Tag: selfhelp

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

JustAdvice – Expungement

UPDATE: The JustAdvice Clinic has completed its spring session and is CLOSED until this fall. Stay tuned for updates!

Expungement was one of the most asked about issues during last month’s Homeless Resource Day, and it remains hot topic at the local, state and national levels. Check out this article on the Wall Street Journal Blog.

If you are looking for brief advice and assistance on how to expunge your criminal record, law students from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law may be able to assist you through the JustAdvice Clinic, a project of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law Clinical Program. JustAdvice has provided over 2,600 Maryland residents with low-cost legal consultations since June 2009.

Appointments are highly encouraged. Walk-ins are welcome, but note that walk-ins will not be accepted in the final hour of the session. For example, if the session ends at 3:00 p.m., a walk-in must arrive prior to 2:00 p.m. To make an appointment and for information about upcoming session dates, times and locations, check out JustAdvice’s website at http://justadviceclinic.org/. You can also contact them via telephone at 410-929-4809 or email at JustAdvice@law.umaryland.edu.

Don’t forget that you will need to bring a copy of your Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) Report to your session with the JustAdvice law student.*

 For more information about expungement and other resources and referrals, check out our wiki page on expungement or contact us!

*Information about how to obtain a Criminal Justice Information System Report is available here.

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

MVLS Personal Bankruptcy Clinic

On Thursday, April 30, 2015, the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service will be holding a FREE clinic for those individuals considering personal bankruptcy here at the Law Library. You can meet with an attorney one-on-one to discuss your situation and learn about filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Here are the details.

  • Date:  Thursday, April 30, 2015
  • Time:  2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Place:  Law Library, Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County. 8 Church Circle, Suite 303, Annapolis, Maryland 21401

mvls-logo

Registration is encouraged. To register, visit www.mvlslaw.org or call (443) 547-6537.

Note that all attendees must be low- to moderate-income and NOT be in a foreclosure proceeding. If you are not sure if your income falls within the guidelines, check out this page or call (443) 547-6537. If you need assistance with a foreclosure proceeding, MVLS also provides a free clinic called the Foreclosure Mediation Brief Advice Project. You can read about it on our blog here.

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lawlibrary Libraries Pro Bono Self Represented

National Library Week: Partnerships and Programs

ALA_NLW2015_336x280This week, the Law Library celebrated National Library Week, so what better time than now to highlight the Law Library’s partnerships and programs. The Law Library’s mission is to serve the information needs of the judiciary, court and government agencies, the legal community and the citizens of Anne Arundel County. We are committed to providing access to legal information, resources and referrals for our community. In connection with our mission, the Law Library has developed partnerships with the Anne Arundel County Public Library, the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, the Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Anne Arundel County Local Pro Bono Committee to promote access to justice through access to legal information and resources.

poster raglandThe Law Library coordinates and administers the Ask a Lawyer in the Library Program, which is a FREE program where volunteer attorneys provide limited legal advice on a one-on-one basis for a wide variety of civil matters (excluding family law matters). Every Wednesday, attorneys from the Anne Arundel County legal community donate their time and expertise to provide program participants with legal assistance and guidance on issues ranging from foreclosure, debt and bankruptcy, real estate transactions, landlord/tenant disputes, employment and wage claims, contract disputes and estate planning.The Ask a Lawyer program is offered monthly on the third Wednesday at the Glen Burnie Regional Library.  Program partners include the Anne Arundel County Public Library, the Anne Arundel Bar Association and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers service. Since its inception in 2009, 124 attorneys have volunteered over 1,200 hours to assist nearly 2400 participants!

In addition to the ongoing Ask a Lawyer in the Library Program, the Law Library hosts and coordinates a variety of standalone or short term clinics. One upcoming program is the Personal Bankruptcy Clinic provided by the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, which will be held on April 30, 2015 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Law Library. This clinic is an opportunity for attendees to learn experience attorney about filing a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.  This program will be repeated September 17, 2015.

