Minutes 03-26-2014


Anne Arundel County Pro Bono Committee

 Minutes 3/26/2014

Law Library Conference Room

 

Attending: Lauren Wallace, Joan Bellistri, Hon. Pamela North, Michelle Moodispaw, Kim Doan and Scott MacMullan.

 

Minutes 02-26-2014  were approved.

 

Video "Be the Change" ABA President's Legal Access Job Corp was viewed with the sound this time.  

 

I. Local Pro Bono Committee

 

A. Plan Review - MRP 16-902 

          Edits made at the last meeting were reviewed and revised.  Need statistics from Legal Aid and the YWCA Domestic Violence will be added to the Needs Assessment when received. The final draft will be sent to the Committee for review. 

          The membership roster will be reviewed to see if all of those listed as members are still interested.

 

B. Wiki review and demonstration of Local Pro Bono Committee page

     

C. Partners for Justice and Joint Statewide Pro Bono Meeting - May 15, 2014

           Lauren Wallace indicated that she would like to attend.  

 

II. Programs and Projects

 

A. Homeless Resource Day (March 29, 8:30 am - 4:00 pm)

     1.  Expungement training: Online expungement training was made available to Homeless Resource Day volunteers through HPRP and PBRC.  Those who take the course will have to agree to come to Homeless day or take an expungement case later.

     2.  PLI training: Volunteers were also directed to a free online webinar offered by PLI on March 25.  The 2013 program is still available if the live presentation is missed.  (The PLI (free) Pro Bono library can be found here: http://www.pli.edu/Content/On_Demand/Pro_Bono/_/N-8vZ8qZ1g?Ns=sort_title%7c0.)

 

B. Education and Outreach

 

1. Pro bono opportunity information to the bar - 

     a. Inns of Court and Judge Silkworth's Chambers Chats

     b. AABA Bar President's Message - request for pro bono stories -

               Fran will be contacting Greg Jimeno to see if he can make this one of his columns.

     c. AABA functions

          1) Young Lawyers: Meet the Judges update - no one available to report     

          2) Bar Weekend message - no report

 

2. Barrister Column to highlight “stars” and providers/opportunities - 

     a. Judge Caroom's request for stories - someone should follow-up.


C. Pro Bono Recruitment

     1  Best Practices: Volunteer Recruitment (p.27 Best Practices for Local Pro Bono Committees

          a. Michelle suggested that the Committee find a way to find out why attorneys do or do not provide pro bono service.  The Committee will investigate sending a survey to the bar.

     2. Best Practices: Collaborating with the Judiciary (p.71 Best Practices for Local Pro BonoCommittees

           a. review Judge North's letter to local firms

                    The letter is ready to go and has been approved by the bench with one correction suggested  by Judge Hackner.  Joanie will work on a mail merge so that the letters can be produced.  Judge North's chambers will sign and stuff the envelopes.

 

     3. MVLS and PBRC programs - local coordination and PBRC E-Bulletin - 

                     The Committee will coordinate a meeting with MVLS and the AABA LRS to work on a method of referrals to MVLS so that there might be some kind of follow up.

     4. Local referral service - collaboration with the bar - warm referrals - triage / centralization - no discussion

 

III. New Business:

 

     A. Lauren Wallace described how the YWCA DV advocates provide assistance in the courtroom and then work to get an attorney for representation.

 

     B. Judge North announced that she will be retiring in August and that Judge Silkworth will be taking here place on the Committee.    

 

 

Next Meeting: April 23, 2014