Tag: probono

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lawlibrary Pro Bono

Lawyer in the Library Wrap-up: September and October 2022

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 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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Access to Justice Pro Bono

Pro Bono in Anne Arundel

Celebrate Pro Bono by volunteering to take a case or offer legal advice to those in need. See the following list of opportunities for Anne Arundel County attorneys:

Lawyer in the Library (virtual):  Volunteer at a free non-family, civil clinic for a two-hour session via Zoom.  Provide brief advice to pro se litigants on general legal issues.  This is a great way to help members of the community in a concrete, manageable way.  During each session, you could speak with a litigant and provide brief advice about issues related to small claims, landlord/tenant, simple wills, and other legal issues.  Contact Joan Bellistri at joan.bellistri@mdcourts.gov, for more information. 

Family Law Skills and Study Group:  Join this study group/skills-honing group and learn more about practicing family law in Anne Arundel County.  Take a pro bono family law case and meet with the group to learn more, exchange ideas, and share your experiences.  You can gain knowledge and experience while helping underserved litigants in Anne Arundel County. Contact Tasnima Apol at tapol@apollaw.org to learn more.

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: Davida Bortmes, Esq. at dbortmes@ywcaaac.org or 410-626-7800.

Maryland Court Help Center: Provide assistance with civil issues via chat and phone. Lawyers answer questions on a full range of civil case types handled by both Circuit and District courts. Legal issues include:

  • Landlord and Tenant Matters
  • Family Law Matters (divorce, custody, child support, and guardianship)
  • Small and Large Claims
  • Expungement and Shielding of Records
  • Consumer Matters (car repossessions, debt collection, and credit card cases)
  • Return of Property (replevin and detinue)
  • Domestic Violence/Peace Orders
  • Foreclosure

Contact: Tattiana Goluskin @ cgoluskin@mdcla.org

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 clearinghouse for and source of many pro bono opportunities: https://probonomd.org/volunteers/

​​​Not sure what is best for you? The Maryland Call to Action will match you with a Pro Bono Opportunity:  https://probonomd.org/call-to-action/  

The Joint COVID-19 Access to Justice Task Force, the Maryland Attorney General, Maryland Judiciary, Maryland State Bar Association and Maryland Access to Justice Commission joined forces to deliver an urgent call to action for pro bono. They urge every attorney in Maryland to take at least one pro bono case or provide a designated number of pro bono service hours over the next year to help in the areas with the most acute need, namely housing, consumer, public benefits or family law.

If you have questions or additional ideas about pro bono projects that you would like to see developed, please contact the law library at 410-222-1387 or AALawLibrarian@mdcourts.gov.

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lawlibrary Pro Bono

Lawyer in the Library Wrap-Up for Summer 2022

Jessica Corace, Saul McCormick, Steve Migdal, Jack Paltell and Carole Brown provided pro bono assistance to 20 people this month. Legal questions involved such issues as HOA disputes, expungement, name change, debt collection, car accidents and estate planning. The law library will send registrants information on their topic to review before there session with the attorney. The attorney will receive a copy of the information sent. Oftentimes, links to the law library’s online FAQs can be sent. These FAQs have links to the Maryland Code and Rules, People’s Law Library articles and Maryland Access to Justice department videos. FAQs sent this summer included FAQs for name change, wills and estates and expungement.

 “Ask a Lawyer in the Library” is held every Wednesday of the month from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and on the third Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. You can talk with a volunteer lawyer for at least 20 minutes about your civil, non-family legal problem for free. All sessions are now conducted over Zoom or by phone.

This program is sponsored by Anne Arundel County Local Pro Bono Committee, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, and the Anne Arundel Bar Association. It is hosted by the Anne Arundel County Public Library.

Register online here or call the law library for help. Once you have registered, you will be sent a link to an intake sheet. Instructions for meeting with the attorney will be sent once the intake is competed.

Contact the library if you have questions: (phone) 410-222-1387 or (email) AALawLibrarian@mdcourts.gov

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lawlibrary Pro Bono

Lawyer in the Library: Wrap-Up for May 2022

Jack Paltell, Steve Migdal, and William Moomau were the “Lawyers in the Library” this month providing legal assistance with such issues as deeds, eviction, debt collection, contracts and homeowner associations.

“Ask a Lawyer in the Library” is held every Wednesday of the month from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and on the third Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (The evening program will not be held this summer and will resume in September.) You can talk with a volunteer lawyer for at least 20 minutes about your civil, non-family legal problem for free. All sessions are now conducted over Zoom or by phone.

