Author: Joan Bellistri

Law Library Director for the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library

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lawlibrary Libraries Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer In the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

Brian Lyman
Brian Lyman

On Wednesday, March 18, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you Brian Lyman of Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A., for  volunteering and providing this service to the public. Six people took part in the program and  were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues such as real estate, garnishment, and consumer debt. The next program date is Wednesday, March 25, 2015.

This Wednesday is the third Wednesday of the month and that means that the program is also held in the evening at the Glen Burnie Regional Library of the Anne Arundel Public Library.  Today 17 people participated in the program and three attorneys were available to answer questions on such topics as debt, wills, landlord and tenant, construction disputes, mortgages and debt.

Alan Forman, Kurt Roper, and Nathan Volke
Alan Forman, Kurt Roper, and Nathan Volke

We appreciate the time of the three attorneys who volunteered:  Kurt Roper of Staiti and DiBlasio, and Nathan Volke of the Law Office of Marla Zide, and Alan Forman.  The Glen Burnie program is held monthly, on the third Wednesday,  August through May. The next date for Glen Burnie will be April 15, 2015.

More information about the program is available at http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library. The Ask A Lawyer In The Law Library program is a limited legal advice service. The program is not a substitute for representation. If you need an attorney to represent you, you can contact the Anne Arundel Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service.


Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono

Calling Anne Arundel Attorneys to take the Pro Bono Challenge!

Challenge Photo
Calling all Attorneys!

Take the Anne Arundel Pro Bono Challenge – Part I:

1.  Simply register (or have registered in the past) with a pro bono legal services provider as a volunteer and agree to take a case.

2.  Once registered, let the Local Pro Bono Committee know by filling out the form at http://goo.gl/forms/iXnnwi9uC9.

All who register with a provider and fill out the form by October 31st will be eligible for a prize drawing. (Prizes include a bottle of wine and more.) Questions? Contact Joanie Bellistri @ joan.bellistri@aacounty.org or 410-222-1387.

Find out more about Parts II and III of the Challenge:  https://aacpll.org/anne-arundel-county-pro-bono-challenge/ 

Do you need suggestions for finding a pro bono opportunity?  

Continue reading “Calling Anne Arundel Attorneys to take the Pro Bono Challenge!”
Categories
lawlibrary Legal Technology

Social Media for Lawyers – Check out these ABA Publications

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All of these titles can be found in the law library.  Find out how social media can be used in the practice of law.

Kimbro, Stephanie L. Virtual Law Practice: How to Deliver Legal Service Online. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2010. (KF320.A9K56 2010)

Elefant, Carolyn and Nicole Black.  Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2010. (KF320.A9E44 2010)

Kennedy, Dennis and Allison C. Shields. LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers. 2d ed. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2014. (KF320.I57K46 2014 (in process))

Svenson, Ernie. Blogging in One Hour for Lawyers. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 1012. (KF320.I57S88 2012)

Kennedy, Dennis and Allison C. Shields. Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2012. (KF320.K47 2012)

Elefant, Carolyn and Nicole Black.  Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2010. (KF320.A9E44 2010)

Correia, Jared. Twitter in One Hour for Lawyers. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2012. (in process)

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
lawlibrary

Practice of Law – recommended reading

The following list was compiled for the court’s law clerks as they leave the courthouse but thought many of the titles might be of interest to attorneys just starting out or already out there practicing.

Foonberg, Jay G. How to Start & Build a Law Practice. 5th ed. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management Series, 2004. (KF300.F66 2004)

Gibson, K William, ed. A Survival Guide for the Solo and Small Firm Lawyer. 5th ed. Chicago: ABA Law Practice management Section, 2014. (KF300.F59 2014 (in process))

Fees: The Fine Art of Setting, Contracting & Collecting – Without Being Sued.  Baltimore: MICPEL, 2005. (KFM1277.5.F4F44 2005)

Beard, Christopher L., C. Michael Bradshaw, and Richard C. Goodwin. Legal Representation and Fee Agreements for the Maryland Lawyer: Forms. 2d ed. Baltimore: MICPEL, 2009. (KFM1277.5.F4B36 2009)

