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Attorney By Attorney Career Profiles of the Profession   Rochelle E.Lento Clinical Law Professor University of Michigan   I. Your primary practice area and subspecialty fields? Are there many job opportunities in this area? I direct an affordable housing clinic at the University of Michigan Law School entitled, "Legal Assistance for Urban Communities Clinic" which represents affordable housing developers. I am a clinical law professor at the University of Michigan Law School, specializing in affordable housing development in the city of Detroit. There are very few positions that combine teaching and practice in this field. II. Plusses/challenges of your practice area? (subquestions: What role do you play? With whom do you interact in your role?) Our clinic provides a full range of legal assistance for many affordable housing developers. I provide direct representation and supervise law students in the representation of these clients. Interaction is primary with the student lawyers, and also the client organizations represented by the clinic. Challenges are those inherent with developing affordable housing in a depressed urban area. III. Core skills/key knowledge needed in your practice area? (e.g. Do you need to know a lot about tax and finance to practice AH&CDL?) Real estate (title clearance, acquisitions), zoning and land use, environmental law, tax (501 (C)(3) designation), non profit law, affordable housing finance, construction law, banking law, insurance, and government/regulatory practice tax & finance issues are a regular part of the practice. I have practice knowledge and experience in the finance issues, but will defer to tax counsel on the tax issues. IV. Advice to lawyers and law students interested in your practice area? Be energetic, creative, hardworking and willing to learn new areas of law. There are still many opportunities to practice in this field, and there are many facets to affordable housing. Experience can be obtained from the public sector (i.e. working for HUD, a local municipality, a state housing authority) or the private sector (i.e. banks or other financial intermediaries). You may have to seek or create opportunities for yourself. V. Suggested reading and other resources in your practice area? Too vast.... Developing Affordable Housing , Ben Hecht; Affordable Housing Finance Magazine; ABA Forum Journal of Affordable Housing & Community Development Law; Current HUD manuals and publications; There was a bibliography printed in the ABA Forum Journal about four years ago that summarizes readings and resource materials in this practice area. VI. Career path to current position: How did you get to where you are today? In hindsight, are there other steps you would recommend instead? Worked for a city council member prior to law school, did some environmental law for plaintiff's firm, and was a public defender for a while. I always had an interest in community development work and urban redevelopment issues. Becoming an advocate for the community's efforts to redevelop urban areas was my career goal. A few small things also influenced me in law school: Did and externship at HUD for a semester and took a real estate law course. I think I would recommend seeking a position in the public sector if I could do it again. VII. A memorable career moment: Celebrating the 10th year anniversary of the law school clinic and receiving widespread community gratification for our work in Detroit.