Tag: lawlibrary

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lawlibrary

What’s new…

New editions have arrived at the Anne Arundel County Public law Library!

The library has added new editions on the shelf from LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters, and the MSBA.

LexisNexis Practice Guide: Maryland Environmental Law– 2025 Edition

LexisNexis Practice Guide: Maryland Environmental Law -This guide was designed to address regulatory provisions related to programs overseen by the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. It examines rule making, permitting and enforcement issues. This guide includes summaries of certain significant federal environmental laws implemented by the State of Maryland, such as the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. The guide also addresses areas where the State environmental laws are implemented primarily at the local level.

Chapters discuss the following:
•  air quality,
•  water quality,
•  wetlands,
•  solid waste and sewage disposal,
•  hazardous waste,
•  land remediation,
•  oil control and storage tank management,
•  Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Coastal Bay issues and
•  natural resource issues.

In addition to discussion of the specific laws and regulations and their implementation, the guide includes over 250 practice tips (strategic points, timing, warnings and exceptions).

Call No.: KFM 1554 A.15 2025

The following titles are also available:

Maryland Motor Vehicle Insurance, 2026 Edition

Maryland Motor Vehicle Insurance, provides and in-depth analysis on Maryland’s statutory law and the state’s insurance program.

Call No.: KFM 1391 .A4 J34 2026

Maryland Civil Procedure forms (Vols. 3 and 4, Maryland Practice Series), 2025-2026 Edition

Maryland Civil Procedure forms, contains more than 1,000 letters, motions, pleadings, briefs, orders, affidavits, as well as practice tips. It offers valuable insights for adapting the forms for individual use, and provides important information on the proper use and timing of the specific form. It also cross-references to other publications when relevant to the use or drafting of a form.

Call No.: KFM 1730 .A65 L5 2025-2026

From Maryland State Bar Association:

Legal Representation and Fee Agreements for the Maryland Lawyer: Forms and Comments, 3rd Edition

Legal Representation and Fee Agreements for the Maryland Lawyer: Forms and Comments provides attorneys with practical tools for structuring attorney-client relationships through clear, authoritative forms and commentary.

Call No:

KFM 1277.5 .F4 B36 2025

Key Features of the Third Edition:

  • Comprehensive Modernization: This edition incorporates extensive updates to reflect the renumbered, restructured, and revised Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct. This ensures all forms, clauses, and discussions align with current professional standards.
  • New Trust Account Rules: The book addresses the significant July 1, 2025, amendments to Rule 19-301.15(c) and the updated IOLTA compliance provisions in Rule 19-411.
  • Updated Case Law: The publication includes recent case law from the Maryland Supreme Court and Appellate Court concerning fee agreements, co-counsel arrangements, and related ethical obligations.
  • Practical Guidance: The book provides a wide array of forms for various billing methods, including:
    • Hourly Rate (single, discounted, and blended )
    • Fixed and Flat Rates
    • Capped Fees
    • Contingency and Modified Contingency
    • Hybrid Arrangements
    • Pro Bono and Reduced Fee Programs
    • Traffic, Criminal, and Family Law cases
  • Ethical Considerations: Commentary throughout the book highlights critical ethical considerations, such as conflicts of interest, attorney liens, and fee-sharing with other lawyers. It also includes sample declination letters and guidance on avoiding malpractice claims.

Maryland Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions, 3rd Edition (2025)

The Maryland Criminal Pattern Jury Instructions, 2025 Update, “contains more than 200 jury instructions accompanied by comprehensive comments explaining the appropriate constitutional, statutory, court rule, and case authority supporting the instruction”. It includes instructions on specific criminal offenses, as well as introductory and cautionary instructions, general instructions, evidentiary instructions, and instructions on defenses, parties, and verdict sheets.

Call No.: KFM 1783 .M3 2025

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lawlibrary

What’s New…

New editions added to the Law Library:

Maryland Criminal Law and Motor Vehicle Handbook: KFM1761 .M37 2023-2024

Residential Real Estate Transactions: KFM1326 .R47 2024

DSM-5-TR: REF RC455.2 C4 D55 2022

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lawlibrary

Maryland Sentencing Guidelines Updates

The Maryland State Commission on Criminal Sentencing Policy’s newest edition of its Maryland Sentencing Guidelines Manual: Version 16.0 is available in the law library (KFM1763 .M3) and online. The changes went into effect on February 1, 2024. Guidelines E-NEWS Vol. 19 summarizes some of the changes: 

  • Clarifying instructions that animals are not considered victims in the multiple victims stacking rule 
  • Newly adopted instructions relating to the guidelines scoring for offenses with mandatory consecutive sentences 
  • Modified instructions for scoring weapons presence points for Part C of the offense score when the offense involves the presence of a feigned weapon 
  • Clarifying instructions relating to the guidelines scoring for sentences to probation before judgment (PBJ) pursuant to the criminal Procedure Article (CP), § 6-220(c) 
Categories
lawlibrary

New Year – New Law Library – Same Great Service

Did you know that the law library has moved not once but twice in the last three years? The law library is now in a great new space right inside the front door of the Anne Arundel County Circuit Court – right after security.  (Room 301 – the old jury office.)

