Photo of Rochelle E. Lento

Rochelle E. Lento Senior Counsel

Areas of Practice

Bar Admissions

  • Michigan, 1987

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1987

Education

University of Detroit, J.D.

State University of New York at Potsdam, B.A., cum laude

Rochelle E. Lento's practice focuses on affordable housing development and economic development representing developers in transactions involving Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Federal and State Historic Tax Credits, federal HOME and other HUD Financing Tools, and New Market Tax Credits; 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 Immediate Past Chair of the ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law for 2008-2009, and served on its Governing committee for 10 years, and currently chairs the Forum's Publication Committee.

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)
  • 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 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
  • Innovative and Creative Community Economic Development Projects: A Case Study, Affordable Housing Tax Credit Conference: Meeting the Challenges of 2012, New Orleans, LA (Moderator)
    May 17-18, 2012
  • Making Supportive Housing for Homeless a Reality—One Building at a Time by Avalon Housing, Building Michigan Communities Conference, Lansing, MI (Panelist)
    April 24, 2012
  • Innovative and Creative Community Economic Development Projects, ABA Business Law Section Spring Annual Meeting
    March 24, 2012
  • American Bar Association/ABA Forum on Affordable Housing and Community Development Law
  • Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association
  • Women Lawyers Association of Michigan
  • Community Legal Resources, 1998-present
  • Reinvestment Strategy Cluster 10 Board, 1997
  • Detroit Alliance for Fair Banking, past Board Member
  • Fair Housing Center, Volunteer
  • Friends School Board of Directors, 2002-present
  • Michigan Interfaith Trust Fund Advisory Board, 2008-present
  • NAACP Member, 1992-present
  • National Lawyers Guild, Detroit Chapter, Member
  • Palmer Woods Neighborhood Association, past Board President and Member
  • Warren-Conner Development Coalition, past Task-Force Member