In this month’s issue of the A2JC Dispatch, we bring you the latest from the A2J Commission, including highlights from the recent Pizza Party Fundraiser at the MSBA Legal Summit. Additionally, we look at how AI-driven kiosks are enhancing court visitor experiences and highlight efforts to reduce mass incarceration, new tenants' rights clinics, and the evolving role of AI in legal aid. You can find all of these stories and more in this month’s Dispatch.
A2J Commission News
- A2JC Hosts Welcome "Pizza Party" & Fundraiser at the Legal Summit A2JC hosted their second annual Pizza Party Fundraiser on June 5 at the MSBA Legal Summit! We were excited to double the size of the event from last year and hosted it again at Dry Dock 28. It included specialty pizzas, a fun and justice-loving crowd and a raffle that included $1500 worth of prizes! Thanks to everyone who attended and supported A2JC and we look forward to seeing everyone by the ocean at next year's event on Wednesday, June 4, 2025!
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.
- AI-Driven Kiosks Welcome Court Visitors with Wayfinding and Other Help The Maryland Judiciary launched a kiosk pilot to aid court visitors with navigation and basic inquiries. This project is a collaboration between the District Court, Judicial Information Systems, and Access to Justice, aimed at enhancing access to justice and empowering litigants. Rolled out in late February 2024, the kiosks are in the lobbies of the Circuit Court for Howard County and the District Court in Baltimore County, Catonsville.
Local A2J News
- Group Making Gains on Recommendations to Reduce Mass Incarceration A group aiming to eliminate mass incarceration in Maryland plans to complete a rough draft of its recommendations by August and produce a final report by January, in time for the start of the 2025 General Assembly session.
- Oral Arguments Wrap in Case Urging Maryland Appellate Court to Defend Public Education for Baltimore City Schoolchildren The plaintiffs, represented by the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), ACLU of Maryland, and the law firm BakerHostetler, are urging the state appeals court to reverse an earlier decision and remand the case for further proceedings.
- MD Legal Aid, PG County Libraries to Host Tenants’ Rights and Housing Clinics Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) is partnering with the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System to host tenants’ rights & housing clinics through August, occurring on the first Wednesday of each month.
- LDF Applauds Maryland Legislature’s Passage of Laws Advancing Racial Justice Governor Wes Moore of Maryland signed HB732/SB894 into law, which is the second to last step to give the Baltimore City Council legislative authority over the Baltimore City Police Department (BPD). The bill signing caps the state’s legislative session, which ushered in the passage of key pieces of policy impacting the lives of Black residents.
- Goodell DeVries Receives Defender of Justice Award from Equal Justice Council Goodell DeVries was honored to accept the Defender of Justice Award from Maryland Legal Aid’s Equal Justice Council (EJC). The award was presented at the EJC’s 25th Annual Equal Justice Awards Breakfast on May 21, 2024.
National A2J News
- Justice for All Shares New Guidance Materials and a Diagnostic Tool The National Justice for All (JFA) initiative recently shared new guidance materials and a diagnostic tool. For almost a decade, JFA has been a national collaborative effort to develop tools and assist state/local access to justice ecosystems in the planning and enacting of reforms to achieve the aspirational goal of meaningful access to justice.
- Results from the First Field Study of AI for Legal Aid Legal tech researchers discuss their recent report, “Generative AI and Legal Aid: Results from a Field Study and 100 Use Cases to Bridge the Access to Justice Gap,” on Talk Justice.
- Increasing Access to Required Bankruptcy Meetings How might we increase access to Section 341 bankruptcy meetings, especially for people without legal representation?
- Justice for All? Why We Have an Access to Justice Gap in America—And What to Do About It In three-quarters of civil cases in state courts, at least one party is without a lawyer. This alone often leads to unjust outcomes in cases involving debt collection, evictions, family law, and other areas, and that is just part of the problem.
- Making Pro Bono a Core Value Pays Rich Dividends The Jenner & Block name is synonymous with pro bono advocacy, and its long-standing commitment to public service is a vital part of its culture and who they are as lawyers and people; they're ‘all in’ whether they are in London or Los Angeles.
- How Lawyers Can Help Communities Prepare for Disaster After an extreme climate event like a wildfire or severe storm occurs, often the disaster is just beginning for communities. People must apply for aid, working with the FEMA for relief. Legal aid attorneys can help.
- Gen AI Shows Promise — And Peril — For Pro Se Litigants Lawyers, courts and legal scholars are split on whether generative AI can be used in ways that meet the ethical standards of the legal profession. But the case for using generative AI to empower people without legal representation is nonetheless gaining strength.