In this month's dispatch, we celebrate Reena K. Shah, Executive Director of the Maryland Access to Justice Commission, being named an Influential Marylander in the Law category by The Daily Record. We highlight a groundbreaking partnership with the Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence to create a comprehensive A2J Resource & Asset Map, and welcome new commissioners while thanking outgoing members for their service. Additionally, we cover a variety of significant updates, including the launch of a new Court Help Access & Information center, a historic pardon for cannabis possession convictions by Governor Wes Moore, and several impactful community and legal initiatives across Maryland. You can find all these stories and more in this month's Dispatch.
A2J Commission News
- A2JC Executive Director, Reena Shah, Named by Daily Record as an Influential Marylander Reena K. Shah, Executive Director of the Maryland Access to Justice Commission, was named as an Influential Marylander in the category of Law by The Daily Record on Friday, July 12, 2024. Influential Marylanders was created in 2006 to honor people who have made significant impacts in their field and continue to be leaders in Maryland. These individuals are selected by The Daily Record’s editors for their significant contributions to their respective fields and for their leadership in Maryland in the following areas: civic leadership; communications; education; finance; freestyle; general business; health care; law; philanthropy; real estate; and technology.
- A2JC Launches A2J Resource & Asset Map The Maryland Access to Justice Commission partnered with the Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence to develop a real-time A2J Resource & Asset Map using ArcGIS. This new A2J Map will serve as the one-stop shop for resources civil legal aid clients may need; it will create efficiencies in serving these clients; and it will solve the problem of spending precious time connecting clients with resources, whether legal or community based. The map is holistic and includes both legal services and courts, but also other resources like grocery stores that accept SNAP benefits, food pantries, homeless shelters and more to serve help civil legal aid organizations serve their clients faster and better, while saving their attorneys and advocates precious time.
- A2JC Welcomes New Commissioners and Thanks Commissioners Who Completed their Service! As a new fiscal year begins, the Maryland Access to Justice Commission is delighted to welcome four new A2J Commissioners. LaVonda Reed joins A2JC in her new role as the Dean of the University of Baltimore School of Law. Additionally, three new representatives of the MSBA join the A2JC: Marisa Trasatti, the new President-Elect of the MSBA and General Counsel at Sciton, Inc. and Managing Partner of Cipriani & Werner's Hunt Valley Office; Emily Greene, the new Chair-Elect of the Young Lawyers Section of the MSBA and Associate at the law firm of Kramon & Graham; and Meredith Hill, a member of the Board of Governors of the MSBA and Founder and Principal at The Hill Law Group. Alongside new members joining, A2JC would like to acknowledge and thank the following Commissioners who will be rolling off the Commission this year: Meryl Burgin, former General Counsel of CareFirst; Sen. Christopher West; Matthew Stubenberg, Innovator of Residence at the University of Hawaii School of Law; Rima Kikani, Associate at Tydings; Shuaa Tajammul, Esq.; Rafael Santini of Santini Law and President of the MSBA. We thank them all for their dedicated and passionate service on A2JC!
- A2JC Executive Director Speaks at UN Meeting on the Sustainable Development Goals A2JC Executive Director served as one of the speakers at the DOJ Access to Justice's Office's launch of a new cross-sector group that will focus on Sustainable Development Goal 16 and its relationship to access to justice in the U.S. The meeting took place on Tuesday, July 16 at the U.S. Mission to the UN in New York City, on the sidelines of the UN High-Level Political Forum. Reena spoke about her experience as the first director of the Human Rights Project at Maryland Legal Aid and her work on the Sustainable Cities Initiative in Baltimore, where she participated in the shaping of worldwide access to justice indicators.
Tips from Maryland Judiciary’s Access to Justice Department - We are pleased to offer recurring content from the Maryland Judiciary’s Access to Justice Department as part of the A2J Dispatch.
