Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland

Active Maryland Attorneys: Did you know you can support pro bono when you report your pro bono hours in the AIS portal? It's an easy way to make a contribution to the legal community and ensure equal access to representation for our neighbors in need.     Once you have filed your Pro Bono Report in the Attorney Information System (AIS), click the tab to donate and designate your contribution to the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland (PBRC). Remember, the reporting deadline is September 10, 2024.     PBRC leads efforts across the state to encourage and accelerate pro bono service. Every dollar you contribute helps PBRC support the Maryland legal community as they engage in meaningful and impactful volunteer service to ensure equal access to justice for all. We collaborate with every legal services nonprofit in the state, providing technical assistance, as well as recruitment, training, and mentoring of volunteer lawyers.     By leveraging a statewide network of pro bono lawyers, we maximize your donation 24 times the initial value to serve as many Marylanders in need as possible.    To learn more about the pro bono reporting process and to access the AIS portal, please visit https://lnkd.in/gXhVX7da. 

Apply now to be a part of the 2024-2025 Professional Skills Academy cohort! PBRC's Professional Skills Academy is a one-year, service-learning program including training, mentoring, and pro bono opportunities for newer attorneys.  Academy Fellows will learn from experienced attorneys while defending low-wage workers against fraud, preventing unlawful evictions in rent court, keeping seniors in their homes, counseling at-risk immigrants, and preserving intergenerational wealth for low-income families.     With training and the help of a mentor, Fellows have the opportunity to gain litigation skills, including how to interview clients, negotiate with other parties, represent clients in court, and counsel and draft documents for clients.   Mark your calendars for Monday, August 2nd as when you need to submit your application! Learn more about the Academy and apply today at www.probonomd.org/academy. 

Congratulations to this year's Maryland Pro Bono Service Award winners!    Every year, PBRC is proud to host the Maryland Pro Bono Service Awards which honors outstanding lawyers, non-lawyers, and programs that have made significant contributions to the delivery of pro bono civil legal services to Maryland’s low-income citizens.     This year, we are excited to honor an incredible group of lawyers, advocates, and organizations, including:     Alex Fee Award: Rehana Wieseman, Esq.   Lee A. Caplan Award: Jane Santoni, Esq.  Judge Robert M. Bell Award: Kristin Franceschi, Esq.  Distinguished Volunteer Award: Robert McGarrah, Esq.  Member of the Judiciary Award: Judge Amy Lorenzini   Retired Volunteer Award: Edward Wender, Esq.  Law Firm Award: Gordon Feinblatt LLC  Corporate Legal Department Award: BGE and Exelon  Herbert S. Garten Special Project Award: Covington & Burling LLP Non-Legal Award: Katherine Jakuta  Pro Bono Program Award: The Amica Center for Immigrant Rights (formerly Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights or CAIR Coalition)    The 2024 winners helped in a wide range of case areas, from family law, consumer rights, estate planning, expungement, to immigration status. Swipe through to learn more about this year's group of exceptional recipients or visit www.probonomd.org/awards. 

On Wednesday, May 22nd, 2024, advocates for access to justice from across the region convened at the Baltimore Convention Center for the 25th annual Partners for Justice Conference hosted by the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland (PBRC). Over 315 registrants came together - from legal services program staff to members of the public and private bar to elected officials - to stand up for the rights of the underserved in our community.  The in-person conference featured cutting-edge instruction and discussion from experts and leaders at the vanguard of the legal services community. Panels such as Retaining Talent in Traumatic Times, Using Consumer Protection Statutes to Combat Financial Predatory Practices, Tips for Engaging Young and New Attorneys for Pro Bono Service, and Listening as a Tool for Community and Client-Centered Advocacy provided insightful analysis and practical guidance for advocates to apply directly to their work.   Additionally, we were honored to have Maryland Office of the Attorney General Anthony G. Brown provide a keynote address on his office’s access to justice priorities. During the morning and lunchtime plenaries, attendees also heard from other legal leaders such as Office of the Public Defender Maryland Natasha Dartigue, Maryland Legal Services Corporation Executive Director Michelle Daugherty Siri, Maryland Access to Justice Commission Executive Director Reena Shah, Maryland Legal Aid Executive Director Vicki Shultz, and more. To learn more about the Partners for Justice conference and view more photos from the event, visit https://lnkd.in/gQzWfegr. 

