Legal Aid to host Pro Bono Day in Frederick

Pro Bono Day–a free legal clinic–will be held January 24,  from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Midwestern Maryland office of Legal Aid, 22 S. Market Street in Frederick.

Volunteer attorneys will provide individual  free legal consultations in  the areas of family law, landlord/tenant, wills & advance directives, bankruptcy, workers compensation, foreclosures, business law, employment, real estate, tax law, Social Security disability, consumer, immigration, criminal, expungements, government benefits, and serious traffic and MVA issues.

There is no charge to attend and registration is not required. Bring any relevant documents with you. For more information call 301-694-7414 or email chief attorney Nina Shore at nshore@mdlab.org.

Pro Bono Day is sponsored by the Bar Association of Frederick County in partnership with Maryland Legal Aid. It is funded in part by a grant from the Bar Association of Frederick County Justice for All Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Frederick County.

Free legal help at Legal Aid

The Baltimore Sun reported on two recent Pro Bono Day legal clinics held in Baltimore County and Baltimore City.

“Legal Aid paired with the Baltimore County Bar Association and Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service to host the recent pro bono day in Randallstown,” wrote Sun reporter Yvonne Wenger.  “[Legal Aid's Yoanna] Moisides said she wants to find more partners in the legal community to increase the number of events. So far, pro bono days are offered twice a year in Baltimore and Baltimore County; occasionally, the events have been held elsewhere.”

“It’s just incredible to see the need that exists,” Moisides said. A second free clinic was held in Baltimore on Saturday at Legal Aid’s downtown office.

To read Saturday’s article, click here.

Pro bono attorneys take the fright out of legal questions

BALTIMORE – ¬Legal issues can be scary enough, but the fear factor often is heightened by the potential cost. This Saturday in Baltimore, volunteer attorneys are standing by to offer advice for free. It’s Pro Bono Day at Maryland Legal Aid.

Coordinator Yoanna Moisides says experts will answer questions and make referrals on issues ranging from divorce and custody to housing, and criminal and consumer law.

Sometimes, information offers peace of mind, she says, as in the case of a man who came to a previous clinic worried about a debt from years ago.

“He was able to find out at the clinic that in fact, the debt-collection company that was contacting him was using several illegal methods.”

To read the entire Public News Service article or to hear the radio segment, click here.

Legal advice is free in Hagerstown today

HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Legal advice at a price all families can afford? It’s free! Maryland Legal Aid is holding a Pro Bono Day in Hagerstown today, where volunteer attorneys will provide answers and guidance on legal issues ranging from business law to child custody to Social Security disability.

Katie Cox is a paralegal who will attend the event. She says many problems can be solved without going to court.

“A lot of times, people need some information about whether they even have a claim. Some things can be resolved in mediation. We’re actually going to have a mediation service there.”

Cox says demand has been highest lately for family law. About one-third of 148 people who showed up at a similar event in Frederick earlier this week asked questions about divorce and domestic issues. Today’s offering is the first time Legal Aid has done a Pro Bono Day in Washington County.

Maryland Legal Aid takes cases based on issue area and income level, focusing on people in the greatest need. Even middle-income families may find it difficult to afford professional legal services, however. Cox says sorting out the details can help.

“This is a good starting step for a lot of people. You can come, get some advice, figure out what direction you need to head in, and you’ll also be able to get some other resources.”

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service will also be on hand to connect people with private attorneys who offer free services.

Registration is not required. Pro Bono Day is scheduled between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Department of Social Services, 122 N. Potomac St. Cox advises bringing related documents along.

To hear an audio version of this Public News Service story, click here.

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.

Hundreds line up for free civil legal help in Frederick

Pro Bono Day in Frederick attracted hundreds of people for help with their civil legal problems, the Frederick News-Post reported last week.

“The Frederick County Legal Aid Bureau recently offered free legal advice to anyone in need” the article said. “It was standing-room-only when the event kicked off Thursday afternoon.

“More than 40 lawyers and legal assistants offered 20-minute sessions to those looking for legal advice,” the article continued.

“Scheduling short sessions allows more people to receive services, but if a person requires more attention, Legal Aid finds a way to meet the need, said Nina Shore, Maryland Legal Aid’s chief attorney.

