Tag: lawlibrary

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Attorney Training lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Law Library Programs and Clinics – Recap

As a public law library, the Law Library serves a wide range of communities, including self-represented litigants. In addition to providing self-represented litigants with reference, instruction, and referral services, the Law Library coordinates and hosts programs that provide limited legal advice and assistance for civil matters through a partnership with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service.

Last week was a busy week for the Law Library as we hosted four programs/clinics, all of which were open to the public. Here’s a recap!

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Brian Lyman

Ask a Lawyer in the Library (Law Library)
Next Program Date/Time: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 from 11am-1pm
(sign-up via lottery is at 10:45am)

On Wednesday, September 16, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask a Lawyer in the Library program. Brian Lyman from Hillman Brown & Darrow, P.A., served as our volunteer attorney and met with six people. Brian assisted the program participants on issues such as bankruptcy, landlord/tenant matters, contracts, peace orders, procedure (motion for summary judgment), and benefits. If you’re interested in learning more about our weekly Lawyer in the Library program, check out our past blog posts here!

 

 

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Lonni Summers

Free Legal Advice about Foreclosure
Next Program Dates/Time: Wednesday, October 14, 2015, 1pm-3pm
(sign-up is first-come, first-served)

On Wednesday, September 16, 2015, the Law Library hosted its third Foreclosure Clinic! We are happy to announce that this will be an ongoing monthly program at the Law Library!  Specific dates will vary, but the Law Library will host the clinic once a month. Upcoming dates are Wednesday, October 14, 2015, Wednesday, November 18, 2015 and Wednesday, December 16, 2015.

Thank you Fani Kartartziz, who provided consultations to three program participants and Lonni Summers of the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, who coordinated the program. Fani answered questions about foreclosure and provided information and advice about foreclosure-related court papers and documents. To learn more about this foreclosure clinic and other foreclosure resources, check out our past blog posts here.

 

 

Alan Forman
Alan Forman

Ask a Lawyer in the Library (Glen Burnie Regional Library)
Next Program Date/Time: Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 4:30-6:30pm
(sign-up via lottery is at 4:15pm)

On Wednesday, September 16, 2015, the Law Library coordinated another successful Ask a Lawyer in the Library program at the Glen Burnie Regional Library. This monthly program is held every third Wednesday of the month. Joan Bellistri provided on-site program coordination and administration. Our volunteer attorneys, Mary Albrecht-Jordan (The Law Office of Mary A Jordan), Andrew DiBlasio (Staiti & DiBlasio), Alan Forman (Forman Clothier Law Group), and Jenna Forman-Clothier (Forman Clothier Law Group) provided nine people with limited legal advice and assistance on issues such as income tax, wills, loan modifications, immigration, and property. This was Jenna Forman-Clothier’s first volunteer experience with the Lawyer in the Library program, and we are very excited to add her to our roster of volunteers!

 

 

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Wayne Clark

Personal Bankruptcy Clinic
Next Program Date/Time: Check out this schedule for future clinic dates in Baltimore.

On Thursday, September 17, 2015, the Law Library hosted a bankruptcy seminar, coordinated by Lonni Summers of the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. Wayne Clark, an experienced bankruptcy attorney, led the seminar. Wayne presented a class on bankruptcy, which included demonstrations on how to fill out bankruptcy forms. In addition, Wayne answered questions and reviewed the bankruptcy forms for the clinic’s attendees!

Thank you to all our volunteers for providing these valuable services to the public!

To learn more about the programs available at the Law Library or to volunteer, please contact us! Training opportunities are available for attorneys interested in volunteering!

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Free Legal Advice About Foreclosure Next Week!

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service will hold a free legal advice clinic for foreclosure next week!mvls-logo

When? Wednesday, September 16, 2015 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 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, if you already have an attorney representing you in the foreclosure matter, then the volunteer attorney CANNOT assist you.

How do I sign up? Please sign-up at the Law Library’s main service desk. Individuals will be assisted on a first-come, first-served basis.

How to prepare for your meeting with the attorney? Here are a few suggestions for how to prepare for your consultation.

  • Bring all your paperwork or other information related to the foreclosure.
  • Write a list of specific questions.Organize your paperwork from most recent on top to oldest on bottom.
  • Write a list of specific questions.
  • Prepare a timeline of your matter, including any deadlines.

Please note that the attorneys will NOT represent you in court or at mediation! For more information, please contact the Law Library.

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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.

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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!

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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
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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!

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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/.

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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!

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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.