Author: Chi Song

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer In the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

LIL
Thank you, Richard Ronay!

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, October 8, 2014, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program.  Thank you, Richard Ronay,  for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Four people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues such as landlord/tenant, real estate, foreclosure and expungement.  The next program date is Wednesday, October 15, 2014.

It is helpful to prepare for your session with the attorney.  Here are some helpful tips:

  • Write a list of specific questions for the attorney.
  • Bring any paperwork and information related to the case.
  • Organize any paperwork from most recent on the top to oldest at the bottom.
  • Identify all deadlines.
  • Prepare a timeline of the legal issue.

If you would like to read up on your issue prior to your session with the attorney, please come find us at the Law Library’s information desk.  We are happy to assist you.

Are you an attorney interested in volunteering with the Ask A Lawyer In The Library program?  If so, you must be admitted to the Maryland Bar and be in good standing on the Client Security Trust Fund list.  Interested attorneys should contact the law library.

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.
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lawlibrary Maryland Law Pro Bono

Maryland Rules on Pro Bono Legal Service

GENERIC_CELEBRATION_LOGO_3(1)“You have to learn the rules of the game.  And then you have to play better than anyone else.” – Albert Einstein

Did you know that there are Maryland Rules on Pro Bono Legal Service?  Rule 16-812 (Rule 6.1 Pro Bono Publico Service) of the Maryland Rules is an aspirational (not mandatory) rule that provides that “[a] lawyer has a professional responsibility to render pro bono publico legal service”* and suggests a minimum 50 hours of pro bono service each year.

There are many ways to provide pro bono legal service.

◙  You can provide legal service (without charging a fee or at a substantially reduced rate) to “(A) people of limited means; (B) charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or educational organizations in matters designed primarily to address the needs of people of limited means; (C) individuals, groups, or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties, or public rights; or (D) charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental, or educational organizations in matters in furtherance of their organizational purposes when the payment of the standard legal fees would significantly deplete the organization’s economic resources or would otherwise be inappropriate.”

◙  You can also participate in activities to “improv[e] the law, the legal system, or the legal profession.”

◙  You can provide financial support to organizations providing pro bono legal services.

In addition, Rules 16-901, 16-902 and 16-903 address pro bono standing committees at the state and local level as well as mandatory reporting of pro bono legal service.

Do you have questions about the Maryland Rules on Pro Bono Legal Service?  A great place to start is the FAQ section available on the Maryland Courts website.  The Law Library is also always available to assist.

*All quotations, unless noted otherwise, are attributable to Rule 16-812 of the Maryland Rules, which are available online at https://govt.westlaw.com/mdc/Browse/Home/Maryland/MarylandCodeCourtRules?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)#N105FF040B79311DBB4ACEAAAE7EB7386.

 

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

October is Pro Bono Month!

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You can find Pro Bono Chocolates, specially wrapped by Joan Bellistri, in the Law Library!

The 2014 National Pro Bono Celebration this year is October 19th through October 25th. This annual celebration of pro bono is organized and sponsored by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Pro Bono to recognize and promote pro bono at the national level, but with a focus on local needs and local projects.  The Law Library is excited to once again be a Celebration Supporter!

In honor of the National Pro Bono Celebration, this blog will be featuring posts focusing on pro bono service for the entire month of October.  Stay tuned as we will highlight ongoing pro bono services and programs available at the Law Library, such as the Ask A Lawyer In The Library Program, as well as opportunities to get involved, such as the Anne Arundel Pro Bono Challenge.  For more information about the National Pro Bono Celebration, including background, events, resources and news, please visit http://www.probono.net/celebrateprobono/.

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask A Lawyer In The Library: Wednesday Wrap-Up

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Thank you, Mike Ragland (l) and Jack Paltell (r)!

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, October 1, 2014, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program.  Thank you, Mike Ragland and Jack Paltell, for volunteering and providing this service to the public.  Three people took part in the program and were able to speak with an attorney to request assistance with issues such as consumer debt, foreclosure and obtaining a car title.  The next program date is Wednesday, October 8, 2014.  

Are you an attorney interested in volunteering with the Ask A Lawyer In The Library program?  If so, you must be admitted to the Maryland Bar and be in good standing on the Client Security Trust Fund list.  Interested attorneys should contact the law library.

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.
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Maryland Law

New Maryland Laws Take Effect on October 1, 2014 – Can’t Find What You’re Looking For?

Untitled drawingNew Maryland laws take effect on October 1, 2014!  We will be publishing a series of posts highlighting a few of the newly enacted laws.  Please note that this series is just a small sampling of the new laws enacted by the 2014 Legislative Session.  To read about more laws resulting from the 2014 session, see the 90 Day Report – A Review of the 2014 Session published by the Department of Legislative Services of the General Assembly of Maryland.

Was there a major issue from the 2014 session that was not covered in this series?  The 90 Day Report – A Review of the 2014 Session includes a hyperlinked list of Major Issues from 2014 such as Distracted Driving, Dog Owner Liability, Medical Marijuana, Minimum Wage, Estate Tax and Transgender Rights.  Also, note that some new laws from the 2014 session, such as Maryland Minimum Wage Act of 2014, are effective as of July 1, 2014.