“Advice about foreclosures, bankruptcy and housing topped this year’s lists of legal counsel requests, according to Shore, who said the event would not be possible without volunteers.”

To read the entire article, click here.

Talk to an attorney for free

Marylanders can talk to an attorney for free on Thursday in Frederick – no charge, no registration and no strings attached – and a packed house is expected, the Public News Service reported.

Katie Cox, a Maryland Legal Aid paralegal who is coordinating the event, says demand for help is often a reflection of the economy.

“I’d say the thing we see most often is family law cases – people going through divorces or custody. We also see now an increase in unemployment cases.”

Volunteer attorneys will deal with questions about landlord/tenant issues, wills and advance directives, bankruptcy, workers’ compensation, immigration, Social Security disability and serious traffic offenses, Cox says. Many problems, she adds, can be resolved outside the courtroom.

“When someone comes in, they might not necessarily need a lawyer. It might not be a legal problem, but they’re still not sure about what to do. We can refer them to the proper agencies.”

Those who attend, Cox says, should bring documents related to their questions.

Maryland Legal Aid and the Bar Association of Frederick County’s Pro Bono and Access to Legal Services Committee are sponsoring the clinic. More than 100 people showed up at a similar event in July.

The clinic will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. at Maryland Legal Aid, 22 S. Market St.

To hear an audio version, click here.

Towson Pro Bono Day helps nearly 100 people

Saturday’s Pro Bono Day in Towson, sponsored by the Baltimore Co. Bar Association, helped nearly 100 people with their civil legal problems. It was the first such event sponsored by the bar association.

“It went unbelievably well,” said Stanford Gann Jr., of Levin & Gann P.A., a vice-chair of the committee that put the event together. “People were lining up at 9 a.m. to get in. We saw everyone who came and got incredible feedback from them.”

Thirteen private attorneys volunteered (out of 17 total, including lawyers from Maryland Legal Aid). “Without fail, everyone said it was extremely rewarding and worth giving up a Saturday,” Gann said. “We got a real sense that we were helping people. Everyone got a detailed appraisal of their situation, advice on what to do or what to file. There were no glazed eyes.”

Some comments from participants:

• “Given options. I started with crying and ended with a laugh. Thank you.”

• “Eased my worries made things a lot clearer, so I know what I’m entitled to. Load off my mind. Thanks.”

• “The lawyer explained legal terms that were complicated to me. This positively helps people living paycheck to paycheck.”

• “Very informative, pleasant to talk with the person. Didn’t feel rushed. Nice one‐on-one conversation.”

Gann said that while it was the first Pro Bono Day for Baltimore County, it won’t be the last. “We’ll be doing this annually, at least to start,” he said.

The pro bono lawyers: Mark Scurti, Hassan Barnes, Stephen Nolan, Lee Baylin, Sean Elavia, Jasmine Elavia, Jim Nolan, Laurie Ruth, Ann Lembo, Don Zarumba, Kim Magee, Jerry Payton,  Stanford Gann, Jr., and Josie Yuzuik.

In addition, Doris Barnes of the BCBA, Yoanna Moisides of Legal Aid, Lawrence Burton of the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service,  Yvette Foreman of the Baltimore Co. Office of Community Conservation, and Scott Stevens of the Baltimore Co. Law Library were on hand to make the event run smoothly.

First Pro Bono Day in Bel Air helps nearly 50 people

Fifteen volunteer lawyers helped 46 people with their civil legal problems in Harford Co.’s first Pro Bono Day, held Saturday at Maryland Legal Aid’s Northeastern Maryland office in Bel Air.

“Given that this was the first time we held a Pro Bono Day clinic in Harford County, I think we had a successful event which we can build on for the future,” said Gwendolyn S.Tate, director of legal services at SARC, one of the event’s sponsors. ” And we could not have done it without all of [the] hard work leading up to and on the day of the event.”

People got help in legal areas such as family law (23 percent), wills, estates and powers of attorney (11 percent), employment (11 percent), bankruptcy (9 percent), and foreclosure (7 percent). In the picture: Legal Aid paralegal Lynda Baldwin helping a visitor to the clinic.

The clinic was also sponsored by Legal Aid and the Harford Bar Foundation.