Kowalski, Mitchell. Avoiding Extinction: Reimagining Legal Services for the 21st Century.  Chicago: ABA, 2012. (in process)

Moore, Desiree. Thrive: A New Lawyer’s Guide To Law Firm Practice. Chicago: ABA Publishing, 2012. (KF297.M66 2012)

Munneke, Gary A. and Wayne, Ellen. The Legal Career Guide: From Law Student to Lawyer. 5th ed. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management Section, 2008. (KF297.M8619 2008)

Munneke, Gary A., Henslee William D., and Wayne, Ellen. Nonlegal Careers for Lawyers. 5th ed. Chicago: ABA LAw Practice Management, 2006. (KF297.M862 2006)

Rikleen, Lauren Stiller. You Raised Us – Now Work with Us: Millennials, Career Success, and Building Strong Workplace Teams. Chicago: ABA, 2014. (in process)

Furi-Perry, Ursula. The Millennial Lawyer: Making the Most of Generational Differences in the Firm. Chicago: ABA, 2012. (in process)

Hall, J. Wesley Hall, Jr. Professional Responsibility in Criminal Defense Practice.  St. Paul: West, 2005. (KF306.H27 2005)

Hazard, Geoffrey C. The Law of Lawyering. 3rd ed. New York: Wolters Kluwer, 2000. (KF306.H33 2000)

Restatement of the Law Governing Lawyers.  St. Paul: West, 2000.

ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct.  online Bloomberg BNA publication available in the law library.

Speiser, Stuart M. Lawyers and the American Dream.  New York: M. Evans and Comapny, 1993. (KF300.S66 1993)

 

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EJC2014 lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

SRLN Pre-Conference at EJC 2014: Report of the SCCLL Incoming Chair

Maryruth Storer, the incoming chair of the  State Court and County Law Library Special Interest Section of the American Association of  Law Libraries, wrote an excellent account of the Self Represented Litigation Network (SRLN) pre-conference at the Equal Justice Conference.

Her article, A Newbie at the Equal Justice Conference, was published in the SCCLL News (Vol. 40, #2, Summer 2014) on page 10.

 

 

 

Categories
Legal Technology Maryland Law

Maryland Sentencing Guidelines Calculator

In the most recent edition of  the Guidelines E-News (Vol9 No2-June 2014)  the Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy announced the availability of an online Sentencing Guidelines Calculator Tool.

The Maryland Automated Guidelines System (MAGS) designed by the Commission is now in use in the Montgomery County Circuit Court and the Calvert County Circuit Court.  The calculator is now available to anyone who would like to use it.

The newsletter provides detailed instructions in its use.  Access is provided on the Commission’s website through the Quick Links list on the left-hand side of the page: http://msccsp.org/

 

Categories
EJC2014 lawlibrary Legal Technology Pro Bono Self Represented

EJC 2014: A Law Librarian’s Report

The ABA/NLADA Equal Justice Conference has ended and I am back at work.  The EJC is a joint effort of the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA). The EJC provided a great forum in which to learn from  interesting programming and from getting to know others whose work involves providing legal services to those who cannot afford legal help. I hoped to be able to report on a daily basis but found little time to fit that in.  Here are some of the highlights.

Continue reading “EJC 2014: A Law Librarian’s Report”
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EJC2014 lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Survey of Law Library Services to Self-Represented Litigants: Reporting from the Equal Justice Conference in Portland

I am the AALL Representative to the Self Represented Litigation Network or the SRLN.  Over the last year I have been working with other members of the SRLN Law Librarians’ Working Group,  analyzing the results of the “Survey of Law Library Programs for Self Represented Litigants, including Self-Help Centers.”  The survey task force, also members of AALL State, Court and County Law Library Special Interest Section,  included Marnie Warner, Sara Galligan, and Charley Dyer.

Today I  reported on the survey at the SRLN pre-conference workshop at the Equal Justice Conference in Portland.

