On May 3, more than 250 members of Maryland’s legal community gathered
at Baltimore’s Convention Center for the 9th Annual Maryland
Partners for Justice Conference. Hosted by the Pro Bono Resource Center
of Maryland (PBRC), this event was cosponsored by numerous organizations,
including the Maryland State Bar Association’s Delivery of Legal
Services Section. All facets of the legal services community were represented
at this gathering, which focused on building a “partnership to ensure
legal and social justice for all.”
MSBA President Edward J. Gilliss offered greetings on behalf of MSBA,
praising the legal services community, PBRC and the lawyers who volunteer
for pro bono service. “Part of MSBA’s mission statement is
to promote access to justice,” Gilliss stated. “MSBA financially
supports PBRC and, as of the court’s last pro bono report, our volunteer
lawyers devoted over one million hours to pro bono service.”
One of the highlights of the conference was the message delivered by
the President of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), Helaine M. Barnett. “The
focus of this conference is the importance of partnerships, with emphasis
on the private bar,” she stated. “Effective collaborations
in the legal services community produce quality programs that make a difference.
They help secure the basic needs for the many people who are struggling.”
Barnett talked about the justice gap in this country and LSC’s
efforts to reduce it through legal services partnerships and collaborations. “LSC
programs are not able to address all of the unmet need because of a lack
of resources,” she laments. “Only 50 percent of those who need
help receive it; the other 50 percent have nowhere to turn. Millions of
people are denied access to justice in this country every year.”
She announced that LSC received $22 million more in funding this year,
raising the amount to $348 million. “We must use the resources we
have effectively and work in collaborations with a broad range of stakeholders
to stretch our dollars and resources,” Barnett proclaimed. She
recognized the state of Maryland as a leader because it successfully accomplishes
this through partnerships.
The balance of the conference was devoted to special breakout sessions
addressing a broad spectrum of issues of interest to legal services providers
in their quest to help poor and unrepresented populations. Everything from
home ownership, Medicaid denial, fighting poverty and exploitative employment
practices to tips on appellate strategies, cultural competence issues and
administrative hearings were highlighted during the workshops. They also
addressed the special legal needs of such target populations as immigrants,
veterans, substance abusers, the elderly and youth.
“The value of this conference is in learning from one another,” proclaims
Sharon E. Goldsmith, PBRC’s Executive Director. “It encourages
and inspires people to look beyond what they do currently and think more
expansively and creatively about how they approach their work and deal
with their clientele. There is tremendous energy and excitement about the
possibilities to make the system more fair, open and just.”
MSBA’s Delivery of Legal Services Section’s Chair, L. Tracy
Brown, one of the sponsors of the conference, adds “the conference
furthers the mission of the Delivery of Legal Services Section Council
because it provides a valuable training and networking opportunity for
attorneys who are representing Maryland’s low-income citizens. This
opportunity improves the quality of services and helps attorneys be better
informed about important policy issues and legal developments.”
“To me,” Goldsmith continues, “it exemplifies what
it means to collaborate, as representatives from various legal services
organizations, the judiciary, academia and the bar collectively plan the
event and bring the best of their skills, knowledge, insight and community
resources to the table. Everyone views the conference as a place to strategize
and explore partnerships to enhance the delivery of legal services with
a shared vision for equal access to justice. It is neither competitive
nor territorial, but rather engenders a true sense of cooperation within
the legal community.”
