Our Legal Services Team is Expanding

We are excited to introduce two new Access Justice Brooklyn legal assistants – Bella Nunes, who we welcomed to the team in November 2022, and Delilah Hernandez, who we welcomed to the team in January 2023.

Bella is a graduate of American University where she majored in International Studies and minored in Justice and Law. She has prior experience as an immigration paralegal and has worked on legal policy issues at the National Juvenile Justice Network.

Bella Nunes, Legal Assistant
“I was interested in joining Access Justice Brooklyn because the mission of the organization aligns very closely with my personal and professional values. I have always been a champion for justice, and I wanted to be part of an organization that genuinely advocates for marginalized communities in my neighborhood. Justice should be a fundamental right to everyone; however, the harsh reality is that many individuals don’t have access to adequate resources to successfully navigate the complex US legal system. Access Justice Brooklyn helps bridge that gap to ensure that Brooklynites have the tools necessary to achieve justice. I’m beyond excited and proud to join the team here at Access Justice Brooklyn and I look forward to helping the organization further advance its mission across the borough.”

Delilah is a graduate of Cornell University where she majored in Development Sociology and minored in Law and Society. She has prior experience as an intake volunteer at the Ithaca Tenant’s Legal Hotline, a Community Basic Needs Project Coordinator at the Center for Transformative Action, and a Student Advocate at Cornell’s Student Assembly Office of Student Advocate.

Delilah Hernandez, Legal Assistant
“The mission of improving the lives and experiences of people from marginalized communities has guided me throughout my undergraduate career and in forging my path as a recent graduate. I’m excited to join Access Justice Brooklyn as it’s an organization that meets people directly where they are at in life. From seeing first-hand how CLARO (our in-person consumer-debt clinic) operates to provide Brooklyn community members with on-demand access to attorneys, I see the impact that the services have on the livelihoods of our community members facing upcoming court challenges. I look forward to serving as a Legal Assistant at Access Justice Brooklyn by connecting our clients to the appropriate resources and guiding them through our services to ease the process of attaining help.”

As Legal Assistants for Access Justice Brooklyn, Bella and Delilah will conduct intakes with prospective clients and staff, providing information and/or referrals to clients seeking legal assistance as well as support our Legal Services team in foreclosure, consumer debt, bankruptcy, family law, and other practice areas. To learn more about the services we provide, click here.


Access Justice Brooklyn hosts Foreclosure Answer-a-thon at Brooklyn Borough Hall

On Friday, January 20, 2023, Access Justice Brooklyn hosted a Foreclosure Answer-a-thon in partnership with Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn Legal Services, Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A (Brooklyn A), NHS Brooklyn, and New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG). The event was held at Brooklyn Borough Hall and helped homeowners facing foreclosure draft an answer to their foreclosure summons and/or complaint.

Access Justice Brooklyn Supervising Attorney, Peter S. White II, spearheaded the event. Peter shared the following:

“Deed fraud and foreclosure numbers are on the rise and Brooklyn homeowners are in critical need of free legal help with drafting foreclosure legal documents. By hosting the Answer-a-thon, Access Justice Brooklyn and participating partners reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring that homeowners in foreclosure timely invoke every foreclosure defense available to them.”

The lingering effects of the pandemic, rapid gentrification, and rise of housing scams continue to impact Brooklyn residents – threatening to displace homeowners and increase the burden of debt for individuals and families. Last month, Access Justice Brooklyn and our partners were able to assist 23 homeowners in danger of losing their homes. Although drafting an answer is only the first step, our neighbors can rest assured they will not lose their home due to a default judgement.

Opportunities to partner with peer-organizations to provide free legal assistance and community education allows us to not only help far more of our neighbors than we could alone, but also offer an expansive array of services and expertise. In addition to our homeowner focused community events, Access Justice Brooklyn also provides weekly foreclosure intervention and prevention services at the Kings County Supreme Court to support Brooklyn homeowners through the Foreclosure Legal Assistance Group program held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the Friend of the Court program held on Thursdays.  Access Justice Brooklyn also provides representation in Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) cases brought by the New York City Department of Buildings, helping individuals resolve or reduce the debt burden from violations.

 To learn more about the services we provide through our Homeowners Assistance program, click here.