Category: lawlibrary

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lawlibrary

Ask A Lawyer In the Library – Wednesday Wrap-Up

On Wednesday, April 19, the “Ask A Lawyer In The Library” program was held in both  the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library and the Glen Burnie Regional Library. 

Brian Lyman
Brian Lyman

Brian Lyman of Hillman, Brown and Darrow helped participants with getting a title for a trailer, garnishment and federal procedure in the morning. Cliff O’Connor and Katelyn Maloney of Holmes and  O’Connor helped  eight people with landlord/tenant, estates, bankruptcy, family and employment discrimination.  The next program dates are Tuesday, April 25 at the Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library in the evening and Wednesday, April 26, in the Law Library during the day.

cliff-and-katelyn
Cliff O’Connor and Katelyn Maloney

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.

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 and Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library on the last Tuesday. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.

Do you know that legal help is available from the Maryland Courts Self Help Center from 8:30 am until 8:00 pm during the week, Monday through Friday? This is a virtual service via phone (410-260-1392) or online chat.

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Expungement Clinic Wrap-Up

Monday night the law library partnered with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) and the Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library to provide assistance with expungement of criminal records.  Matthew Stubenberg, IT director for MVLS, brought IMG_1522in two volunteer attorneys,  Jennifer L. Wazenski and David Mitchell,  who were able to help 4 people to determine if their charges could be removed from their record and prepare the paperwork if they were. (A fifth person had a question about a Virginia criminal charge.  We were able to direct her to information for Virginia at VALegalAid.org.)

IMG_1523

Matthew Stubenberg, provided a training review in the use of the expungement app, MDexpungement.com, that he developed.  This app makes filling out the forms so much easier than filling them out by hand or typing in the required information, especially when there is more than one charge.  With the app the case number is entered and the program will report if the charge is expungeable.  If it is, the information will have been pulled from Maryland Case Search for review and edit.  It will then generate the form for filing.

This a valuable program as criminal record can be a barrier to employment and housing.  Having charges removed from a criminal record and case search can make a big difference in someone’s life.

For more information on expungement in Maryland please visit the law library’s wiki page @ http://aacpll.pbworks.com/w/page/40922164/Expungement  where you can also find links to other expungement clinics sponsored by MVLS and Legal Aid.   

Categories
lawlibrary Legal Technology

Virtual Reality Attorney Training

The MSBA Young Lawyers Section has a posted a number of virtual reality trainings for attorneys on YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpNB33ElBfOsECWfYdilf3PRr7Pa1Zav4.

The trainings were created for new attorneys but could be helpful for self-represented litigants as well.  They were shot with a 360 degree camera and should be viewed with virtual reality headset. According to a blog post at Technical.ly Baltimore the trainings are the work of Matthew Stubenberg of MVLS and William Buschur.

The videos available include:VR cardboard

Guardianship Hearing

Consumer Protection – Intention to Defend Debt Collection

Expungement – Determination of Marijuana Weight Hearing

Expungement – Good Cause Hearing

Business Record

Photo Evidence

Family Law Divorce Settlement

The videos can be viewed without a VR headset but then the viewer will not get the full courtroom experience.  There are many models for virtual reality headsets but the least expensive recommended was Google Cardboard.  (I once got one as part of the New York Times – I will bring it to the law library in case anyone would like to try out VR attorney training.)

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask A Lawyer In the Library – Wednesday Wrap-Up

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 and Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library on the last Tuesday. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library.

On Wednesday, April 12, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The

photo 1 (3)
Chris Boucher

Library program. Thank you, Chris Boucher, 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 access to medical recourds, bankruptcy, apeals and foreclosure. The next program date is Wednesday, April 19, 2017 – in the law library and at the Glen Burnie Regional Law Library.

There will be an Expungement Clinic sponsored by MVLS at the Eastport- Annapolis Neck Community Library next Monday, April 17 from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm. (More information on expungement can be found on the library’s FAQs wiki page under “expungement.” )

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Expungement Clinic Wrap-up

The Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) sponsored an Expungement Clinic at the Glen Burnie Regional Library on Wednesday, March 29, 2017, in the evening from 5:00 p.m. until 8:45 p.m.  There were 5 volunteer attorneys who were able to help 19 people complete expungement petitions for filing.  Matthew Stubenberg of MVLS coordinated the program. Matthew is known for developing MDexpungement.com, an APP that can determine if a case is eligible for expungement and then populate the form with the information needed for filing.

More information on expungement can be found on the library’s FAQs wiki page under “expungement.”  The page provides access to the Judiciary’s Access to Justice Department’s self-help video on expungement with tip sheet, articles on the Maryland People’s Law Library of Maryland, and the brochure published by the District Court of Maryland “Information About Removing Criminal Records from Public Access in Maryland” and many more resources.

The referral section contains links to clinics and APPS that can help with expungement of criminal records.

An additional Expungement Clinic will be held at the Eastport Annapolis-Neck Community Library next Monday on April 17, 2017 beginning at 6:00 p.m.

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lawlibrary Library Legislative Day Maryland Law UELMA

Maryland Libraries and 2017 Maryland Legislative Session

The Maryland Legislative Session ended at midnight last night and Maryland librarians can be happy with the outcome. There were two bills in the 2017 Legislative Session of special interest to libraries.  Both bills passed both houses unanimously and are on the way to becoming law.

Maryland Libraries – Reorganization of Governance Structure  (SB587/HB1094)

Under the current or soon to be previous law, libraries were a part of the Maryland Department of Education with K through 12.  Now there will be a separate, independent agency on the same level as the Department of Education and the Department of Higher Education.  Maryland will now have a State Library Agency headed by the State Librarian with a State Library Board made up of citizens appointed by the Governor. This way there will be an agency devoted solely to the issues of libraries that will ensure that funding intended for libraries is used for libraries.

