Tag: free_legal_advice

Jack Paltell, a Lawyer in the Library volunteer, received the Anne Arundel Bar Association President’s Pro Bono Award from AABA president, Laura Burnett, at the AABA Annual Meeting on June 9, 2025. Jack has been a dedicated volunteer for the Lawyer in the Library program since its inception. He participated in the pilot program during Law Week in 2009 and has faithfully served as the Lawyer in the Library on the first Wednesday of every month since January 2010. 

Jack’s unwavering dedication over more than a decade has been instrumental in sustaining the Lawyer in the Library program. Clients who have sought help through the program consistently express their appreciation for Jack’s compassion, patience, and good humor. His ability to connect with individuals in need and provide clear, thoughtful guidance has made a meaningful difference in the lives of many Anne Arundel County residents. 

The Ask a Lawyer in the Library program is a civil, non-family law, brief legal advice program held every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The program is sponsored by the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service.  hosted by the Anne Arundel County Public Library and coordinated by the Anne Arundel County Public Law Library.  There is online registration for 20-minute sessions with a volunteer attorney. All sessions are held remotely via Zoom videoconferencing or phone. More information can be found here.  

Ten attorneys assisted 128 clients in FY2025 providing a total of 70 pro bono hours.  Steve Migdal and Jack Paltell provided the most hours last year – 26 hours for Steve and 16 hours for Jack. 

Attorneys assisted with a wide range of legal issues including wills, probate, power of attorney, employment, housing, foreclosure, debt neighbor disputes and administrative appeals. 

The following attorneys volunteered as Lawyers in the Library last year: 

Cliff O’Connor	Jack Paltell
Jennifer Jones	Jennifer Henriquez
Jerry (Jay) Williams	John Lynch
Michael Von Sas	Patrice Clarke
Saul McCormick	Steve Migdal

The law library is very appreciative of the time they have given to this program. 

Anne Arundel County attorneys are encouraged to volunteer for the Lawyer in the Library program by contacting the law library at 410-222-1387 or AALawLibrarian@mdcourts.gov. 

Other pro bono opportunities include the following: 

• Anne Arundel Community College Legal Self-Help Clinic Held weekly on Monday from 5-7 p.m. and on Tuesday 2-4 p.m. (Closes when AACC is not in session – reopens 8/15/2025.) Careers Center, Room 173, Anne Arundel Community College, 101 College Parkway, Arnold, MD 21012 . Contact Lonni Kyhos Summers @ 410-777-2936 or LKSummers@aacc.edu 
• Family Law Skills and Study Group – Take a pro bono family law case and meet with the group to learn more and exchange ideas with experienced family law attorney mentors.  Contact: Tasnima Apol at tapol@apollaw.com  

• YWCA Legal Services:  Intimate partner protective order petition cases in Anne Arundel County, serving in both the District and Circuit Courts - volunteer in the legal department or as an advocate. Contact:  410-626-7800.  

• Maryland Court Help Center – assistance with civil issues via chat and phone and in-person Contact: Tattiana Goluskin @ cgoluskin@mdcla.org or find the Pro Bono registration form here: https://www.mdcla.org/probono/   
• MVLS – Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service is Anne Arundel County’s Pro Bono Referral Service: https://mvlslaw.org/volunteer/#   Volunteers are supported with: Malpractice insurance, mentors, free training, use of MVLS offices to meet with clients, and reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses.  

• Maryland Free Legal Answers – (Pro Bono in your PJs) - provide legal advice via email to low-income Marylanders. Sign-up here: https://maryland.freelegalanswers.org/   

• PBRC – Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland is Maryland’s pro bono clearinghouse and source of many pro bono opportunities: https://probonomd.org/volunteers/ 

In September and October, the Law Library held the Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thanks to volunteer attorneys, Steve Migdal, Jack Paltell, Richard Ronay, Jennifer Jones, and Leonard Englander for providing this service to the public. Twenty nine people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney for assistance with issues such as contracts, landlord/tenant, unemployment, and estate administration.

The Ask a Lawyer In the Library program is a civil, non-family law, self-help program held every Wednesday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and on the 3^rd Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The program is sponsored by Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and hosted by the Anne Arundel County Public Library.  You can talk with a volunteer attorney for at least 20 minutes. Registration is required. All sessions are held remotely via Zoom videoconferencing or phone. More information can be found here.

Do you have a family law matter? Family Law matters are best addressed by the Family Court Help Center.

Do you have a criminal case? The Office of the Public Defender provides legal services to eligible individuals. Information about representation in criminal cases can be found here.