Faculty Conversation: Lauren Breen on the Community Economic Development Clinic
Today's program is a conversation between Buffalo attorney Alice Kryzan and UB Law Clinical Instructor Lauren Breen.* Lauren works with the Community Economic Development Law Clinic, where she supervises second and third year law students in providing transactional legal assistance to business entities serving law income communities in western New York, particularly those engaged in child care policy and business tax training. For the last few years Lauren and the Clinic have been providing free tax preparation assistance in low income communities in Buffalo. Lauren talks about the growth of this project and its current efforts in the community.
The theme music is Baja Taxi by Brain Buckit, and is available through the Podsafe Music Network.
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Playing time: 40:59
*Lauren E. Breen has been a Clinical Instructor of Law with the University at Buffalo School of Law’s Community Economic Development Law Clinic since 1993. Prior to joining the Law School Clinical faculty, Ms. Breen practiced commercial litigation with the law firm of Hiscock & Barclay from 1992-1994 and worked as a public benefits litigator at Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. from 1989-1992.
At the University at Buffalo’s CED Clinic, Ms. Breen supervises second and third year law students providing primarily transactional legal assistance to a variety of business entities serving low income communities in western New York, with particular emphasis on child care policy, business/tax trainings and general corporate representation. This year the CED Law Clinic begins support of a Voluntary Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site at The Child Care Coalition of the Niagara Frontier, Inc. where law students will assist a wide range of child care businesses in both tax return preparation and controversies before the Internal Revenue Service and the New York State Division of Taxation and Finance. Students will educate child care businesses and their clients about the Earned Income Tax Credit, predatory lending practices linked to Tax Refund Anticipation Loans, and both traditional and nontraditional banking products, including Individual Development Accounts. Ms. Breen also teaches a class on nonprofit corporations and tax exemption law to first year law students.
Ms. Breen has been a faculty advisor to the ABA Journal of Affordable Housing & Community Development Law since December 2000. She has written on child care policy and welfare reform for the Journal. She is currently preparing an article on the impact of welfare reform upon the role of Child Care Resource and Referral agencies in the child care industry. Ms. Breen is President and a founder of The Child Care Advocates, Inc. and serves on the board of The Child Care Coalition of the Niagara Frontier, Inc. She is also chair of the Grants Committee for the Western New York Asset Building Coalition. She began service on the board of the Massachusetts Avenue Project, Inc. in October 2002. Former board service includes Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. from 1993-1999 (President from 1997-1999) and Precious Jewels Day Care Center, Inc. from 1992-1994.
Ms. Breen has an A.B. from Georgetown University (1983). She has a J.D. from the University at Buffalo School of Law where she was awarded the Birzon Prize in Clinical Legal Studies (1989).
