This training begins on March 1, 2022. Sessions will cover the basics and then concentrate on subject specific issues. You can register for all sessions or pick the ones you want. Register here.
Author: Joan Bellistri
Law Library Director for the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library
A Guide to the History of Slavery in Maryland has been added as an e-resource to the library’s collection. Per the introduction, this publication “provides a brief, but comprehensive, overview of the history of slavery in the state. Built upon the most recent scholarship, this guide offers teachers and students a starting point from which to begin their own exploration of an institution, that, in so many ways, has shaped the modern world.”
The 2020 version of the book is available online, free of charge, via the Maryland State Archives. The book is available for checkout at the Anne Arundel Public Library. It can be purchased from the Maryland State Archives, Amazon, or other local booksellers.
Also of interest is the Maryland State Archives Presents: Legacy of Slavery in Maryland. This website provides access to “case studies” such as Stories of Flight or Blacks in Annapolis, interactive maps allows research by name or place and resources include the Guide to African American Families and Census Data.
All of these resources provide access to the many treasures to be found in the Maryland State Archives that shed light on slavery and the history of Maryland. There are links to documents and the photos and illustrations really bring the information alive. As Black History Month comes to a close, a virtual visit to the Maryland State Archives via A Guide to the History of Slavery in Maryland and the Maryland State Archives Presents: Legacy of Slavery in Maryland is highly recommended.
The Law Library and Family Court Help Center in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court is closed today, February 21, 2022 for the Presidents’ Day holiday. The Law Library will reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, February 22, 2022. Except on Court Holidays, the Library is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Find out more about this holiday at the website of the National Archives. I was surprised to find out that “contrary to popular belief, neither Congress nor the President has ever stipulated that the name of the holiday observed as Washington’s Birthday be changed to “President’s Day.”
All Maryland attorneys should have or soon will receive a Call-to-Action postcard from the Maryland Judiciary, the Attorney General’s Office, the Maryland State Bar Association, and the Maryland Access to Justice Commission all who have joined forces to ask all MD attorneys to provide pro bono help.
Signing up is easy. PBRC will match you with the pro bono organizations across the state that are poised to help you get connected to remote or in-person opportunities; train in your area of interest; and receive the support you need to successfully help Marylanders with their civil legal cases at a time they need it the most.
Sign-up here.
Want to know about opportunities in Anne Arundel County? Contact Joan Bellistri (410-222-1387) in the Law Library to learn about the Lawyer in the Library program or working with Maryland Court Help Centers through MCLA.
Steve Migdal, Jack Paltell and Leonard Englander were the Lawyers in the Library for January. They assisted twelve people with issues such as wills and estates, landlord tenant problems, neighbor issues, expungement of a protective order and an automobile accident.
Once registered, information was sent to the registrants, so they could prepare for their session with the attorney. Examples of information sent this month included the Wills and Estates FAQ, the Landlord/Tenant FAQ, Maryland Judiciary brochure “Can I Keep the Public from Seeing Information about Me in a Peace or Protective Order Case?” and these articles from the People’s Law Library of Maryland on neighbor law, “Problems with Neighbors FAQ” and “Solving Disputes with Your Neighbors.” This information was also shared with the attorney so that they were aware of resources and referrals.
“Ask a Lawyer in the Library” is held every Wednesday of the month from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and on the third Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. You can talk with a volunteer lawyer for at least 20 minutes about your civil, non-family legal problem for free. All sessions are now conducted over Zoom or by phone.
This program is sponsored by Anne Arundel County Local Pro Bono Committee, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, and the Anne Arundel Bar Association. It is hosted by the Anne Arundel County Public Library.
Register online here or call the law library for help. Once you have registered, you will be sent a link to an intake sheet. Instructions for meeting with the attorney will be sent once the intake is competed.
Contact the library if you have questions: (phone) 410-222-1387 or (email) AALawLibrarian@mdcourts.gov
The Anne Arundel County Health Department announced on Wednesday that they would be partnering with the Anne Arundel County Public Library to distribute KN95/N95 masks to the public. Masks will also be distributed at Department of Health Clinics. You can find locations of public libraries here.
While this law library is a public library, it is not a part of the public library system that will be distributing the masks.
I found the Maryland Voices for Justice – The A2J Dispatch – in my inbox this morning. This newsletter comes from the Maryland Access to Justice Commission. This issue highlighted the Annual Report of the Access to Counsel in Evictions Task Force by reporting:
Access to Counsel in Evictions Task Force Report. Earlier this month the Maryland Access to Counsel in Evictions Task Force released its first annual report to the Governor and Maryland General Assembly regarding the statewide Access to Counsel in Evictions Program. In addition to creating the Program, House Bill 18, which was passed during the 2021 legislative session and became law, effective October 1, 2021, also created the Access to Counsel in Evictions Task Force. The Task Force was staffed by the Attorney General’s office and composed of a group of key stakeholders tasked with figuring out how best to implement the Program. It issued its final report outlining key principles and recommendations that included policy and statutory changes necessary for effective implementation.
To get the latest A2JC updates and receive A2JC’s curated monthly, the A2JC Dispatch, sign up at the A2J Commission website (at the bottom of the page).
The Conference of Maryland Court Law Library directors has issued its Annual Report for FY2021. The report describes how the Conference provides access to legal information, offers expert
assistance with using legal materials, operates educational programs and advocates and innovates new solutions for connecting the public to legal information and self-help resources.
The Law Library and the Family Law Self-Help Center in the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court are closed today, January 17, 2022, in observance of the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. You can read a little about Martin Luther King, Jr. at America’s Library – the Library of Congress here.
The Law Library will reopen tomorrow, January 18, 2022. A list of Court Holidays is available on the Circuit Court’s website at http://www.circuitcourt.org/court-holidays. Except on Court Holidays, the Library is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The Maryland legislative session began yesterday, January 12, 2022. The Maryland General Assembly website is the place to find information needed to follow the 2022 session. Issues to be addressed this year include redistricting, COVID-19, family leave, legalization of cannabis, employer vaccine mandates, and evictions. For detailed discussion of issues see the 2022 Issue Papers prepared by the Department of Legislative Services Office of Policy Analysis.
See the Session dates of interest for a session calendar. It includes the last dates when House (February 4) and Senate bills (February 7) can be introduced without going before the respective Rules Committees. The last day of the session, SINE DIE, is April 11.
Senate protocols and the House Committee Guidelines provide information on how the session and committees will be conducted especially in relation to COVID. The House Guidelines are available in plain language and in an easy read format.
The Legislation tab provides access to all bills introduced and their progress through the session. There you can review bills that have been introduced by the Senate and House.
AACPLL Blog: Law Library News 