The Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC) was established as a nonprofit organization by the Maryland General Assembly to receive and distribute funds to grantees that provide civil legal services to the poor. In recognition of outstanding contributions by Maryland individuals and organizations that provide or support justice to the poor, MLSC has created four awards to be given annually, as follows:

• The Arthur W. Machen, Jr. Award
• The Benjamin L. Cardin Distinguished Service
• The William L. Marbury Outstanding Advocate Award
• The Herbert S. Garten Public Citizen Award

Nominations for the 2012 awards must be submitted not later than June 15, 2012 to MLSC. Formal awards will be presented at an Awards Ceremony in the fall.

For online nomination forms, nomination descriptions and instructions as well as a list of past award recipients, see Nominating Process. If you need any additional information or assistance, please contact hrobinson@mlsc.org.

The Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC), which funds civil legal services to low-income persons throughout the state, announced that grant levels will be reduced for fiscal year 2013 beginning July 1, 2012.

At its annual Grant Informational Meeting held last month, MLSC Executive Director Susan Erlichman informed current grantees as well as other interested applicants that MLSC is facing a significant funding short fall and is unable to maintain grants at current levels.

Ms. Erlichman cited the continuing low interest rates and lower than expected court filing fees, from which MLSC receives most of its revenue for grant-making, as the primary reasons for the funding reduction. “The Federal Reserve dropped its target interest rate to near zero in December 2008, where it remains today, and court filing fees have fallen short of projections by more than $1 million due to fewer court filings and more fee waivers,” explained Erlichman. The increase in court filing fee surcharges was enacted in 2010 by the Maryland General Assembly to help with the loss in IOLTA revenue and contains a sunset provision for 2013.

Given the dramatic increase in need for services since the onset of the Great Recession, MLSC reports that is has spent heavily from emergency reserve funds to avoid cuts at a time when help with foreclosures, evictions, food stamps, unemployment, and other critical needs has surged.

In an effort to maintain as much stability as possible in Maryland’s civil legal aid delivery system, MLSC will continue using emergency reserves to mitigate the reduction. Grantees reapplying for grants were directed to submit proposals for FY 2013 reflecting a five percent decrease, with the caveat that cuts might be greater and additional reductions will likely be necessary the following year as well. “We will have to redouble our efforts to not only preserve but increase resources to help meet the crushing demand for legal assistance,” states MLSC Chairman F. Vernon Boozer. “We’ll be working tirelessly with Maryland’s dedicated coalition of access to justice leaders and supporters to make sure that our state’s legal services safety net is maintained.”

MLSC was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1982 to receive and distribute funds to nonprofit organizations that provide civil legal assistance to low-income persons. From its inception, MLSC has made grants totaling over $164 million to help provide services in nearly two million legal matters for Maryland’s families in areas of family, housing, consumer, employment, health care and other civil legal matters.

January 4, 2012 -The Maryland Legal Services Corporation honored six individuals and organizations at the Annual Awards Reception on December 5, 2011 at the Radisson Plaza Lord Baltimore. This year’s Arthur W. Machen, Jr. Award was presented to M. Natalie McSherry of Kramon & Graham, P.A. and Mitchell Y. Mirviss of Venable LLP. Debra Gardner, legal director of the Public Justice Center, was the recipient of the Benjamin L. Cardin Distinguished Service Award, and Michell L. Swift, pro bono manager at Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service, received the William L. Marbury Outstanding Advocate Award. The Herbert S. Garten Public Citizen Award was presented to Maryland People’s Law Library that provides legal and self-help information affecting low- and moderated-income Marylanders. Janet Stidman Eveleth, recently retired from the Maryland State Bar Association, received an Award of Special Recognition.

MLSC is pleased to acknowledge the following contributors for their generous support.

PATRON: American Bank • Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos, P.C. • DLA Piper LLP (US) • Hirschel, Savitz, Parker & Hollman, P.A. • Kramon & Graham, P.A. • Maryland State Bar Association • John H. Russell

DONOR:  Fedder & Garten, PA • Gallagher, Evelius & Jones LLP  • Hodes, Pessin & Katz, P.A. • Lerch, Early & Brewer, Chtd. • Linowes & Blocher LLP • Niles, Barton & Wilmer, LLP • Rosenberg | Martin | Greenberg, LLP • University of Baltimore School of Law • University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law • Venable LLP

SPONSOR: AARP Maryland • William R. Bacon, Jr. • Ballard Spahr LLP • Leonard S. Blondes • Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, P.C. • Catherine G. Crockett • Gemcraft Homes • Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC • Richard S. Granat • Brian P. Hochheimer & Marjorie H. Wax • Edward Kleinman • Earl S. Lowe • Arthur W. Machen, Jr. • Network Business Solutions, Inc. • Ober, Kaler, Grimes & Shriver •  Sheila and Steve Sachs • Southern Management Corporation • Beverly and William Vanderhaar

MEDIA SPONSOR: The Daily Record

For more information about the Annual Awards and Reception, see Awards. See photos of 2011 awardees at 2011 Awards.