Jessican Van Buren, chair of the SRLN  Law Librarians’ Working Group, has posted the report, survey results and other supporting documents at SelfHelpSupport:  http://www.selfhelpsupport.org/surveys/ .

The survey shows how law libraries of all types serve the needs of the self-represented litigants.  Law Libraries serve the SRL by providing the more traditional law library services of research assistance, use of online databases and referrals.  They also provide services designed especially for the SRL such as websites, publications and forms.  Law libraries also work with self-help centers but the results show that law libraries can also provide the self-help center in the library or house a self-help center managed by another organization.

The report can act as guide for those seeking to develop programs for service to the SRL.  We hope that the information will be of value to not only the law library community but to the courts, the bar, legal services providers, public libraries and access to justice organizations involved in service to the self-represented litigant.

 

 

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Anne Arundel County Attorneys Volunteer at Annual Homeless Resource Day

The 7th Annual Anne Arundel County Homeless Resource Day was held on March 29 at Annapolis High School.

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There were 19 attorneys who provided legal advice to 88 participants who had questions about 95 legal issues.  (For more detail see the Statistics page.)  As expected the number one issue was how to expunge a criminal record.  Three of the 35 who asked fit the criteria for filing and were able to complete expungement petitions that were mailed or filed with the courts on Monday. HPRP (Homeless Persons Representation Project) completed an expungement intake to follow-up on a more complicated case.  Having Antonia Fasanelli, Executive Director of HPRP,  and HPRP volunteer Mike Stone on hand for the day is really helpful to the volunteer attorneys assisting those with questions about their criminal records.  This year HPRP was also able to provide intakes for two who had benefits questions.

The Maryland Lawyers Volunteer Service (MVLS) not only sponsored the Anne Arundel pro bono participation in the event but was also there in person to screen for those eligible for MVLS services.  It was a great help to have Jessica Rich, Intake Paralegal, come with attorneys Joseph Franco, William Cooke and Cheri Wendt-Taczak.

Having attorneys from the Office of the Public Defender, William Cooke and Denis O’Connell, is helpful to those that need representation for current criminal cases.  This year they performed 4 OPD intakes.

Every year there is a large contingent from the Anne Arundel County office of  Maryland Legal Aid.  This year Anita Bailey, Margaret Leonard, Lisa Sarro, Jessica Quincosa, Amy Siegel, and Kathy Hughes were able to assist with many of the issues faced by the homeless.

Of course, legal services could not be provided without the the pro bono attorneys who practice solo or in small firms: Tasnima Apol, Kari Fawcett, Kurt Roper, Andrew DiBlasio, Scott MacMullan, Gene Brennan, Ginina Stevenson, and Angela Tonello.

Legal services are coordinated by me, Joan Bellistri, Director of the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library and Chair of the Local Pro Bono Committee.  As a law librarian I can provide backup reference and research services.  Bringing a printer is also helpful when working with criminal record research for the expungement cases.

We can only hope that someday the need for this program will be eliminated.  Until then the dedication of these volunteers is truly appreciated.

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Anne Arundel County Pro Bono Volunteers Recognized

collage 1 collage firstThe Annual Pro Bono Recognition lunch was held on Friday, January 17.  It was the best turnout ever for the event with 45 attorneys, judges, and court staff filling the law library’s reading room. Attorneys who volunteer for the Lawyer in the Library programs and Homeless Resource Day as well as Court Facilitators and MVLS volunteers were honored for their pro bono service and provided lunch catered by the Main Ingredient.

All volunteers in attendance received a certificate thanking them for their service and the number of pro bono hours were also provided if an Ask a Lawyer volunteer.

The Local Pro Bono Committee was represented by Scott MacMullan, Michelle Moodispaw, Chris  Poulsen,  Anita Bailey, Lisa Sarro, Suzanne Vetter, Hon. Pamela North and  Joanie Bellistri, Chair.  New member, Lauren Wallace of the YWCA Domestic Violence Program made her first contact with the Committee at the lunch.

