Greenwald & Laake Creates The Thousand Hours Project To Help With Foreclosure Crisis
Law Firm Will Team With Local Housing Agency
GREENBELT-Joseph, Greenwald & Laake, P.A., the largest law firm in Prince George’s County, has created The Thousand Hours Project, to assist local homeowners hit by the exploding foreclosure crisis.
JGL will donate 1,000 hours of pro bono legal services to help local homeowners. “The size of this project is unprecedented not only for JGL but for the State of Maryland as well,” noted project organizer and JGL partner, Barbara A. Jorgenson, Esq. Pro bono services are provided without charge to the client, explained Jorgenson. “This project continues the ongoing commitment of JGL to its home community,” she said.
JGL will team with local counseling agency, Housing Initiative Partnership, Inc., in Hyattsville. HIP will screen cases and refer them for legal assistance to a team of lawyers at JGL who have been specially trained to assist homeowners facing foreclosure.
Earlier this year, in celebration of its 40th anniversary, JGL held a fund-raiser for the benefit of HIP. “The Thousand Hours Project picks up where the fund-raiser left off,” said David Bulitt, JGL partner who organized the fundraiser. “We are very pleased to continue our association with HIP.”
The Thousand Hours Project was conceived in response to the growing foreclosure crisis, which has hit Prince George’s County harder than any other Maryland county. “I heard Phillip Robinson of Civil Justice speak at a seminar. I couldn’t believe the breadth and depth of the crisis right here in our home county,” explained Jorgenson. Thus, The Thousand Hours Project was born. It was approved by the Firm’s Board of Directors at its June meeting.
“While our initial efforts will center on cases referred from HIP or Civil Justice,” said Jorgenson, “we anticipate doing cases throughout our practice areas in Montgomery, Prince George’s, Frederick, Anne Arundel, Howard, and the Southern Maryland counties.” Case referrals will also be accepted through the Community Legal Services of Prince George’s County, from which JGL received the award for Outstanding Pro Bono Service in 2007.
Jorgenson will coordinate for JGL. Mary Hunter, Esq., will coordinate for HIP. Diane Cipollone, Esq., will coordinate for Civil Justice.
