The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by The Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. For more information, please seehttp://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.
On Wednesday, August 5, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you, Mike Ragland, for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Five people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues related to service of process, trusts, contracts, bankruptcy and a writ of mandamus for a vehicle title. The next program date is Wednesday, August 12, 2015.
Do you have a criminal law matter? Criminal Law matters are best addressed by the Office of the Public Defender. Information about the Office of the Public Defender is available at http://www.opd.state.md.us/.
Starting today, August 3, 2015, in Anne Arundel County, attorneys must e-file criminal and traffic filings. This includes both District Court and Circuit Court. This e-filing requirement is part of the Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) project, which is a statewide case management system that was launched in October 2014.
For more information about e-filing, please check out this page on the Maryland Courts website, which is a great resource for your MDEC questions. The website also provides links to publications for review.
Are you an attorney with questions about e-filing? Check out these FAQs posted on the Maryland Courts website. Attorneys with general questions may find these FAQs helpful.
Are you a member of the public with questions? Check out these FAQs posted on the Maryland Courts website.
In addition, for more information about MDEC, check out our October 2014 blog post.
The Law Library is constantly striving to develop its collection to meet the needs of and challenges faced by its user communities. Check out these new materials, which have been recently added to the Law Library’ collection!
American Jurisprudence, 2d– The Law Library has updated its print copies of American Jurisprudence, 2d, one of the most widely used legal encyclopedias. This secondary resource provides users with a comprehensive set of articles on a wide range of legal topics, organized in alphabetical order by topic. American Jurisprudence is a fantastic starting point for legal research as it provides general introductions to a vast array of legal topics as well as citations for other useful materials, including relevant primary materials such as cases and statutes.
American Jurisprudence Legal Forms – The Law Library has updated its print copies of American Jurisprudence Legal Forms, which can provide law library users with access to sample forms with practice notes, research references checklists and related subject guides, all organized by subject matter. You can review and copy forms related to a wide array of substantive law, including business organizations, commercial transactions, real estate, commercial transactions, estate planning and workers’ compensation.
In addition, you can access both resources through our subscription to Westlaw, which includes document delivery services (e.g., print, email, download). Please stop by the Law Library’s main service desk for assistance in locating these new materials as well as legal research instruction to increase your research efficiency and success!
The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by The Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. For more information, please seehttp://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.
On Wednesday, July 29, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you, Richard Ronay of the Law Office of J. Richard Ronay, 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 related to a writ of mandamus, estates, social security benefits, and an ongoing civil litigation matter. The next program date is Wednesday, August 5, 2015.
Do you have a criminal law matter? Criminal Law matters are best addressed by the Office of the Public Defender. Information about the Office of the Public Defender is available at http://www.opd.state.md.us/.
Here are some of the resources available at the Law Library!
In connection with the Law Library’s celebration of Law Day, we will be publishing a series of eight posts that focus on the basics of the Maryland court system and legal research.
The Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) was created in 1990 through the Administrative Procedure Act, which provides for the resolution of contested agency actions through an impartial administrative hearing process. This means that Marylanders may contest actions of Maryland state agencies through OAH. In Maryland, administrative agencies may include “any agency, board, department, district, commission, authority, commissioner, official, the Maryland Tax Court, or other unit of the State or of a political subdivision of the State and the Client Protection Fund of the Bar of Maryland.”* Examples of Maryland agencies include the Motor Vehicle Administration, Workers’ Compensation Commission and Maryland Insurance Administration. The hearing process is overseen by an Administrative Law Judge, who is an attorney trained to hear these types of matters and is independent from the Maryland agencies. To learn more about OAH and the administrative hearing process, check out this FAQ page.
OAH Library – At OAH’s main office in Hunt Valley, Maryland, the OAH has a library that is open to the public. The library’s collection includes OAH decisions, published state agency policies and other materials. Please note that in order to see an OAH decision, library users must first make a written public information request and receive approval for that request before visiting the library. For more information, please see the library’s website. Note that some decisions may not be available because they may contain confidential or privileged information.
Appealing an Administrative Decision – If you are looking to appeal an administrative decision, read this article published on the People’s Law Library, which provides an overview of the process for appealing an administrative decision. In addition, check out the Law Library’s Administrative Appeals wiki page, which includes links to useful resources and a sample form with a guide. If you have more questions, please contact us!
Foreclosure Mediation – The Administrative Law Judges at OAH also conduct mediations referred to the OAH by the Circuit Court pursuant to Maryland’s Foreclosure Mediation Law. If you want to learn more about foreclosure mediation provided by OAH, check out this page.
*Maryland Rule 2-701.
Additional Law Library Resources – Check out these materials, which are available at the Law Library.
West’s Maryland Law Encyclopedia, 1 M. L. E., Administrative Law and Procedure §§ 64-82
Maryland Civil Procedure Forms 3rd ed. / Robert D. Klein (LEXIS, 2000) – Title 7- Chapter 200
Practice Manual for the Maryland Lawyer 4th ed. / Jack L. B. Gohn, Esq. (MSBA, 2012) – §2- Chapter 8: “Challenges to Agency Action”.