- New Court Help Access & Information Center Opens in Allegany County The Maryland Judiciary’s Access to Justice program recently celebrated the grand opening of a new Court Help Access & Information center to serve residents in Western Maryland. Notably, the center will allow litigants to meet virtually with attorneys from the Maryland Court Help Center to provide free, brief legal advice on all civil case types such as family law, housing, and issues with money.
Local A2J News
- Governor Moore’s Pardoning of 175,000 Maryland Cannabis Convictions Governor Wes Moore signed a historic executive order pardoning 175,000 Maryland convictions related to the possession of cannabis, which represents the largest pardon for misdemeanor cannabis possession charges for any state in the country and the inclusion of paraphernalia makes Maryland the first state to take such action.
- Following Major Lawsuit, State Official in Charge of Nursing Home Inspections to Retire The longtime head of the state office responsible for nursing home inspections will retire, officials at the Maryland Department of Health announced about a month after advocates filed a lawsuit claiming the agency was so behind in its work that severe harms to disabled residents were going unchecked.
- Disability Rights Maryland Presents the Pro Bono Honor Roll The Pro Bono Honor Roll recognizes law firms and attorneys who provided a substantial number of pro bono service hours during the period of October 1, 2022 – December 31, 2023. Their expertise, dedication, and generosity positively impact the lives of people with disabilities and make Maryland a better place for all.
- For All Seasons Hosts Second Hoopers Island Migrant Resource Fair For All Seasons sponsored its second Migrant Resource Fair at the Volunteer Fire House on Hoopers Island in Fishing Creek. For All Seasons provides mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
- Baltimore Nonprofit Provides Free Legal, Outreach Services to LGBTQ+ Communities FreeState Justice is a Baltimore nonprofit organization that provides essential legal and outreach services to the LGBTQ+ community. Launched in 2016, with a mission to eliminate barriers, FreesState Justice provides legal services at no cost.
National A2J News
- A Look at the Above the Line Network The majority of Americans and small businesses are being left behind, and a more concerted national effort is needed to address this distinct and alarming access gap. The Above the Line Network (ATLN) aims to do just that.
- DC Access To Justice Leader On Making Courts User-Friendly Erin Larkin, who recently became the first director of the D.C. courts' new Access to Justice unit, has long seen the ways that a lack of legal representation can hurt people in need.
- Law Project Advocates for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Students and faculty at Stanford Law School are leading advocacy efforts in intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) law and policy by developing new resources and increasing awareness of, and access to, existing services and supports.
- State Bar Of New Mexico’s Access To Justice Grant Fund Commission Awards Record $1.5 Million The Access to Justice Grant Fund Commission, a Commission of the State Bar of New Mexico, awarded just over $1,500,000 in grant funds to 13 civil legal service organizations for the 2024-2025 Fund cycle.
- The Role Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals Can Play in Colorado Law Firms Over the past decade, a gap has developed between litigants who can afford an attorney and those who are below the poverty line qualifying for legal help through Colorado Legal Services or other nonprofits. Those litigants in that gap—the missing middle—are the target clientele for LLPs.
- Justice Department Launches Access DOJ The Justice Department announced the launch of Access DOJ, a new and innovative Department-wide initiative led by the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) that will use human-centered design to improve access to Justice Department programs and services for all communities and stakeholders.
- Immigration Help Center Focuses on Social Justice The Rural Organizing Project is a decades-old statewide organization that supports rural communities, with a focus on grassroots activism and equal access to justice. Originally formed to fight against a 1992 anti-LGBTQ initiative called the Abnormal Behaviors Initiative, ROP now fosters strong, interconnected communities, builds rural leadership, and advances democracy for all.
- Tackling the ‘Justice Gap:’ Lawmakers Weigh Barriers to Civil Legal Services Anyone accused of a crime in the U.S. has the right to an attorney and will be given one if they cannot afford one. But that is not the case for civil legal problems, like child custody or disputes with landlords. That leaves many people on their own if they cannot afford a private attorney.