For those you who cannot visit the Law Library in person, we are available via phone (410-222-1387) and email (lawlibrary@aacounty.org). The Law Library has developed and continues to update the AACPLL Self Help and Pro Bono WIKI, a public wiki that serves as a guide to pro bono and self-help resources and referrals. Check out the wiki to learn more about family law resources available online, attorney referrals, pro bono and reduced fee legal services and volunteer opportunities.

Don’t forget, the Law Library is open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and can provide you with one-on-one legal reference assistance.

If you are interested in participating in the programs described in this post as either a volunteer or program participant and would like more information, please contact us!

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lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer In the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

IMG_1127
Thank you!

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, April 15, 2015,  the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program.  Thank you Sam Brown of Hillman, Brown & Darrow, P.A. for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Five people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues such as foreclosure, car titles and estates .  The next program date is Wednesday, April 22, 2015.

kurt_roperSince this was the third Wednesday of the month, the program was also held at the Glen Burnie Regional Library of the Anne Arundel County Public Library in the evening from 4:30 to 6;30.  Cliff O’Connor of Holmes & O’Connor, Kurt Roper of Staiti & DiBlasio, and Alan Forman volunteered to help 14 people with questions about such issues real estate, bankruptcy, wills, estates and wills.  The next date for the monthly program will be May 20, 2015.  This will be the last evening program before the summer break.

It is helpful to prepare for your session with the attorney.  Here are some helpful tips:

  • Write a list of specific questions for the attorney.
  • Bring any paperwork and information related to the case.
  • Organize any paperwork from most recent on the top to oldest at the bottom.
  • Identify all deadlines.
  • Prepare a timeline of the legal issue.

cliff_and_alanIf you would like to read up on your issue prior to your session with the attorney, please come find us at the Law Library’s information desk.  We are happy to assist you.

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 Pro Bono Self Represented

Free Tax Sale/Foreclosure Clinic for Baltimore City Homeowners!

"Sign of the Times-Foreclosure" by respres - http://www.flickr.com/photos/respres/2539334956/. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sign_of_the_Times-Foreclosure.jpg#/media/File:Sign_of_the_Times-Foreclosure.jpg
“Sign of the Times-Foreclosure” by respres*

Are you a homeowner who is behind on your property taxes or water bills? If so, you might be interested in attending the free, brief legal advice Tax Sale Clinic organized by the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland.

There are two upcoming clinic dates.

  1. Thursday, April 9, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Urban Business Center, 1200 W. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21223
  2. Wednesday, April 15, 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: Enoch Pratt Library, Southeast Anchor Branch, 3601 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224

Homeowners should bring all recent property tax or water bills and notices, any proof of payment of the property tax or water bills and all notices from the Baltimore City Circuit Court with them to the clinic. For more information, please visit www.probonomd.org/legal-help or contact the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland at (443) 703-3052. You can also check out this Resource Guide for Tax Sales and Tax Foreclosures.

In addition, the Foreclosure Mediation Brief Advice Project is a free, walk-in clinic open to homeowners facing foreclosure without legal representation. Located at 11101 Gilroy Road, Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031 at the Office of Administrative Hearings (Administrative Law Building), the clinic’s hours of operation are Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (new intakes are not accepted after 4:00 p.m.). The clinic is first-come, first-serve. For more information, check out our past blog post here!

*http://www.flickr.com/photos/respres/2539334956/. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sign_of_the_Times-Foreclosure.jpg#/media/File:Sign_of_the_Times-Foreclosure.jpg
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lawlibrary Self Represented

Prince George’s Co. District Court Self-Help Resource Center

The Prince George’s County District Court Self-Help Resource Center is now open and ready to assist litigants! Staffed by three attorneys from Maryland Legal Aid, the walk-in self-help center is open to the public and offers self-represented litigants with assistance with civil matters, including assistance completing court forms, answering legal questions, and assisting with trial preparation. Civil matters include landlord/tenant issues, small claims (up to $5,000), certain large claims (up to $30,000), debt collection, the return of property (replevin/detinue), peace orders and protective orders. The self-help center cannot help with criminal or traffic matters.

