Dispatch | April, 22 2026

A2JC Dispatch – April 2026 Issue

The April Issue

In this month’s Dispatch, we highlight A2JC’s advocacy at ABA Days for civil legal aid funding and share updates from our Public Interest Law Committee. We also invite you to save the date for our AI & A2J Summit this September and look at critical legislative milestones. Locally, we feature Maryland Legal Aid’s launch of a secure generative AI platform, an amicus brief to protect student loan forgiveness, and tax credit initiatives to help Marylanders stay in their homes. At the national level, we examine shifts in immigration legal aid, innovative rural law programs in Kansas, and new research into how market tools and procedural changes impact the justice gap. You can find all these stories and more in this month’s Dispatch.

A2J Commission News                                                 

• A2JC and MSBA Advocate for Civil Legal Aid Funding at ABA Days  A2JC leaders, Ward Coe and Reena Shah, were part of an MSBA contingent that advocated before Congressional leaders to support funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), among other issues, during ABA Days in late March. LSC is the largest funder of civil legal aid in the country and in the President’s budget last year, the funding for LSC was zeroed out. In a rare show of bipartisanship, Congress worked to reinstate the majority of funding for FY26, cutting only 3.6%. Advocacy in Congress for future sustained funding is necessary and impactful to ensure that LSC funded civil legal aid organizations, like Maryland Legal Aid, avoid harmful budgetary cuts and continue to provide life-saving services to Marylanders in need of civil legal help. 
• A2JC’s Public Interest Law Committee Is Buzzing with Activity The Public Interest Law Committee (PILC) is buzzing with activity! Mark your calendars for a season of impact and connection:
  • May 11 | Legislative Wrap-up: Join us for a deep dive into the session’s wins.
  • May 20 | Spring Spark: Mix and mingle at our premier social event, kicking off immediately after the Partners for Justice Conference.
  • Coming Soon | Impact Publication: We’re launching our first-ever showcase of the access to justice community’s collective legislative power.
  • Catch us on stage! PILC is also thrilled to be presenting expert panels at both the Partners for Justice Conference and the MSBA Legal Summit.
• Save the Date for AI & A2J Summit!  On September 17, 2026, the Access to Justice Commission is partnering with Maryland Legal Aid, and other key justice partners to host an AI & A2J Summit. 
  • This Summit is designed to transform thinking and practice around the use of AI tools within civil legal aid organizations. The aim of the Summit is to:
    • Level Set: Align organizations on the power of AI to break operational and legal bottlenecks.
    • Share Practical Tools: Move beyond theory to adoption with hands-on AI applications.
    • Build Community: Launch an on-going AI & A2J Community of Practice in Maryland.

A2J Insights                                          

• One Gift, A Lasting Impact: Become a 2026 Maryland Access to Justice Champion For 2026, the Maryland Access to Justice Commission is offering a simpler way for our partners to make a difference. We are introducing our $5,000 Annual Sponsorship Opportunity: a single gift that drives statewide impact year-round.
• Strengthening the Civil Legal Aid Workforce: How Student Loan Forgiveness Addresses the Crisis in Maryland’s Justice System When high debt loads force talented lawyers into the private sector, it is often underserved communities and the efficiency of the courts that suffer. The Maryland Access to Justice Commission recognizes the urgent need to bridge this justice gap by ensuring that a career in public service is financially sustainable for the long term.
• Bridging the Gap: How SB729 Strengthens Access to Justice for Maryland Mobile Home Residents At the Maryland Access to Justice Commission, our mission is to ensure that every Marylander, regardless of their income or background, can navigate our legal system with dignity and fairness. For years, one community has often been left behind in the conversation about housing rights: the residents of mobile home parks. SB729 is a piece of legislation designed to change that. 
• Why SB323 is a Critical Milestone for Access to Justice For decades, Maryland has been a national outlier, automatically funneling hundreds of children into the adult criminal justice system each year. SB323, also known as the Youth Charging Reform Act, represents a necessary course correction that aligns our state with human rights standards and developmental science.                                         

Tips from Maryland Judiciary’s Access to Justice Department We are pleased to offer recurring content from the Maryland Judiciary’s Access to Justice Department as part of the A2J Dispatch. 