Can’t find what you’re looking for?  The Department of Legislative Services of the General Assembly of Maryland publishes a Popular Terms List as a reference for current legislation that is often referred to by the public and media by certain popular terms.  Also, the Department of Legislative Services of the General Assembly of Maryland publishes compilations of executive orders.

Do you prefer paper sources?  The Law Library’s collection includes a copy of the 2014 Maryland Legislative Review Service, published by LexisNexis, which summarizes the 2014 Acts of the Maryland General Assembly Regular Session and organizes the 2014 Acts by topical headings.

Don’t forget – the Law Library is here if you have questions or would like additional information. Contact us!

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Maryland Law

New Maryland Laws Take Effect on October 1, 2014 – Spotlight on Marijuana

STACK OF BOOKSNew Maryland laws take effect on October 1, 2014!  We will be publishing a series of posts highlighting a few of the newly enacted laws.  Please note that this series is just a small sampling of the new laws enacted by the 2014 Legislative Session.  To read about more laws resulting from the 2014 session, see the 90 Day Report – A Review of the 2014 Session published by the Department of Legislative Services of the General Assembly of Maryland.
 

Senate Bill 364, Ch. 158 “makes the use or possession of less than 10 grams of marijuana a civil offense punishable by a fine, rather than a crime subject to imprisonment or a fine.”

Senate Bill 923, Ch. 256/House Bill 881, Ch. 240 expands the State of Maryland’s “medical marijuana program to allow qualifying patients to obtain medical marijuana through persons other than academic medical centers.”   In addition, Senate Bill 923/House Bill 881 also “expand[s] the purpose and responsibilities of the Natalie M. LaPrade Medical Marijuana Commission”, which was established in 2013, “to include the registration of certifying physicians as well as conducting research on issues and disseminating information related to the medical use of marijuana, limit the number of licensed growers, and specify the process by which a qualifying patient may obtain medical marijuana, including provisions related to issuing identification cards for qualifying patients and their caregivers.”

Note that all quotations, unless noted otherwise, are attributable to the 90 Day Report – A Review of the 2014 Session published by the Department of Legislative Services of the General Assembly of Maryland, which is available online at http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/Pubs/LegisLegal/2014rs-90-day-report.pdf.
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Maryland Law

New Maryland Laws Take Effect on October 1, 2014 – Spotlight on Jake’s Law

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The Law Library is here to assist you!

New Maryland laws take effect on October 1, 2014!  We will be publishing a series of posts highlighting a few of the newly enacted laws.  Please note that this series is just a small sampling of the new laws enacted by the 2014 Legislative Session.  To read about more laws resulting from the 2014 session, see the 90 Day Report – A Review of the 2014 Session published by the Department of Legislative Services of the General Assembly of Maryland.

 

Senate Bill 348, Ch. 260/House Bill 1212, Ch. 248, commonly referred to as “Jake’s Law”, establishes “a new offense that prohibits [the] use of a handheld telephone or the writing, sending, or reading of a text message or electronic mail while driving and thereby causing an accident that directly results in the death or serious bodily injury of another.”  Violators are assessed 12 points against the violator’s license by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.  In addition, “[a] violator is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to imprisonment for up to  one year or a maximum fine of $5,000 or both.”  For more information about Jake Owen, the five-year old boy from Baltimore City who was killed when his family’s car was struck from behind by a driver on his cell phone, please see http://changeforjake.org/.

Note that all quotations, unless noted otherwise, are attributable to the 90 Day Report – A Review of the 2014 Session published by the Department of Legislative Services of the General Assembly of Maryland, which is available online at http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/Pubs/LegisLegal/2014rs-90-day-report.pdf.
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lawlibrary Maryland Law

New Maryland Laws Take Effect on October 1, 2014 – Spotlight on the Parental Leave Act

Pocket Part
Pocket parts are on their way!

New Maryland laws take effect on October 1, 2014!  We will be publishing a series of posts highlighting a few of the newly enacted laws.  Please note that this series is just a small sampling of the new laws enacted by the 2014 Legislative Session.  To read about more laws resulting from the 2014 session, see the 90 Day Report – A Review of the 2014 Session published by the Department of Legislative Services of the General Assembly of Maryland.

Maryland’s new Parental Leave Act (Senate Bill 737, Ch. 333 /House Bill 1026, Ch. 334) requires employers in the State of Maryland, with 15 to 49 employees, to provide eligible employees with certain unpaid parental leave benefits for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child.  Maryland employees may also be eligible for leave pursuant to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). For information about the FMLA, which requires covered employers with 50 or more employees to provide eligible employees with certain specified types of leave, see the United States Department of Labor website at http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/.

More information about family and medical leave in Maryland is available at http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/maryland-family-medical-leave.html.

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask A Lawyer In The Library: Wednesday Wrap-Up

LIL Photo
Here is the Law Library’s Sign-Up Lottery Basket.

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, September 24, 2014, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program.  Thank you, Baldwin, Kagan & Gormley, LLC, 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 such as home foreclosure, insurance liability, worker’s compensation and tax liens.  The next program date is Wednesday, October 1, 2014.

The Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is also hosted by the Anne Arundel County Public Library, Glen Burnie Regional Library, on every third Wednesday of the month, August through May, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  Sign-up is at 4:15 p.m., and time slots are determined by lottery.  The Glen Burnie Regional Library is located at 1010 Eastway, Glen Burnie, Maryland 21060.  Their main telephone number is (410) 222 – 6270.

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.