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lawlibrary Maryland Law

New Edition of the Journalist’s Guide to Maryland’s Legal System

The third edition of the Journalist’s Guide to Maryland’s Legal System was released on Law Day, May 1, 2019. The theme for this year’s Law Day was “Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society.” From the judiciary’s press release:

“It is significant that we are releasing the Journalist’s Guide on Law Day,” said Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera. “The Judiciary strives to improve public awareness and understanding of the Maryland judicial branch, the court system, and its role in resolving conflicts, providing justice, and upholding the rule of law. A free press is vitally important to inform the public about court proceedings and events. This guide gives journalists the tools they need to report about our legal system with the necessary accuracy and thoroughness to inform and educate the people we serve.”

Please read more of the press release here.

This is a great resource not just for journalists but for anyone who wants to learn more about our legal system.

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lawlibrary

AACPLL News is taking a break

but will return by May 2019.

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Holiday lawlibrary

Ask A Lawyer in the Library cancelled on 12/5/2018

The Ask a Lawyer in the Library program will not be held December 5, 2018 because the Circuit Court (and the law library) will be closed on Wednesday, December 5, in recognition of the national day of mourning. The court will reopen on Thursday, December 6. Read more here.

The Ask a Lawyer in the Library will resume next Wednesday, December 12, which will be the last program before the holiday break.

 

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Holiday lawlibrary

Law Library Closed for Thanksgiving

The Law Library, the Family Law Self Help Center,  and the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County is closed today November 22, 2018 and tomorrow, November 23, 2018 for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  The Law Library will reopen on Monday, November 26, 2018.  A list of Court Holidays is available on the Circuit Court’s website at https://mdcourts.gov/administration/holidays . Except on Court Holidays, the Library is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Read this article, Congress Establishes Thanksgiving, at the National Archives website to find out how Thanksgiving became a holiday.

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Holiday lawlibrary

Law Library Closed for Veterans Day

The Law Library and the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court are closed today, November 12, 2018 in observance of Veterans Day.  The law library and court will reopen on Tuesday, November 13. Except on Court Holidays, the Library is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. A list of Court Holidays is available on the Circuit Court’s website at http://www.circuitcourt.org/court-holidays.

Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I.  This year marks 100 years since the end of that war. In 1954, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day to honor veterans of all wars.  Read more here.

 

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lawlibrary

Election Day: Law Library Closed

The Law Library and the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County will be closed today, November 6, 2018 for Election Day and will reopen on Wednesday, November 7, 2018

For information on the 2018 Maryland general election please visit the website of the  Maryland State Board of Elections. There you can everything you need to know for election day on your voter lookup page – from verifying your voter registration, finding your polling pace or reviewing your sample ballot.

Election results will  be available from the Maryland State Board of Elections and the local boards of elections.​

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lawlibrary Maryland Law

New Maryland Laws Take Effect October 1, 2018

New Maryland laws take effect on October 1, 2018! Over the summer we published  posts highlighting a few of the newly enacted laws:

Maryland 2018 Session: New Laws – Expungement

Maryland 2018 Session: New Laws -Divorce and Mutual Consent

This is just a small sampling of the new laws enacted by the 2018 Legislative Session. The Department of Legislative Services (DLS) of the General Assembly of Maryland provides a full listing. Was there a major issue from the 2018 session that was not covered in this series? The 90 Day Report – A Review of the 2018 Session, published by DLS, includes a hyperlinked list of Major Issues from 2018 such as the budget, education, public safety, taxes and voting rights.

Can’t find what you’re looking for?  DLS 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.

Do you prefer paper sources?  The Law Library’s collection includes the following resources:  the advance (paperback) Laws of Maryland, arranged in chapter number order with separate volumes for a Sponsor Index, the Final Status Report, and Committee Index; West’s Maryland Legislative Service with a list of sections affected; and  the 2018 Maryland Legislative Review Service, published by LexisNexis, which summarizes the 2018 Acts of the Maryland General Assembly Regular Session and organizes the 2018 Acts by topical headings. In addition, the Law Library’s Maryland collection includes print copies of the current Annotated Code of Maryland. The  2018 pocket parts should be coming soon.

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

 

 

 

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lawlibrary

Banned Books Week 2018

idealbookshelfcp524-wgbhamericanexperience-bannedbooks-2000web.jpg__2000x1161_q85_crop_subsampling-2_upscaleALA, the American Library Association of Libraries,  “celebrates” Banned Books Week this week.  The website states  “it brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.” Check out the lists of the top ten banned books over the years – you might be surprised.

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Lawyer in the Library: August Wrap-up

aug_volunteers

“Ask a Lawyer” is back in full force after the summer break.  Ten attorneys assisted 37 people with contracts, court procedures, replevin, guardianship, appeals, estates and expungement in August.

In addition, the MVLS Foreclosure Clinic helped one person with foreclosure questions. The MVLS Brief Legal Advice Foreclosure Clinic is held on the 3rd Wednesday in the law library from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Questions about foreclosure are answered in the law library remotely by an MVLS attorney in Baltimore.

LIL_collage_2018_08
Frank Lozupone, Mike Ragland, Susan Mays, Jerry Williams, Jack Paltell, Carole Brown, Kaitlyn Maloney, Evelyn Spurgin, and 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. In addition to the weekly program, the Ask A Lawyer In The Library program is held monthly at two Anne Arundel County Public Library branches: Glen Burnie Regional Library on the 3rd Wednesday (except in June and July) and Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library on the last Tuesday. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.

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Holiday lawlibrary

Law Library Closed for Labor Day

The Law Library and the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court are closed today, September 3, 2018 for the Labor Day holiday.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” Read more on the DOL’s page, the History of Labor Day.

The Law Library will reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, September 4, 2018.  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. until 4:30 p.m.