• Standby Guardianship Spanish-Language Video Series The Administrative Office of the Courts published a Spanish-language version of the existing standby guardianship five-part video series available in the Maryland Court Help Video Library. The series covers what is standby guardianship, how to choose a standby guardian, the processes for appointing a standby guardian, and key information for the standby guardian. Accompanying the videos are English and Spanish versions of a Fact Sheet on Standby Guardianship and transcripts for each video. Each video supports captioning and audio descriptions.

Local A2J News                                                  

• Maryland Legal Aid Launches MLAGPT, A Secure Generative AI Platform Built for Civil Legal Services Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) announced the official launch of MLAGPT, a secure, internally managed generative artificial intelligence platform designed specifically to support civil legal services. 
• Tax Credits You May Not Know About Could Save Your Home When money is tight, it can be tempting to put taxes on the back burner. But for low- to moderate-income Marylanders, a little planning – and the right information – can make a big difference. In fact, several tax credits exist that could save you thousands of dollars and even help you keep your home.
• Challenging DHS’s Secret, Rushed Plan to Convert Hagerstown Warehouse Into Mass Immigration Detention Center A broad coalition of local officials, faith leaders, and civil rights organizations filed an amicus curiae brief on March 27, 2026 in State of Maryland v. Noem, urging the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland to halt DHS’s rushed plan to convert a massive Williamsport warehouse into a large-scale immigration detention center.
• Maryland Legal Aid Leads National Amicus Brief to Protect Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Maryland Legal Aid filed an amicus brief on behalf of legal services organizations across the country in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts in National Council of Nonprofits v. McMahon, challenging a recent U.S. Department of Education rule that changes how the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program is carried out. 
• After More Than a Decade, Youth Charging Bill Passes, Heads to Governor’s Desk The House of Delegates voted to give final approval to Senate Bill 323, which limits the number of offenses for which youth can be automatically charged in adult courts. The bill now goes to Gov. Wes Moore (D), who is expected to sign it.

National A2J News                                          

• DOJ Guts the Office That Helps Indigent Immigrants Obtain Affordable Legal Aid The Justice Department has quietly gutted a more than 60-year-old program created to ensure that low-income and indigent immigrants can receive competent and affordable legal representation, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter.
• Kansas Hopes to Lure Law Students to Rural Areas By Offering to Pay Part Of Their Tuition By helping new lawyers build sustainable careers in rural communities, this legislation expands access to justice today and lays the groundwork for stronger communities in the years ahead, said Gregory Schwartz, president of the Kansas Bar Association, in a news release.
• Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Stanford Law School and ODR.com Advance Partnership to Develop Next-Generation Case Resolution System This effort focuses on creating an online pathway that meets the needs of all court users—especially those without legal representation—while upholding the standards of fairness and integrity the community expects, Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II said.
• Online, Part-Time JD Program Launches at Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law By expanding how and where students can earn a JD, we are strengthening the legal profession and helping address critical gaps in legal services nationwide, said Stacy Leeds, the law school’s dean.
• Federal Judge in Colorado Flags Immigration Bond Hearings With Preordained Outcomes, Orders Release Of Asylum Seeker                               A federal judge in Denver ordered the release of an asylum seeker last week, citing concern that immigration courts in Colorado are not conducting neutral and fair bond proceedings to determine whether detainees pose a danger or flight risk.
• ABA Day 2026: Advocating for Judicial Safety, Access to Justice The legal profession gathered in Washington, D.C., March 24-26, to raise a powerful voice for judicial security and access to justice. ABA Day 2026 is the association’s coordinated advocacy event that engages attorneys, law students and advocates from across the legal community.
• The Paradox of Procedure: Why More Rules Might Reduce Access to Justice—And How Market Tools Can Help While market-based approaches to court procedures—particularly in civil cases—are often perceived as hindering access to justice, American Bar Foundation Research Professor and Deputy Dean and the Clifton R. Musser Professor of Law and Economics at the University of Chicago Professor William H. J. Hubbard poses a different question: Are there ways market forces can be used to make civil justice systems work more fairly and efficiently?