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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer In the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

Valadez
Thank you Mike!

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 9, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you Mike Valadez for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Twelve people signed up for the program, and six people were able to meet with the attorney to discuss issues related to contracts, a judicial review memorandum, foreclosure and warranties.

As the program is set-up to accommodate 6 twenty-minute sessions, the Law Library’s staff assisted those people who were not able to meet with the attorney by providing reference and referral services on issues ranging from landlord/tenant disputes, foreclosure, employment discrimination and civil procedure. For example, the Law Library provided a referral to the District Court Self Help Resource Center, and the patron was able to call the District Court Self Help Resource Center while at the Law Library so that the Law Library could provide additional support, such as access to forms available online (and instruction regarding use of online tools and resources) through our public access computers as well as access to resources available in the library and online that provide overviews about landlord/tenant law.

The Law Library is always available to provide reference and referral services during the Library’s hours of operation. Please contact us!

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 Self Represented

Waiver of Filing Fees

In order for the court to open your case, you will need to pay your court filing fees up front. If you are unable to do so, you may request a prepayment waiver.

Prepayment Waiver: The Prepayment Waiver waives the requirement that you pay the court filing fees up front. However, this means that you will still need to pay these fees at the end of your case, unless the court orders the other party to pay the fees.

Final Waiver: If you were granted the Prepayment Waiver at the beginning of your case, and you are ordered to pay the fees at the end of your case and cannot do so, you may be able to request a Final Waiver.

For more information, including procedures and links to forms, please check out the Maryland Courts website.

Are you represented by an attorney? If so, talk to your attorney first as there may be different procedures that apply!

Categories
Holiday lawlibrary

Court Holiday

The Law Library is closed Monday, September 7, 2015, as today is a Court Holiday.  The Law Library will reopen on Tuesday, September 8, 2015.  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 Law Library is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We are located on the third floor (main floor) of the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court at 8 Church Circle, Annapolis, Maryland. If you cannot make it to the library in person, you can always reach us via email at lawlibrary@aacounty.org, via phone at (410) 222-1387 or via fax at (410) 268-9762.

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lawlibrary

The AACPLL Blog Turns Six!

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Today is the sixth anniversary of the Law Library’s Blog. In celebration of this anniversary, we would like to highlight the top six most popular blog posts from the past six years. Check them out!

  1. New Maryland Foreclosure Laws and Rules
  2. Anne Arundel County Attorneys and the AACPLL Partner to Provide Pro Bono Legal Services at the 3rd Annual Anne Arundel County Homeless Resource Day
  3. EJC 2014: A Law Librarian’s Report
  4. New Maryland Cell Phone Law and More — effective October 1, 2010
  5. Maryland Rules Changes July 2011
  6. CTC2009 Question: why have a law library?
  7. Maryland Court of Appeals Adopts Emergency Foreclosure Rules
Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Free Legal Advice about Bankruptcy on September 17th!

mvls-logoMaryland Volunteer Lawyers Service will hold a bankruptcy seminar, led by an experienced bankruptcy attorney, at the Law Library! The attorney will present a class on bankruptcy, including demonstrations on how to fill out the necessary bankruptcy forms. In addition, the bankruptcy attorney will review the forms that you complete at the seminar.

When? Thursday, September 17, 2015 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where? The clinic will be held at the Law Library, located on the third floor of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County at 8 Church Circle, Annapolis, Maryland. The Law Library’s suite number is 303. You can ask for directions to the Law Library at the Courthouse’s Information Desk.

Who? This is open to the public. However, you must pre-register!

How do I sign up? You must PRE-REGISTER! You can pre-register online at https://mvlslaw.org/bankruptcy-seminar-annapolis/.

The bankruptcy attorney will review your forms during the seminar, however, the attorney will NOT represent you in your bankruptcy matter.

For more information, you can contact MVLS or the Law Library!

Categories
lawlibrary Legal Technology

What’s a .law domain?

Untitled drawingThe Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)* granted Minds + Machines, a Santa Monica, California company, with an exclusive license to operate .law as a new top-level domain. This new domain is only available to attorneys and law firms. Anyone who applies for a .law domain must certify that he or she is an attorney and submit to a verification process. Minds + Machines started taking orders last month, and some prominent, large law firms have signed up as early adopters.