This program is sponsored by Anne Arundel County Local Pro Bono Committee, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, and the Anne Arundel Bar Association. It is hosted by the Anne Arundel County Public Library.

Register online here or call the law library for help. Once you have registered, you will be sent a link to an intake sheet. Instructions for meeting with the attorney will be sent once the intake is competed.

Contact the library if you have questions: (phone) 410-222-1387 or (email) AALawLibrarian@mdcourts.gov

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lawlibrary Maryland Law Pro Bono

Lawyer in the Library: Wrap-Up for March and April 2022

The Ask a Lawyer in the Library Program welcomed Jennifer Jones and William Moomau as the newest pro bono volunteers this spring. They joined Steve Migdal, Jack Paltell, Richard Ronay, Carole Brown and Saul McCormick in assisting 20 people with a variety of legal issues in April and March. Issues included landlord/tenant, contracts, wills and estates, consumer debt and property disputes with neighbors.

The law library will send issue related information to registrants so that they might have a better understanding of the law in preparation for their time with the attorney. This information is also shared with the attorneys so that they can review the same resources. The library maintains FAQ pages, making this easy. Recent FAQ pages included landlord/tenant, wills and estates, name change, and expungement. When there is not a FAQ to send the People’s Law Library of Maryland is great source. recent articles include Solving Disputes with Your Neighbors and Filing a Consumer Complaint.

“Ask a Lawyer in the Library” is held every Wednesday of the month from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and on the third Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. You can talk with a volunteer lawyer for at least 20 minutes about your civil, non-family legal problem for free. All sessions are now conducted over Zoom or by phone.

This program is sponsored by Anne Arundel County Local Pro Bono Committee, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, and the Anne Arundel Bar Association. It is hosted by the Anne Arundel County Public Library.

Register online here or call the law library for help. Once you have registered, you will be sent a link to an intake sheet. Instructions for meeting with the attorney will be sent once the intake is competed.

Contact the library if you have questions: (phone) 410-222-1387 or (email) AALawLibrarian@mdcourts.gov

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Pro Bono

Pro Bono: Giving Back is the Heartbeat of the Legal Profession

All Maryland attorneys should have or soon will receive a Call-to-Action postcard from the Maryland Judiciary, the Attorney General’s Office, the Maryland State Bar Association, and the Maryland Access to Justice Commission all who have joined forces to ask all MD attorneys to provide pro bono help.

Signing up is easy. PBRC will match you with the pro bono organizations across the state that are poised to help you get connected to remote or in-person opportunities; train in your area of interest; and receive the support you need to successfully help Marylanders with their civil legal cases at a time they need it the most.

Sign-up here.

Want to know about opportunities in Anne Arundel County? Contact Joan Bellistri (410-222-1387) in the Law Library to learn about the Lawyer in the Library program or working with Maryland Court Help Centers through MCLA.

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lawlibrary Libraries Pro Bono Self Represented

Lawyer in the Library: Wrap-Up for December 2021

Steve Migdal, Jack Paltell and Leonard Englander were the Lawyers in the Library for December. They assisted 11 people with issues such as unemployment, breach of contract, wills and estates, deed change, neighbor issues and personal injury. The program is not held the last two weeks in December so the Lawyer in the Library is done for 2021.

The law library provides information to those that sign-up to speak to the attorney so that are better prepared for their session. Examples of FAQs that can be sent include the Wills and Estates FAQ and the Deeds FAQ. The People’s Law Library of Maryland is another good source of information for those seeking help with a legal problem. This month we sent links to Unemployment Benefits – Appealing a Denial, Problems with Neighbors FAQ and Solving Disputes with Neighbors. This information sent is also shared with the attorney so that they are aware of resources and referrals.

The Lawyer in the Library will return on January 5, 2022. “Ask a
Lawyer in the Library” is held every Wednesday of the month from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and on the third Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (except for the last two weeks in December). You can talk with a volunteer
lawyer for at least 20 minutes about your civil, non-family legal problem for free. All sessions are now conducted over Zoom or by phone.

This program is sponsored by Anne Arundel County Local Pro Bono Committee,Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, and the Anne Arundel Bar Association. It is hosted by the Anne Arundel County Public Library.

Register online here orcall the law library for help. Once you have registered, you will be sent a link to an intake sheet. Instructions for meeting with the attorney will be sent once the intake is competed. 

