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Recent Articles from Joe Surkiewicz
Joe Surkiewicz: Community Law Center celebrates its pro bono lawyers
For lawyers committed to increasing access to justice and eager to give back to their communities, taking a pro bono case is the obvious way to go. But how should a legal nonprofit thank the lawyers who use their time and expertise to help clients who otherwise couldn’t afford legal advice? Community Law Center, Maryland’s […]
Joe Surkiewicz: MDLC celebrates the first 25 years of the ADA
It’s hard to imagine the level of bipartisanship that resulted in the Americans with Disabilities Act, passed by Congress 25 years ago. Alas, that spirit of two-party cooperation appears to be a thing of the past. But it’s important to note that the successful enactment of the ADA did not ensure that people with disabilities […]
Joe Surkiewicz: Project HEAL celebrates 10 years of protecting the rights of children with disabilities
As a clinician working on Kennedy Krieger Institute’s neurobehavioral unit more than a decade ago, Maureen van Stone saw the critical importance of advocating for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and severe problem behaviors. So van Stone, now director of Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law), a community-based program of the Maryland Center […]
Joe Surkiewicz: MVLS helping low-income Marylanders
Since its founding in 1981, the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service has assisted more than 70,000 low-income clients with legal help, ranging from foreclosure prevention and debtor assistance to tax assistance and family law matters.
Joe Surkiewicz: Veterans and the law
For the last six years, the Veterans Legal Assistance Conference and Training has provided a doorway for private attorneys who want to help low-income veterans overcome legal hurdles to obtaining their disability benefits. This year, however, the June 5 conference at the University of Baltimore School of Law will offer additional training on top of […]
Of service: Friday event to honor Debra Gardner
What does a story about sharecroppers, economic and racial justice, and the value of labor during the Jim Crow era have to do with Debra Gardner, who will be celebrating 15years as legal director of the Public Justice Center? Find out Friday, May 15, at the Walters Art Museum, where the PJC will honor Gardner […]
Joe Surkiewicz: Symposium to tackle families in crisis
Just over 15 years ago, Baltimore became home to one of the first courts in Maryland dedicated to solving the problems of families in crisis — and not just their legal problems.
Joe Surkiewicz: Helping law students in the public interest
Last summer, the Maryland Public Interest Law Project made 25 grants to University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law students, allowing them to spend their summers interning at places such as the Homeless Persons Representation Project, the Public Justice Center, the Maryland Disability Law Center, the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service and the ACLU of Maryland.
Joe Surkiewicz: Helping victims in prosperous Howard County
Howard County has an image problem: It’s too affluent — not a place most people associate with rape and domestic violence.
Joe Surkiewicz: Alternative Directions points former inmates toward new lives
Thousands of people leave Maryland’s prisons each year with little more than $50 and a bus ticket. Where do they go?
Joe Surkiewicz: Good news, for a change
Good news doesn’t come very often for low-income people and the community of advocates working to help them survive.
Joe Surkiewicz: MLSC to honor leaders in civil legal services
Every year, the Maryland Legal Services Corp. recognizes the contributions of the legal professionals who strive to ensure justice for the least fortunate among us. For 2014, the awardees come from the judiciary, legal services providers, and a private law firm.