Hon. Ronald Silkworth, Hon. Paul  Harris, Hon. Michael  Wachs, Hon. William Mulford, Hon. Philip Caroom,  Hon Pamela North, Hon. Paul Hackner were able to come to the lunch as well as masters Muskin, Thurtle and Gunning.  In fact,  all of the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court bench who were in court on Friday were there.  It was especially nice that Anne Arundel County Appellate Court judges, Hon. Clayton Greene and Hon. Timothy Meredith, were able to come, too.  Having a judicial presence and the words of appreciation by Judge Hackner, the new Administrative Judge; Judge Greene, the author of Clearing a Path to Justice, a report detailing the needs of self-represented litigants;  and Judge North, the circuit court judicial committee member, will hopefully make a difference in encouraging the continued pro bono work by Anne Arundel attorneys.  Judge Caroom announced a plan for solicitation of AABA member pro bono stories for publication in the Barrister.

It was great that Patty Stephenson, President of the Inns of Court, could attend. The Inns of Court through the coordination of Patty and Judge Silkworth  has been helping to get the word on pro bono service out to  their members through Chambers Chats and time from Inns of Court programs to mention pro bono.

Fran Czajka, Executive Director of the Anne Arundel Bar Association, represented the Bar Association.  Doug Hofstedt and Nancy Faulkner of Court Administration and Kim Doan, Erin McCarthy, and Courtnee  Hill-Jones of the Office Case Management and Julie Shenk of the law library provided a good court contingency.

It is an unfortunate fact that Anne Arundel County ranked last in the state for reporting 50 or more hours of pro bono service for the year reported in November of 2012.  As of the November 2013 report Anne Arundel has moved back to fourth from the bottom.  An improvement but not a great improvement.  This fact brought about a number of conversations between the court and the bar at the lunch.  It is hoped that those conversations will continue and that there will be success in changing the culture of the Anne Arundel Bar in regard to pro bono service.

The service of the following is appreciated by the court and especially by those who received legal assistance:

Ask A Lawyer and Homeless Resource Day

Tasnima Apol
Judson Arnold
Anita Bailey
William Bainbridge
Chris Boucher
Jeff Bowman
Eugene Brennan
Andrew DiBlasio
Kari Fawcett
Alan Forman
Joseph Gormely
Kemp Hammond
Dallas Houston
Kathy Hughes
Jesse Iliff
Mary Jordan
Margaret Leonard
Scott MacMullan
Lisa Mannisi
Michael Marinello
DenisO’Connell
L. CliftonO’Connor
Allen J.Paltell Jr.
Michael J.Ragland Sr.
Richard Ronay
Kurt Roper
James Sauer
Amy Siegel
Ginina Stevenson
Michael J.Valadez
NathanVolke
Seth Zirkle

Court Facilitor and Foreclosure Programs

Marc Baer
Christina Bayne
Jennifer Baldwin
Christopher Beard
Todd Bennett
Leslie Billman
Raymond Carignan
Nicholas Capousis
Jeremiah Chiappelli
Tom Codd
Carol Craig
Penelope Dart
Tom Fleckenstein
Jonathan Gladstone
John Haislip
Susanne Henley
Maria Krapf
Stephen Krohn
Allen Kruger
Angela Magruder
Michael Malone
Ron Marryott
Susan Mays
Robert McFarland
Dawn Merino
Bill Mitchell
Todd Mohink
Chip Obrecht
Rick Obrecht
Donna Schaeffer
Kevin Schaeffer
Laura Shanley
David Simison
Susan Stauffer
Barbara Taylor
Robert Waldman
Harrison Wetherill
Mike Wilsman
Susan Wycoff
Kari Fawcett
Allen J. Paltell Jr.
James Sauer
Rebecca Bleecker
Scottie Reid

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service

Frank Campbell
Andrew Cooch
Chris Flohr
Garland Hall
Bernard Kennedy
Joseph Laumann
David Martino
Timothy Mummert
Stacey Rogan
Wendy Schieke
M. Clare Schuller
Robert Smith
Jim Vidmar
Marla Zide
Allen J. Paltell Jr.
James Sauer
Susan Mays
Jonathan Gladstone