Managing Attorney - Homeownership and Consumer Rights Unit
Michael Froehlich (he/him) joined CLS in 2006. Since 2013, he has served as the Managing Attorney of Community Legal Service’s Homeownership and Consumer Rights Unit. He leads CLS’s work on behalf of homeowners and victims of predatory consumer scams. He represents clients in court and advocates before regulatory agencies, Philadelphia City Council, and the Pennsylvania General Assembly. He works closely with a number of client and neighborhood groups and has presented at over 100 community meetings, workshops, and townhalls. Michael is the co-director of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network’s statewide Homeownership and Consumer Rights Law Group, and has presented at numerous state and national conferences. Michael has a particular interest and expertise in preserving the Philadelphia Family Home against predatory reverse mortgages, property wholesalers, real estate tax foreclosures, and equity stripping schemes. He has argued cases on behalf of clients before the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Pennsylvania Superior Court, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Prior to joining the Homeownership and Consumer Rights Unit, Michael spent many years as a staff attorney with CLS’s Public Benefits Unit, representing clients applying for and receiving food stamps (SNAP), Medicaid, cash assistance, and a wide range of other income supports. He has also worked as a legal aid attorney at Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania in Chester, PA, and Bay Area Legal Aid in Oakland, CA. He began his legal career as a paralegal at Philadelphia Legal Assistance, CLS’s sister organization.
Michael received his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. He received his B.A. from Haverford College.
In addition to his work with CLS, Michael teaches at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice in their Masters of Science in Social Policy program. He is also a community leader in his West Philadelphia neighborhood. He currently chairs the board of the West Philly Tool Library, serves on the board of the University City District, and is a member of the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commission. He is the past president of Cedar Park Neighbors, and has served on the boards of UC Green and Shakespeare in Clark Park.