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Ms. Lento's practice focuses on affordable housing development and general real estate. Prior to joining Dykema, she was Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School and Director of the Law School's Program in Legal Assistance for Urban Communities Clinical Program.
Ms. Lento has been Associate Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the ABA Journal on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law and continues to author various editorials for the ABA Journal. She is co-editor and chapter author of The Legal Guide to Affordable Housing Development, a joint publication of the ABA Section on State and Local Government Law and the ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law. Ms. Lento is Chair of the ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law for 2007-2008.
In 2002 Ms. Lento was an expert witness on a federal affordable housing case involving a legal malpractice action in Florida. In 1989 she managed the successful re-election campaign of Detroit City Council President Maryann Mahaffey.
Experience
Participated on numerous boards related to housing and community development including the Community Reinvestment Strategy Cluster 10 (1998); Special Assessment District Coalition (2000-2002); Detroit Alliance for Fair Banking Coalition (1994-2004); Fair Housing Center Tester (1996-2000); and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Advisory Board (1999-present)
Seminars and Speeches
Regular speaker/panelist or moderator at conferences on affordable housing and community development law: Nationally, those sponsored by the American Association of Law Schools (AALS), Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA), and the ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law from 1992-2005 and locally at City of Detroit workshops sponsored by the City Planning Commission or Planning & Development Department, Lending Institutions Community Development Conferences, and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA)
Participated on various University of Michigan panels, special projects and committees related to affordable housing, real estate development and Detroit-related activities
Publications
1998 ABA Journal, "Affordable Housing and Community Development Association," Associate Editor and Editor in Chief
v.27 Spring 1994 Journal of Law Reform, University of Michigan Law School, "Community Development Banking: Strategy for Revitalizing Our Communities"
1992 v.42 Journal of Urban and Contemporary Law, Washington University, "Law School Support for Community-Based Economic Development in Low Income Urban Neighborhoods," (with Jeffrey Lehman)
ABA Section of State and Local Government Law, Forum on Affordable Housing & Community Development Law, "The Legal Guide to Affordable Housing Development," Co-Editor
Professional Associations
American Bar Association/ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law
Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association
Women Lawyers Association of Michigan
Civic and Cultural Involvements
Community Legal Resources, 1998-Present
Special Assessment District Coalition, past member
Community Reinvestment Strategy Cluster 10 Board, 1997
Detroit Alliance for Fair Banking, past Board Member
Fair Housing Center Volunteer Tester, 1989-1998
Friends School Board of Directors, 2002-Present
Hunger Action Coalition Board Vice President, 1995-1998
NAACP Member, 1992-Present
National Lawyers Guild, member Detroit Chapter
New Detroit, Inc. Housing Sub-Committee 1992; Minority Economic Development Committee 1996
Palmer Woods Neighborhood Association Board President, 1994-Present
Warren-Conner Development Coalition, past Task-Force member
Women's Justice Center Past President, Board Member 1985-1990
YWCA/Interim House Shelter, Past Board Member.
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