  • From the old
  • to the new …

The law library moved to the AABA Lawyers’ Lounge in September 2020. (The law library space was needed for the social distancing of jurors.) This was a much smaller space with only four workspaces and computers. It was also difficult to find. Still, with COVID limiting access to the courthouse and then having such a small space, the law library could offer access to the same services as before:

  • Research assistance
  • Online legal research databases including Lexis and Westlaw
  • Legal research training and instruction
  • Online query formulation
  • Research co-browsing
  • Document delivery
  • Technology and MDEC assistance
  • Pro bono coordination
  • Circulation of legal texts and treatises

The law library had converted much of the United States resources to a digital format with a plan to gradually acclimate library users to more reliance on online.  With COVID, the plan was accelerated. Luckily, Lexis and Westlaw already provided access to just about all the material once held in print. Use of online resources does make it easy to email information and even provide co-browsing research sessions with results sent via email.

The Maryland collection is still available in print and superseded codes have also been retained for historic research.  Use the catalog to see what is in the collection whether print or digital: https://a94031.eos-intl.net/A94031/OPAC/

The law library now provides a variety of workspaces, 13 computers with access to legal research databases and Microsoft office, a Maryland print collection and a small conference room equipped with videoconferencing capability. It is a great space to visit for legal research, client consults, document preparation and copies. But if you are not in the courthouse, just call (410-222-1387) or email (AALawLibrarian@mdcourts.gov) and take advantage of library services wherever you are.

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Holiday lawlibrary

Law Library Closed for Christmas Holiday

The Anne Arundel County Public Law Library and the Family Court Help Center will be closed on Monday, December 25, 2023.

The court will reopen on Tuesday, December 26, 2023. The Law Library is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm except for court holidays.

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lawlibrary

What’s New… 

Book cover for Maryland Divorce and Separation Law, 2023 (MSBA)

The updated 11th edition of MSBA’s Maryland Divorce and Separation Law (2023) is now on our shelf (catalog record). You can also access the updated text on Lexis in the Law Library. As of today, Westlaw has not yet updated its content from the 10th to 11th editions.

Among the book’s updates is a new section on parenting plans in response to the laws passed in 2020 requiring these plans in custody and/or visitation cases.

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Access to Justice lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Lawyer in the Library Wrap-up for December and January

In December and January, the Ask A Lawyer in the Library program provided legal advice to seventeen people. Thanks to volunteer attorneys, Steve Migdal, Jack Paltell, Saul McCormick, and Michele Manculich for providing this service to the public. In January we were happy to welcome new volunteer attorney, Patrice Clarke. Issues included student loan debt, landlord/tenant, expungement, estate planning and immigration.

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 3rd 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.

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Holiday lawlibrary

Law Library and Court Holiday Closures

Vintage snowflakes

“Vintage snowflakes” by thethreesisters is licensed under CC BY 2.0 .

The Anne Arundel County Public Law Library and the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County will be closed on the court holidays of Friday, December 23rd, Monday, December 26th, and Monday, January 2nd.

Categories
lawlibrary

What’s New… 

Spines of NCLC Automobile Fraud and Warnken's Maryland Criminal Procedure volumes 1 and 2
Covers of NBI titles: Maryland Civil Practice, Procedure, and Forms; Advanced Custody and Support Issues in Maryland; Maryland Real Property Law: Understanding Title, Transfers, and Encumbrances

New and updated titles from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) and the National Business Institute (NBI) are now on our shelves covering used car fraud, custody and child support, real property, civil practice, and criminal procedure. See below:

NCLC 

See all NCLC titles in our catalog. 

NBI

See all NBI titles in our catalog. 

MSBA 

See all MSBA titles in our catalog. 

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Access to Justice lawlibrary Maryland Law

Online Legal Information Resources

In an August 31, 2022 Press Release, the American Association of Law Libraries announced that the AALL Advancing Access to Justice Special Committee has developed a new resource, the Online Legal Information Resources (OLIR, “for information professionals—law librarians, legal information professionals, and public librarians—and members of the public to easily locate online primary legal materials.”

“The new Online Legal Information Resources (OLIR) includes information for U.S. states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, the U.S. Federal Government, and Canada. The OLIR includes links to session laws, statutory codes, registers, administrative codes, and court opinions. To help users easily identify reliable online sources, the OLIR contains information about whether the legal materials are official, authentic, preserved, and copyrighted. The OLIR also includes contact information for state and local public law libraries, covering whether services to incarcerated people are provided.”