For more information, check out these sites and articles.

Stay tuned for news regarding other possible new domains in the future, such as .esq and .lawyer.

*Created in 1998, ICANN is a non-profit organization responsible for the coordination of namespaces on the Internet. For more information about ICANN, check out https://www.icann.org/.

Categories
Attorney Training lawlibrary

Google Scholar for Case Law Research

The Law Library provides its users with free access to various online legal databases. However, library users must use these resources in-person at the Law Library. For those of you who would like to conduct legal research at home, one free option is Google Scholar.

To learn how to research cases on Google Scholar, check out these resources, which provide overviews of basic and advanced legal research features on Google Scholar.

Although Google Scholar can be a good resource, there are limitations, such as the reliability of case citations, access to statutes and regulations, and time delays in the availability of recent cases.  

For more information about case law research generally, check out our earlier blog post. In addition, contact us at the Law Library, and we can assist you with your case law research!

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer in the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

Paul Farmer
Paul Farmer

On Wednesday, August 26, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you, Paul Farmer of Gormley Jarashow Bowman, LLC., who volunteered for this program for the first time today. Six people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues such as contracts, administrative appeals, estates, and real estate. The next program date is September 2, 2015.

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.

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.

Need help with a District Court matter such as landlord/tenant, small claims (less than $5,000), consumer matters, or return of property (replevin and detinue).The District Court Self-Help Resource Center provides limited legal services for people who are not represented by an attorney. Services are provided in-person (in Glen Burnie and Upper Marlboro), on the phone and with live chat. More information is available at http://www.courts.state.md.us/legalhelp/districtctselfhelpctr.html

Categories
lawlibrary Maryland Law

Uniform Subpoenas

As of July 1, 2015, Maryland subpoenas will be uniform throughout the state of Maryland as the Maryland Judiciary has launched a new uniform subpoena form. To learn more about the uniform subpoenas, check out Maryland Rules 2-510, 3-510, 4-265 and 4-266.

Attorneys! Are you registered to e-file? If so, then you can access the uniform subpoenas electronically! The uniform subpoena will print with the appropriate court seal and Clerk’s signature. If you have not already registered to e-file, you can do so here.
Self-represented litigants can still obtain paper subpoena forms at the appropriate courthouse. Self-represented litigants can learn more about discovery here or contact the Law Library.

Categories
lawlibrary

Newly Cataloged Materials!

IMG_1564Check out these new materials, which were recently added to the Law Library’s collection.

Adoption Law and Practice edited by Joan H. Hollinger et al. (KF545 .A93 1988): Published by Matthew Bender, this new addition to the Law Library’s collection is a comprehensive adoption law resource whose coverage includes information related to interstate, state-federal and international adoptions as well as current, adoption issues, such as consent/relinquishment by birth parents, adoption children with special needs, and surrogate parenting.

Cloud Computing Legal Deskbook edited by Gregory Barbee (KF390.5.C6C565 2015): This resource for practitioners, published by Thomson Reuters, addresses topics ranging from the basics of cloud computers and cybersecurity to attorney-client privilege and virtual jurisdiction.

Magna Carta: Muse & Mentor edited by Randy J. Holland with a foreword by John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States (KD3946 .M346 2014): 2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, which was issued by King John of England in 1215. Magna Carta: Muse & Mentor, published by the Library of Congress and Thomson Reuters, is a collection of illustrated essays by legal scholars, including Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, that examine topics related to the Magna Carta, such as the Magna Carta and the United States Constitution, the Right to a Jury Trial, and Due Process of Law.

MSBA Maryland Employment Law Deskbook edited by Rebecca n. Strandberg (KFM1531 .M83 2014): Published by the Maryland State Bar Association, this publication provides information and guidance for both plaintiffs and defendants involved in employment law matters. Topics include state and local fair employment practice, discrimination, the Maryland Wage Payment and Collection Law, the Maryland Wage and Hour Law, and U.S. Immigration.

If you have any questions about these materials or would like additional information, please contact us!