Legal Aid sponsors 2 pro bono events

Two Pro Bono Days–free legal clinics–will be sponsored by Maryland Legal Aid later this month. The first is Saturday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Randallstown branch of the Baltimore County Public Library, 8604 Liberty Road in Randallstown.

The second is Saturday, Oct. 27, at Maryland Legal Aid’s downtown Baltimore office, 500 E. Lexington Street. Volunteer attorneys will be on hand to provide individual free consultations in the areas of divorce and custody, landlord/tenant, wills & advance directives, bankruptcy, expungements, government benefits, criminal and consumer law.

The Baltimore County event is sponsored by Maryland Legal Aid and the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service. The city event is sponsored by Maryland Legal Aid, Legal Services for the Elderly, the Maryland State Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland, and the Young Lawyers Division of the Bar Association of Baltimore City.

The events are free and no registration is required. Bring any relevant documents with you. For more information (and for private lawyers to volunteer), call 443/451-2810

Volunteer lawyers needed for Pro Bono Day

For the sixth year, the Pro Bono Day clinic will be held Saturday, May 12, at Maryland Legal Aid’s Baltimore City Office, 500 East Lexington Street, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Legal services organizations statewide continue to see marked increases in the number of individuals and families coming forward to request legal assistance in all areas of the law,” said Yoanna Moisides, Assistant Director of Advocacy for Training and Pro Bono at Legal Aid.  “Now more than ever, the demand for services far outweighs the resources available. “

At the previous five Pro Bono Days, volunteer lawyers provided legal consultations to more than 500 people.  Attorneys are needed to provide brief, one-on-one consultations with attendees on a variety of civil matters, including housing law, government benefits, bankruptcy and consumer debt issues, expungements, wills, advance directives, elder law, criminal law, and divorce/custody/child support.  “This event cannot be a success without your assistance,” Moisides said.

To volunteer, complete the online Volunteer Registration form. More information is available from Moisides at 443-451-2810.

Pro Bono Day is sponsored by the Pro Bono and Access to Legal Services Committee of the Bar Association of Baltimore City, in conjunction with Maryland Legal Aid, Legal Services for the Elderly, the Maryland State Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, Pro Bono Resource Center and the Young Lawyers’ Division of the Bar Association of Baltimore City.

Baltimore Pro Bono Day at Legal Aid

Discuss your civil legal problems one-on-one with volunteer attorneys at a free legal clinic. Types of issues include:
•    Divorce, custody & child support
•    Landlord-tenant
•    Wills & advance directives
•    Bankruptcy
•    Record expungements
•    Government benefits
•    Consumer issues
•    Foreclosure
•    Community & Nonprofit Organizations

Saturday, October 29, 2011
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Location:

Legal Aid
500 East Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD 21202

Sponsored by:
Bar Association of Baltimore City

In partnership with:
Maryland Legal Aid, Legal Services for the Elderly, Maryland State Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland, Inc., and Young Lawyers’ Division of the Bar Association of Baltimore City

Bring any relevant documents with you.  This event is free and no registration is required.  For more information, call 410-539-5936 ext. 102 or email info@baltimorebar.org.

If you are interested in a free foreclosure legal consultation at the event, contact the Pro Bono Resource Center at 1-800-396-1274 to pre-register and learn how to prepare for the legal consult.

Nearly 200 get free legal advice on Pro Bono Day

On Saturday, October 30,  the Pro Bono and Access to Legal Services Committee of the Bar Association of Baltimore City, in conjunction with Maryland Legal Aid, the Pro Bono Resource Center, the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, and Legal Services for the Elderly hosted “Pro Bono Day–Fall 2010” at Legal Aid’s Baltimore City office. Consultations were offered in a wide range of civil practice areas, including housing, consumer, benefits, military benefits, expungement, employment, family law, wills and advance directives, and general practice.

“The event highlighted the tremendous need for access to justice–people began lining up at 8 a.m. and by the end of the day over 166 people received legal consultations on approximately 187 different legal issues,” said Legal Aid’s Yoanna Moisides. “To help in the effort, approximately 60 volunteer attorneys, paralegals, law graduates, law and graduate students, and community members showed up to share their time and expertise. Feedback from the event is still being compiled, but initial response from those individuals served is overwhelmingly positive.”

Pro Bono Day slated for Oct. 30 in Baltimore

The Bar Association of Baltimore City (BABC) will host its third Pro Bono Day on Saturday, October 30, from 10 am to 2 pm at Maryland Legal Aid’s downtown Baltimore office, 500 East Lexington Street.

The last two Pro Bono Days, held in October 2009 and May, 2010, each served more than 200 people with more than 140 legal issues.  Organizers of this event, which also include Maryland Legal Aid, Legal Services for the Elderly, the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, and the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland, expect more people to take advantage of the free legal help. The event is free and open to the public.

“The economic downturn has had and will continue to have a significant impact on the residents of Baltimore City and beyond, particularly those in low-income communities,” said BABC Executive Director Kathy Sanzone. “As a result, legal providers statewide have experienced a dramatic increase in the demand for legal assistance in a variety of areas.  The Baltimore City Bar Association is proud to partner with local legal services organizations to help meet this growing demand.”

Participants with specific legal problems can discuss their options one-on-one with volunteer lawyers on a wide range of subjects including divorce, child support, and custody; housing and landlord/tenant issues; government benefits, wills and advance directives; consumer debt and bankruptcy, foreclosure prevention, and veterans issues.  While registration is not required, it is strongly encouraged.

For more information, call the BABC at 410-539-5936, ext. 102.