Principles and Practice of Maryland Administrative Law / Arnold Rochvarg, M. (Carolina Academic Press, 2011)
Pleading Causes of Action in Maryland 5th ed. / Paul Mark Sandler & James K. Archibald (MSBA, 2013)
Appellate Practice for the Maryland Lawyer: State and Federal 3rd ed. / Paul Mark Sandler & Andrew D. Levy, eds. (MICPEL, 2007) – Chapter 22: “Appeals From Administrative Agencies” by Honorable Paul W. Grimm & Robert B. Levin
Judicial Review of Agency Decisions / Alan M. Wilner, (MICPEL, 1997)
The Attorney General is Maryland’s chief legal officer and is elected by Marylanders every four years. The Attorney General’s Office is in charge of Maryland’s legal business, including acting as a legal advisor to the State of Maryland. To learn more about the Office of the Maryland Attorney General, check out their website.
In its role as a legal advisor to the State of Maryland, when requested by the Maryland General Assembly, the Governor, the Comptroller, the Treasurer or any State’s Attorney, the Attorney General provides a formal opinion, which is a written response to specific legal questions raised by Maryland’s government officials. The legal questions can range from the construction of statute, interpretation of case law or requests for legal counsel. Often, these opinions deal with a significant legal question involving Maryland law.
Private individuals cannot request a formal Opinion of the Attorney General. However, it is a possible that an Opinion of the Attorney General addresses a legal issue that is directly related to your matter. In that scenario, a Maryland court may consider an Opinion of the Attorney General, but the Opinion is not binding authority for Maryland Courts.
You can find Opinions of the Attorney General, from 1993 to the present, online at the Maryland Attorney General’s website. The Law Library’s collection include hardbound volumes of the Opinions of the Attorney General from 1917 to 2011. You can also access Maryland Attorney General Opinions through the Law Library’s subscriptions to Westlaw (coverage from 1977 to the present) and LexisNexis (coverage from 1970 to the present).
Note that Opinions of the Attorney General are formal opinions, which should be distinguished from other written documents from the Office of the Attorney General, such as letters to state agencies and memoranda of law. In order to be a formal Opinion of the Attorney General, the document must have gone through a specified review process and adopted by the Attorney General of Maryland. More information is available here.
The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by the Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.
On Wednesday, July 22, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you Kemp Hammond from Gormley Jarashow Bowman LLC, for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Six people took part in the program and were able to speak with an attorney to request assistance with issues related to estates, wills, torts, identity theft and unemployment. The next program date is Wednesday, July 29, 2015.
Last week, the Law Library hosted its first Foreclosure Clinic. One person was able to talk to an attorney about her foreclosure matter, including asking general questions about foreclosure and receiving information and advice about court papers and documents that she had received about her foreclosure. Thank you, Lonni Kyhos Summer, Phil Dales and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) for providing this much-needed service to Maryland’s self-represented litigants.
The next clinic date is scheduled for August 12, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Individuals are served on a first-come, first-served basis. Consultations are usually last twenty minutes. Please sign up, in-person, at the Law Library’s main service desk on August 12, 2015.
We recommend that you prepare for your meeting with the attorney. Here are a few suggestions.
Bring all your paperwork or other information related to the foreclosure.
Write a list of specific questions.Organize your paperwork from most recent on top to oldest on bottom.
Write a list of specific questions.
Prepare a timeline of your matter, including any deadlines.
If you need assistance prior to August 12, 2015, check out these resources.
Civil Justice – Civil Justice provides Marylanders with foreclosure assistance. Check out their website or call them at 410-706-0174 for more information.
Foreclosure Mediation Brief Advice Project – This is a free clinic open to homeowners facing foreclosure without legal representation. For information about the Foreclosure Mediation Brief Advice project, check out our blog post from earlier this year.
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) – MVLS may be able to represent you in your foreclosure matter. Call MVLS at 410-547-6537 for more information.
You can find a list of additional assistance resources at the People’s Law Library.
Are you looking for ways to market your legal practice? Then check out the ABA Journal’s online article, 50 Ways to Market Your Practice, for tips and suggestions compiled by Terry Berger of Westminster, Maryland.
If you are looking for more in-depth coverage, the Law Library’s collection includes the following materials.
Flying Solo: A Survival Guide for the Solo and Small Firm Lawyer, edited by K. William Gibson, et al.
How to Start & Build a Law Practice,
by Jay G. Foonberg
Avoiding Extinction: Reimagining Legal Services for the 21st Century,
by Mitchell Kowalsk
i
Virtual Law Practice: How to Deliver Legal Service Online,
The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program sponsored by The Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., you can talk with a volunteer attorney for up to 20 minutes. No appointment is necessary, but sign-up is required at the law library’s information desk. Sign-up begins at 10:45 a.m., and time slots are determined by a lottery. For more information, please seehttp://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.
On Wednesday, July 15, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you, Evelyn Spurgin from Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A., for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Eight people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues regarding property, guardianship, insurance subrogation, deeds, judgment collections and expungement. The next program date is Wednesday, July 23, 2015.
Do you have a criminal law matter? Criminal Law matters are best addressed by the Office of the Public Defender. Information about the Office of the Public Defender is available at http://www.opd.state.md.us/.
AACPLL Blog: Law Library News 