UELMA (SB137/HB165)

The LLAM (Law Library Association of Maryland) information sheet states: The Maryland Uniform Electronic Legal Materials Act (UELMA) provides online legal material with the same level of trustworthiness traditionally provided by publication in a law book. It is the People’s insurance policy that official electronic legal materials are  authenticated, by providing a method to determine that it is unaltered;  preserved, either in electronic or print form; and accessible, for use by the public on a permanent basis.  This means that if a publisher of Maryland legal material such as the code, regulations or case law would cease to be published in print, the publication would become official and would have to be authenticated, preserved and accessible.  As long as the print exists, the provisions will not be activated.  However, if and when the time comes, Maryland is ready to make sure that this important information is still available.

 

Categories
lawlibrary Libraries Self Represented

National Library Week 2017

“Libraries Transform” is the theme for National Library Week in 2017.

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries – school, public, academic and special – participate.  

The Anne Arundel County Public Law Library would be a “special library.”  How does a law library transform?  The answer can be found in the library’s Strategic Plan: 

Continue reading “National Library Week 2017”
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lawlibrary

Anne Arundel County 311 APP Announced

Anne Arundel County has announced the release of  an app and 311 voice services:

“This 311app allows Anne Arundel County citizens to report non-emergency incidents or problem requests digitally through their mobile devices. The 311 app has geo functions and is tied to both the AA County web and Facebook pages. The app allows citizens to track their reported incidents via the web or their mobile devices until such time as the incidents are closed. The app has a clean interface and is easy to navigate. Currently, the app enables Anne Arundel County users to report service requests such as:

• Lost and found pets
• Recycling cart requests
• Broken recycling carts
• Missed curbside collection
• Bulk pickup scheduling
• Potholes
• Drainage complaints
• Recreation and Park concerns
• Unregistered vehicles”

The App can be found in the iPhone App Store (search “AACounty 311″and at Google Play for Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.seeclickfix.annearundelcounty311.app

Citizens can still just call 3-1-1 and get the help they need if they aren’t comfortable with using an APP or don’t have a smart phone.

 

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask A Lawyer In the Library – Wrap-Up

The Law Library has been busy with the  Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. In addition to the weekly courthouse program held in the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library on March 29  and April 5, the monthly evening program at the Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library was held on March 28.

Carole Brown, Carole BrownSaul McCormick of Lessans, Praley and McCormick, and Jerry Williams of Patel and Williams Jerry and Saulwere the  Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library volunteers on March 28 who helped with contracts, debt collection and leases.  March 29 was one of the few 5th Wednesdays of the month meaning that attorney Richard Ronay 

Richard Ronay

was on hand to help with such issues as garnishment, reverse mortgages, eviction, sale of real property and deeds. And today, Mike Ragland and Jack Paltell, jack-and-mike

both retired, helped with questions on bankruptcy and landlord/tenant.  Librarians, Leah Curtis of the Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library and Joan Bellistri of the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library were on hand to coordinate and provide back up research assistance.  
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 in the evening (4:30 pm to 6:30 pm): Glen Burnie Regional Library on the 3rd Wednesday and Eastport-Annapolis Neck Community Library on the last Tuesday. For more information, please see http://circuitcourt.org/legal-help/lawyer-in-the-library. The next program date is Wednesday, April 12 , 2017, in the law library.

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lawlibrary Self Represented

The Maryland Custody and Divorce Client Notebook

People going through a divorce without the benefit of an attorney now have access to a great tool that will help them navigate the process: “The Maryland custody and divorce client notebook.”  The notebook can be found at the Maryland People’s Law Library: https://www.peoples-law.org/workbook  It was created by Dave Pantzer, People’s Law Web Content Coordinator, Maryland State Law Library, and Joanna Shapiro who staffs the Frederick County Courthouse Family Law Clinic.

The notebook will soon be distributed to clients of the Anne Arundel County Family Law Self-help Center thanks to a grant from the Judiciary’s Department of Family Law Administration.  This will allow those using the center to easily inform the attorney on duty where they are in their case.

The notebook is described on the webpage:

“The Maryland Custody & Divorce Client Notebook helps clients to navigate a family law case from start to finish, with the help of an attorney (or attorneys) from self-help, legal services, pro bono, or the paid private bar.  The notebook itself helps clients keep papers and evidence with them, and in one place.  Inside, the “Topic of Dispute” chart is the heart of the tool, helping clients to identify and understand the key issues and evidence that will make or break their case.  A calendar and journal help the client record facts and gather evidence even before they find a lawyer.  And the other sections help a lawyer (or the client, if no lawyer is involved) to navigate a settlement or a trial. “

In addition to the link to the actual document on the Maryland People’s Law Library page with which to create the notebook, there are links to articles that will answer the many questions that will come up along the way.  Examples include articles about custody and visitation:

C5. Decision-making Authority (Legal Custody) @ https://www.peoples-law.org/child-custody-maryland

C6. Parenting Time (Physical Custody) @ https://www.peoples-law.org/child-custody-maryland

C7. Access (Visitation) @ https://www.peoples-law.org/visitationsupervised-visitation)

and marital property:

D10. Who gets the home? @ : https://www.peoples-law.org/property-disposition-divorce

and D11. Who gets the vehicles? @ https://www.peoples-law.org/property-disposition-divorce

And to go with that notebook — there is always the Family Law Self Help Center located here in the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library. The Center is open on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 am until 4:30 pm.  The Center closes at 1:00 pm on Tuesday and Friday.