Contact the library if you have questions: (phone) 410-222-1387 or
(email) AALawLibrarian@mdcourts.gov

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lawlibrary Pro Bono

Lawyer in the Library: November 2021 Wrap-Up

Steve Migdal and Jack Paltell

This month, attorneys Steve Migdal and Jack Paltell, provided seven hours of brief legal advice to eleven people on issues such as medical record privacy, changing a deed, contracts and consumer complaints.

“Ask a Lawyer in the Library” is held every Wednesday of the month from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and on the third Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (except for the last two weeks in December). You can talk with a volunteer lawyer for at least 20 minutes about your civil, non-family legal problem for free.

This program is sponsored by Anne Arundel County Local Pro Bono Committee, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, and the Anne Arundel Bar Association.  It is hosted by the Anne Arundel County Public Library.

Register online here or call the law library for help. Once you have registered, you will be sent a link to an intake sheet. Instructions for meeting with the attorney will be sent once the intake is competed. 

Contact the library if you have questions: (phone) 410-222-1387 or (email) AALawLibrarian@mdcourts.gov

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lawlibrary Pro Bono

Lawyer in the Library: October 2021 Wrap-Up

October is Celebrate Pro Bono month. The ABA theme this year is “Moving Forward in a Post-Pandemic World.”  Although the ABA designates a week, October 24 through October 30, Maryland recognizes pro bono throughout the month.

In keeping with the theme, Lawyer in the Library was offered remotely as it has since May of 2020 using Zoom. Four attorneys working from home or office provided more than eight hours of pro bono service to 16 clients.

Many thanks to Jack Paltell, Steve Migdal (AABA Pro Bono Award recipient), Leonard Englander and Carole Brown for their time this month.

Issues this month included estates and wills; landlord and tenant; debt; and employment. The law library supports the work of the program attorneys by sending background information to program participants and the attorney. Most often links to information found on the law library FAQ page are sent. The landlord\tenant page and the wills and estates page are good examples.

Ask a Lawyer in the Library” is held every Wednesday of the month from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and on the third Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. (except for the last two weeks in December). You can talk with a volunteer lawyer for at least 20 minutes about your civil, non-family legal problem for free.

Register online here or call the law library for help. Once you have registered, you will be sent a link to an intake sheet. Instructions for meeting with the attorney will be sent once the intake is competed. 

Contact the library if you have questions: (phone) 410-222-1387 or (email) AALawLibrarian@mdcourts.gov

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono

Maryland Pro Bono Report for FY2020

The Administrative Office of the Courts published the Current Status of Pro Bono Service Among Maryland Lawyers FY2020 September 2021.

The report’s introduction states that the purposes of this summary report are: 1. to identify and evaluate the status of pro bono service engaged in by Maryland lawyers; 2. to assess whether a target goal of 50 hours of pro bono service for lawyers in the full practice of law was achieved; 3. to determine the level of financial contribution to legal services organizations by Maryland Attorneys; and 4. and to identify areas that need to be improved for promoting pro bono services.

The report is the first to reflect a fiscal year rather than a calendar year. The last report covered January 2018 to June 2019 so that the reporting period could align with the Attorney Information System (AIS) fiscal year reporting schedule. The change in the reporting period and a change in address from business to primary will affect direct comparisons but it is still interesting to see the change over time.

The report provides data on pro bono service in Maryland counties. How does Anne Arundel County compare? Not so good – Anne Arundel County is still at the bottom in providing pro bono service.

Percentage of Lawyers with Any Pro Bono Hours by County (Figure 2 on page 10 of the report.) Statewide, 38.5% of attorneys provide some pro bono. In Anne Arundel it is 35.7%. Only one other county has a lower percentage.

Percentage of Full-Time Lawyers in Maryland ≥ 50 Hours of Pro Bono Service by Jurisdiction (Table 8 on page 13 of the report) Statewide, 15.6% of attorneys provide 50 or more hours. In Anne Arundel County, it is 13.9% There are two counties with a lower percentage.

Percentage of Full-Time Lawyers in Maryland with No Hours of Pro Bono Service by Jurisdiction (Table 8 on page 13 of the report) Statewide, 55.1% of attorneys provided no pro bono. In Anne Arundel County, 60% reported no pro bono hours. There is one county with a higher percentage.

Percentage of Full-Time Lawyers in Maryland with <50 Hours of Pro Bono Service by Jurisdiction (Table 8 on page 13 of the report) Statewide, 29.3% of attorneys provided less than 50 hours. In Anne Arundel County, 26.2% reported less than 50 pro bono hours. There were two counties with a lower percentage.