In this month’s issue of the A2JC Dispatch, we address A2JC’s shocking statistics, and highlight A2JC’s Partners for Justice Conference and Race Equity Toolkit. We also celebrate Maryland Legal Aid’s 25 years of the Equal Justice Council, unprecedented progress for renter protections, and the passage of several LGBTQ rights bills during the 2024 legislative session. Additionally, we examine how courts can use generative Ai to help pro se litigants, how online chats aim to increase access to justice, and a seismic rule change that increases available federal funding for civil legal aid. You can find all of these stories and more in this month’s Dispatch.
A2J Commission News
- A2JC Shares Status of A2J at MSBA Board of Governor's Retreat A2JC Executive Director informed the MSBA Board of Governors of a shocking statistic - that while Maryland ranked #2 in the National Center for Access to Justice's "Justice Index," #2 still meant that MD was getting a D. That means there is so much more work MD needs to do. To learn more about the status of Access to Justice in MD, read the latest Bar Journal: https://misc.pagesuite.com/pdfdownload/54f5d1fc-9208-4f33-b13e-a6e36349f84a.pdf
- A2JC ED Welcomes Guests to Partners for Justice Conference A2JC Executive Director, Reena Shah, was part of the welcome panel at the Partners for Justice Conference. She talked about the three pillars of A2JC's work, including Convening & Coordination, Communications, and Community Building, and encouraged attendees to take part in our efforts!
A2JC Presents on a Race Equity Toolkit
A2JC partnered with PJC, ED, Jeniece Jones and the Deputy Director of MVLS, Margaret Henn to put on a panel about what each of the organizations are doing to promote race equity in their organizations and the work they do. A2JC has only recently taken up this important work and was sharing from the perspective of why we cannot do access to justice work without working to dismantle the race inequities.
- A2JC Presents on Data Tools and Allied Legal Professionals A2JC is partnering with the Mid-Shore Council on Family Violence to build data maps using ARC GIS. We are working to map out resources and assets in the civil justice system in addition to doing data analysis to understand the civil justice system on a macro level, answering questions about resource allocation, gaps in service, hot spots and more.
- A2JC's Public Interest Law Committee Hosts JustIceCream Networking Event The A2JC's Public Interest Law Committee hosted a Spring Social & Networking Event to bring together members of the PIL Committee and encourage other partners in justice to join. The PIL Committee will work on three main areas: Advocacy, Education and Community Building. The event was successful in encouraging more MSBA members to join the Committee, which is free with membership.
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.
- Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Court Visitors Outside the Courtroom
When deaf individuals visit the court to file documents, meet with court staff, or receive legal help at a Maryland Court Help Center, courts are ready to serve them. A two-part video series in ASL provides information on sign language services in the courts. For more information or to request assistance, contact the court’s ADA Coordinator.
Local A2J News
- Maryland Legal Aid Celebrates 25 Years of the Equal Justice Council The Equal Justice Council (EJC) is a group of influential leaders in Maryland’s legal and business communities who lend their time, expertise, and counsel to Maryland Legal Aid in a variety of ways.
- Advocates Declare ‘Unprecedented’ Progress for Renter Protections but There’s Still Work to Do The 2024 session yielded a mixed bag of outcomes on renter-focused bills. But advocates say that even the unsuccessful bills got the conversation going and set up tenants for more success in future sessions and legislation.
- Juvenile Justice Reform Act Applies to Cases Pending when Law Took Effect, MD Supreme Court Rules The Maryland Supreme Court ruled that the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, which prohibits charging children under the age of 13 as adults for certain nonviolent acts, applies to cases pending when the law took effect.
- Little Access to Treatment for Maryland Youth Charged as Adults Each year in Maryland, hundreds of young teens accused of breaking the law are charged as adults. Judges could send their cases to juvenile court, but one third of the time they don’t. A look at how judges decide and the dire results for many kids.
- Maryland Lawmakers Pass Several LGBTQ Rights Bills during 2024 Session Maryland lawmakers passed a number of LGBTQ rights bills during this year’s legislative session, including House Bill 1397, which would strengthen the state’s nondiscrimination law that includes sexual orientation and gender identity.
- New Court Help Access & Information Center opens in Allegany County On May 1, members of the Maryland Judiciary and the Maryland Center for Legal Assistance (MCLA), a subsidiary of Maryland Legal Aid, celebrated the grand opening of the Court Help Access & Information Center in Allegany County.
National A2J News
- 2023 Annual Report Focuses on how NCSC Is Inspiring Future-ready Courts Inspiring Future-Ready Courts: Annual Report 2023 demonstrates NCSC’s commitment to preparing courts for social, economic, and technological influences that significantly impact the administration of justice.
- Federal Funding for Legal Aid: A Webinar The Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) and White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable (LAIR) hosted a webinar on April 25, 2024, to discuss federal funding that supports civil legal aid programs.
- How Courts Can Use Generative AI To Help Pro Se Litigants Several courts are already using automation and AI for website chatbots, online dispute resolution and form completion to help pro se litigants, and adding generative AI can expand these initiatives, legal experts say.
- 10th Circuit’s Online Chat Aims to Aid Access to Justice Do you have a question about a case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit? You can now click a blue “Let’s Talk” feature on the bottom left side of the court’s homepage to chat online with staff.
- NLADA to Honor 40 Firms with the 2024 Beacon of Justice Award The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA) announced that 40 firms will be honored with the 2024 Beacon of Justice Award. Each honoree is being recognized for their efforts to address issues related to civil & human rights.
- Champion for Access to Justice, Purdue Global Law School Dean Continues to Move Law School Forward Martin Pritikin’s passion for access to justice is arguably unmatched. Since being appointed dean and vice president of Purdue Global Law School in 2016, Pritikin has leveraged his experience as a lawyer and innovative educator to move what was already a progressive law school to the next level.
- New York’s Outdated Attorney Residency Requirement Widens Justice Gap A century-old law requires attorneys licensed to practice in New York to maintain a physical office inside state lines. That law, enacted in 1909, is worsening the justice gap in our state’s rural communities.
- Judge’s Law Review Article Explores Judicial Support for Eviction RTC Judge Shera Grant, State of Alabama District Court Judge for the Tenth Judicial Circuit, recently wrote Civil Gideon: A Judge's Perspective on the Right to Counsel in Eviction Cases, 20 Stan. J. C.R. & C.L. 101 (2024).
- Seismic Rule Change Increases Available Federal Funding for Civil Legal Aid In May 2024, the federal Department of Health and Human Services finalized a landmark rule change that makes more federal funding available for civil legal representation related to foster care proceedings. The rule change goes into effect on July 9, 2024.