Category: lawlibrary

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

October is Pro Bono Month!

20141003_090150
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/.

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask A Lawyer In The Library: Wednesday Wrap-Up

admin-ajax
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.
Categories
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.

Categories
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.
Categories
lawlibrary Legal Technology

Social Media for Lawyers – Check out these ABA Publications

large image

All of these titles can be found in the law library.  Find out how social media can be used in the practice of law.

Kimbro, Stephanie L. Virtual Law Practice: How to Deliver Legal Service Online. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2010. (KF320.A9K56 2010)

Elefant, Carolyn and Nicole Black.  Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2010. (KF320.A9E44 2010)

Kennedy, Dennis and Allison C. Shields. LinkedIn in One Hour for Lawyers. 2d ed. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2014. (KF320.I57K46 2014 (in process))

Svenson, Ernie. Blogging in One Hour for Lawyers. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 1012. (KF320.I57S88 2012)

Kennedy, Dennis and Allison C. Shields. Facebook in One Hour for Lawyers. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2012. (KF320.K47 2012)

Elefant, Carolyn and Nicole Black.  Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2010. (KF320.A9E44 2010)

Correia, Jared. Twitter in One Hour for Lawyers. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management, 2012. (in process)

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
lawlibrary

Practice of Law – recommended reading

The following list was compiled for the court’s law clerks as they leave the courthouse but thought many of the titles might be of interest to attorneys just starting out or already out there practicing.

Foonberg, Jay G. How to Start & Build a Law Practice. 5th ed. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management Series, 2004. (KF300.F66 2004)

Gibson, K William, ed. A Survival Guide for the Solo and Small Firm Lawyer. 5th ed. Chicago: ABA Law Practice management Section, 2014. (KF300.F59 2014 (in process))

Fees: The Fine Art of Setting, Contracting & Collecting – Without Being Sued.  Baltimore: MICPEL, 2005. (KFM1277.5.F4F44 2005)

Beard, Christopher L., C. Michael Bradshaw, and Richard C. Goodwin. Legal Representation and Fee Agreements for the Maryland Lawyer: Forms. 2d ed. Baltimore: MICPEL, 2009. (KFM1277.5.F4B36 2009)

Kowalski, Mitchell. Avoiding Extinction: Reimagining Legal Services for the 21st Century.  Chicago: ABA, 2012. (in process)

Moore, Desiree. Thrive: A New Lawyer’s Guide To Law Firm Practice. Chicago: ABA Publishing, 2012. (KF297.M66 2012)

Munneke, Gary A. and Wayne, Ellen. The Legal Career Guide: From Law Student to Lawyer. 5th ed. Chicago: ABA Law Practice Management Section, 2008. (KF297.M8619 2008)

Munneke, Gary A., Henslee William D., and Wayne, Ellen. Nonlegal Careers for Lawyers. 5th ed. Chicago: ABA LAw Practice Management, 2006. (KF297.M862 2006)

Rikleen, Lauren Stiller. You Raised Us – Now Work with Us: Millennials, Career Success, and Building Strong Workplace Teams. Chicago: ABA, 2014. (in process)

Furi-Perry, Ursula. The Millennial Lawyer: Making the Most of Generational Differences in the Firm. Chicago: ABA, 2012. (in process)

Hall, J. Wesley Hall, Jr. Professional Responsibility in Criminal Defense Practice.  St. Paul: West, 2005. (KF306.H27 2005)

Hazard, Geoffrey C. The Law of Lawyering. 3rd ed. New York: Wolters Kluwer, 2000. (KF306.H33 2000)

Restatement of the Law Governing Lawyers.  St. Paul: West, 2000.

ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct.  online Bloomberg BNA publication available in the law library.

Speiser, Stuart M. Lawyers and the American Dream.  New York: M. Evans and Comapny, 1993. (KF300.S66 1993)

 

Categories
EJC2014 lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

SRLN Pre-Conference at EJC 2014: Report of the SCCLL Incoming Chair

Maryruth Storer, the incoming chair of the  State Court and County Law Library Special Interest Section of the American Association of  Law Libraries, wrote an excellent account of the Self Represented Litigation Network (SRLN) pre-conference at the Equal Justice Conference.

Her article, A Newbie at the Equal Justice Conference, was published in the SCCLL News (Vol. 40, #2, Summer 2014) on page 10.

 

 

 

Categories
lawlibrary

Newly Cataloged Materials-National Consumer Law Center (NCLC)

Recently, the Law Library cataloged a new set of valuable resources from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC). The Center is described as the “nation’s consumer law expert,” assisting the general public, attorneys, advocates and public policy makers. Books that have been cataloged include Fair Credit Reporting, 8th Edition, Repossessions 8th Edition, Consumer Law Pleadings Website and Index Guide 2013, and Consumer Law on the Web December 2013.

In addition, to print resources NCLC comes with a companion website that patrons have access to. Also, NCLC website has free webinars, information on NCLC legal assistance programs, consulting services for attorneys and legislation/rulemakings on consumer topics.

Check out the website here: National Consumer Law Center (NCLC)

By: Julie Shenk, Law Library Intern

NCLC

Categories
EJC2014 lawlibrary Legal Technology Pro Bono Self Represented

EJC 2014: A Law Librarian’s Report

The ABA/NLADA Equal Justice Conference has ended and I am back at work.  The EJC is a joint effort of the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA). The EJC provided a great forum in which to learn from  interesting programming and from getting to know others whose work involves providing legal services to those who cannot afford legal help. I hoped to be able to report on a daily basis but found little time to fit that in.  Here are some of the highlights.

Continue reading “EJC 2014: A Law Librarian’s Report”
Categories
EJC2014 lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Survey of Law Library Services to Self-Represented Litigants: Reporting from the Equal Justice Conference in Portland

I am the AALL Representative to the Self Represented Litigation Network or the SRLN.  Over the last year I have been working with other members of the SRLN Law Librarians’ Working Group,  analyzing the results of the “Survey of Law Library Programs for Self Represented Litigants, including Self-Help Centers.”  The survey task force, also members of AALL State, Court and County Law Library Special Interest Section,  included Marnie Warner, Sara Galligan, and Charley Dyer.

Today I  reported on the survey at the SRLN pre-conference workshop at the Equal Justice Conference in Portland.

Jessican Van Buren, chair of the SRLN  Law Librarians’ Working Group, has posted the report, survey results and other supporting documents at SelfHelpSupport:  http://www.selfhelpsupport.org/surveys/ .

The survey shows how law libraries of all types serve the needs of the self-represented litigants.  Law Libraries serve the SRL by providing the more traditional law library services of research assistance, use of online databases and referrals.  They also provide services designed especially for the SRL such as websites, publications and forms.  Law libraries also work with self-help centers but the results show that law libraries can also provide the self-help center in the library or house a self-help center managed by another organization.

The report can act as guide for those seeking to develop programs for service to the SRL.  We hope that the information will be of value to not only the law library community but to the courts, the bar, legal services providers, public libraries and access to justice organizations involved in service to the self-represented litigant.