Today is the last day to register online for the 25th Annual Partners for Justice Conference! Want to learn what types of panels will be offered? Learn more about one of our sessions, Empowering Futures: A Framework for Positive Youth Justice Strategy: “Over the past decade, significant strides have been made in progressive law within the realm of youth justice. Notably, in 2016, the Supreme Court ruled against mandatory life without parole sentences for youth, marking a pivotal moment in legal history. Our session aims to provide a comprehensive overview of these transformative legal changes affecting youth. We will discuss briefly the practical implementation of these laws, shedding light on their implications, side effects, and the victories or setbacks associated with their enforcement. Moreover, we will assess the current state of youth justice, delving into the challenges faced by young individuals in communities, education, and the legal justice system, and particularly following the COVID-19 Pandemic. Highlighting the 2024 session, we will explore any noteworthy updates and share insights into ongoing efforts focused on progressive policy development. Join us as we analyze the dynamic landscape of youth justice, reflecting on the past, evaluating the present, and envisioning a future shaped by forward-thinking policies.”    Panelists include Payton Aldridge (Disability Rights Maryland), Levi Bradford (Public Justice Center), and Aarti Sidhu (Maryland Office of the Public Defender) with Dave Pantzer (Maryland Legal Services Corporation) moderating. Read more about the panel sessions that will be offered and register today at https://lnkd.in/gQzWfegr! 

PBRC’s Courtroom Advocacy Project staff members Katie Davis and Jennifer Mercer attended as Governor Wes Moore signed into law multiple bills that will benefit the delivery of legal service and PBRC clients facing eviction and housing instability.    Specifically, PBRC advocated for and was present for the signings of: - HB 693 (Renter’s Rights and Stabilization Act), which will increase funding for legal services providers such as PBRC and provide much-needed protections for low-income tenants across Maryland. The legislation also increases the filing fees for eviction-related actions, which could benefit our clients who are often subject to repeated rent court filings, limits security deposits to the amount of one month’s rent, requires judges to stay evictions due to extreme weather, and creates an Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs. - SB 19 (Shielding Act), which will allow tenants to preserve their ability to rent in the future by shielding some rent court filings and failure to pay judgments that were remedied prior to eviction. - SB 370 (Rental Assistance for Community Schools Families), which places $10 million in the budget for rental assistance that we know is vital to long-term housing stability. - HB 1117 (The Tenant Safety Act), which will benefit our clients living in substandard housing conditions. While current law allows tenants to place rent in escrow rather than paying the landlord when conditions in the home amount to a threat to their life, health or safety, the reality is that this process is inaccessible to many low-income tenants. The legislation will make this process more accessible by allowing more leeway related to the amount of money necessary to fund an escrow account, allowing multiple tenants to file an action jointly against a common landlord, and codifying the warranty of habitability. 

Get to know Cesiah Fuentes, a 3L law student at the University of Baltimore School of Law! Cesiah has been a volunteer interpreter with MILAP since her first year of law school, helping to inform her decision on specializing in immigration law as she starts her career.     “Pro bono work has changed the way I see immigration work. It has allowed me to see the incredibly diverse backgrounds and needs people come from. People are more than just people; they are a collection of stories and life events they carry with them. I feel honored to help them share their story. I have also learned how easy it is to volunteer and the very real impact you can have on one person or family. I am more eager to learn of non-immigration clinics for when I become an attorney because of the pro bono work I have done. These experiences make me want to be a more curious and empathetic attorney.”    Read more about Cesiah’s volunteer experience and how she has balanced pro bono work with her studies, and why she will continue to do so as she starts her career: https://lnkd.in/gMRVeyVF.   

Cate Scenna, Director of PBRC's Maryland Immigrant Legal Assistance Project (MILAP), and Bill Meyer, a longtime volunteer with MILAP, spoke to the Baltimore Banner about the state of the Baltimore Immigration Court, and how the overwhelmed system is affecting asylum seekers' lives. “One group — attorneys with the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland — has established a presence on the fourth floor of the George Fallon Federal Building, where the immigration court in Baltimore is located. This is where the five Salvadoran sisters waited.” Read more the growing and persistent need for pro bono representation at the Baltimore Immigration Court: https://lnkd.in/et63PTxe.  

Thank you to all who attended the 15th Annual Veterans Legal Assistance Conference & Training (VLAC)! Designed for lawyers, law students, veterans, policymakers and other service professionals, this annual conference provides a forum for discussion of critical legal issues facing our veterans.    This year, we were honored to have the Keynote Address provided by Major General Janeen L. Birckhead, currently serving as the Adjutant General for Maryland.    Thank you to everyone who made this event a success, including our collaborators at Maryland Legal Aid, Federal Bar Association, Homeless Persons Representation Project Inc., Maryland State Bar Association – MSBA, and University of Baltimore School of Law.    To learn more about the VLAC conference and what panelists learned this year, visit https://lnkd.in/ebrhnwkx.