Here are the details.

Address: District Court Bourne Wing, Room 069B, 14735 Main Street, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Phone Services: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Call 410-260-1392
Online Chat Services: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m
See the Live Help button on this page.

 

For more information, check out http://mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/districtctselfhelpctr.html! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Law Library!

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer In the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

photo 1 (3)
Thank you Chris!

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, March 11, 2015, the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program. Thank you Chris Boucher for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Seven people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues such as bankruptcy, foreclosure, homeowner’s association issues, installment contracts and contract disputes. The next program date is Wednesday, April 15, 2015.

Do you have a criminal law matter? Criminal Law matters are best addressed by the Office of the Public Defender. Information about the Office of the Public Defender is available at http://www.opd.state.md.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 Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer In the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

admin-ajaxThe 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, April 1, 2015,  the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program.  Thank you Mike Ragland and Jack Paltell, from Bell, Ragland, Gauges & Paltell, for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Six people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues such as tenant’s rights in a foreclosure, vehicle titling, wills, contract litigation and discrimination.  The next program date is Wednesday, April 8, 2015.

It is helpful to prepare for your session with the attorney.  Here are some helpful tips:

  • Write a list of specific questions for the attorney.
  • Bring any paperwork and information related to the case.
  • Organize any paperwork from most recent on the top to oldest at the bottom.
  • Identify all deadlines.
  • Prepare a timeline of the legal issue.

If you would like to read up on your issue prior to your session with the attorney, please come find us at the Law Library’s information desk.  We are happy to assist you.

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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Attorney Training lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Looking for Attorney Volunteers for Homeless Resource Day!

Untitled drawing (5)
Here are some of the volunteers from last year’s Homeless Resource Day!

Attorney volunteers are still needed for the 8th Annual Anne Arundel County Homeless Resource Day, which will be held this Saturday, March 28, 2015 at Annapolis High School from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Volunteer attorneys are among the many service providers available on this day to assist individuals and families experiencing homelessness. During this “one-day, one-stop” program, volunteer attorneys provide limited legal advice on a wide range of topics, including expungement, family law, benefits, debt, housing and foreclosure. Homeless Resource Day provides individuals and families experiencing homelessness with invaluable services and benefits that can assist them on the path to housing and self-sufficiency.

Volunteers are needed throughout the day, which is divided into two shifts. The morning shift is from 8:30am to 12:30pm, and the afternoon shift is from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. Volunteers can sign up for one or both shifts or specify a different time-range that works best for the attorney. Based on past experience, the morning hours are the busiest hours. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up here or contact us!

For more information about Homeless Resource Day, check out this sites.

Categories
lawlibrary Pro Bono Self Represented

Ask a Lawyer In the Library: Wednesday Wrap-up

photo 1
Thank you Kemp!

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, March 25, 2015,  the Law Library hosted another successful Ask A Lawyer In The Library program.  Thank you, Kemp Hammond from Gormley Jarashow Bowman LLC, for volunteering and providing this service to the public. Seven people took part in the program and were able to speak with the attorney to request assistance with issues such as foreclosure, property, judgments, replevin and civil rights.  The next program date is Wednesday, April 1, 2015.

It is helpful to prepare for your session with the attorney.  Here are some helpful tips:

  • Write a list of specific questions for the attorney.
  • Bring any paperwork and information related to the case.
  • Organize any paperwork from most recent on the top to oldest at the bottom.
  • Identify all deadlines.
  • Prepare a timeline of the legal issue.

If you would like to read up on your issue prior to your session with the attorney, please come find us at the Law Library’s information desk.  We are happy to assist you.

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.