A2JC Dispatch – January 2026 Issue
The January Issue
In this month’s Dispatch, we call for candidates to serve as Chair of the Access to Justice Commission, and call attention to our social media campaign for the Empowered Video project. We also highlight Maryland’s Homeowner Assistance Fund Home Repairs Grant Program and a multi-million dollar judgment against a landlord after a court found they engaged in a pattern of gender-based housing discrimination. Nationally, we look at four stories that shaped access to justice in 2025. You can find all these stories and more in this month’s Dispatch.
A2J Commission News
- Call for Candidates – Chair, Maryland Access to Justice Commission The Maryland Access to Justice Commission (A2JC), an independent entity powered by the Maryland State Bar Association, seeks a respected legal leader to serve as its Chair. Current chair, the inimitable Ward Coe, will be stepping down at the end of June after serving at the helm of A2JC for 10 years. During his tenure, Mr. Coe blazed a trail, making A2JC into a viable and sustainable entity and expanding its visibility, influence, and impact. His leadership sharpened A2JC’s focus on the systemic change necessary to ensure that all Marylanders who encounter the civil justice system—regardless of their ability to pay—have a fair shake at justice. To learn more about A2JC’s work, see its FY2025 Impact Report.
- A2JC’s Governance Committee has initiated a search and seeks a visionary, inspirational leader to champion civil justice for all and elevate A2JC’s footprint across legal, civic, and policy landscapes. This volunteer leadership role is ideal for an attorney leader committed to equity and systemic reform who can invest their time and talents to lead A2JC into a new era of growth and deeper impact.
- To learn more about this opportunity, please find a detailed job description here.
- Interested candidates, please apply via this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LFC3V6J.
- Candidate applications will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Please note that late applications may not be considered.
- Save the Date: A2JC Welcome Dinner and Fundraiser! The Maryland Access to Justice Commission will host its annual Welcome Dinner and Fundraiser at the MSBA Legal Summit (a.k.a. “The Pizza Party”) on the evening of Wednesday, June 10! The event is casual and laid back, filled with good eats and even better company! Be sure to add this event when you register for the MSBA Legal Summit to show your support for A2JC and start the Legal Summit off right! Early bird ticket pricing for the Legal Summit ends 2/2/26. See you at the ocean!
- Engage & Share! A2JC Launches Empowered Social Media Campaign A2JC launched a 10-week social media campaign for the Empowered Video Project.This Project is a powerful storytelling initiative designed to highlight the essential role of civil legal aid and its impact on Marylanders. As people who care about access to justice, it is incumbent upon our whole community to raise awareness about the importance of civil legal aid in our society and highlight the many ways in which civil legal aid helps Marylanders meet their basic human needs. We request everyone to follow A2JC on its social media platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, X and Facebook) and do the following:
- Share/Repost: Engage with A2JC’s official posts on your professional or personal channels.
- Add Your Voice: Feel free to add a brief comment on why access to justice and civil legal aid matters to you when you share a post.
- Tag Partners: Help us connect with other organizations and advocates who should see this work.
- In this very crowded landscape of information, we are trying to get as many eyes and engagement with this material to highlight the importance of civil legal aid. Please join us!! For more information, visit the Empowered Video Project page on the A2JC website.
A2JC Insights
- Ending the Credit Crisis of Illness: The Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act On October 1, 2025, the Maryland Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act (HB 1020) took effect, fundamentally reshaping how medical debt impacts the lives and financial futures of Marylanders.
- A Clearer Path to Justice: Maryland’s Expungement Reform Act of 2025 is Now in Effect The Maryland Access to Justice Commission celebrates the passage of the Expungement Reform Act of 2025 (SB 432), which became effective on October 1, 2025, marking a pivotal moment in our state’s commitment to second chances and fairness.
- How Maryland’s New Custody Law Increases Access to Justice On October 1, 2025, a new law impacting child custody determinations went into effect in Maryland. House Bill 1191 (now codified as Family Law § 9-201) codifies the “best interests of the child” standard and, in doing so, creates a more transparent and equitable legal framework that will directly increase access to justice for parents across the state.
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.
- New Court Help Access & Information Center Opens in Mitchell Courthouse On December 9, 2025, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new Harry A. Cole Court Help Access & Information Center at the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse in Baltimore. The center, named after Harry A. Cole—the first African American appointed to the Maryland Court of Appeals—will provide the public with access to computer workstations. At these workstations, the public can access legal information, conduct online case research, fill out forms, and chat with attorneys from the Maryland Court Help Center.
Local A2J News
- What Does Access to Justice Look Like? Ladd Colston, host of “Education is Everybody’s Business” took a deep dive into Shore Legal Access and their services for the community. The show explores their origin story, what kind of services they provide, and how people can get assistance or support their cause.
- Maryland Court Issues $2.49 Million Judgment Against Landlord for Sexual Harassment and Assault Violating Fair Housing Laws Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced a $2.495 million judgment against Eric Sessoms and Mt. Vernon Group, LLC after a court found they engaged in a pattern of gender-based housing discrimination, including exploiting women facing housing instability.
- Exaggerated Reports About Squatters Favor Landlord Profits Over Tenant Rights “Evict First, Ask Questions Later” laws, pushed in Maryland by conservative think tanks and media, unfairly target vulnerable renters, including domestic violence survivors, families with small children, and the elderly.
- In 2026, Affordable Housing is Needed ‘Now More than Ever,’ But Getting There is the Challenge As housing prices and monthly rents soar, advocates, lawmakers and the Moore administration say they share a goal of protecting Maryland families in an unstable housing market, even as the state faces its own financial woes.
- Maryland Opens Applications for Homeowner Assistance Fund WholeHome Critical Home Repairs Grant Program Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Jake Day announced that applications are open for a limited time for the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) WholeHome Critical Home Repairs grant program. The program will provide over $3.5 million in grants to homeowners to address critical health and safety issues in their homes that could result in displacement.
- New Baltimore District Court Building Dedicated to Trailblazing Maryland Judge Baltimore’s new district court building has been open since last month, but a ribbon-cutting Tuesday was for more than just the building – it was to mark its new name, for the first Black woman to ever serve on any bench in the Maryland.
National A2J News
- Four Stories That Shaped Civil Rights, Access To Justice In 2025 From aggressive immigration arrests that courts said likely crossed constitutional lines, to the mass cancellation of federal grants supporting public safety and reentry programs, the year was marked by a series of developments with far-reaching consequences.
- Legal Practitioners: A Statement of Principles for Civil Legal Services NLADA released Legal Practitioners: A Statement of Principles for Civil Legal Services to help inform consideration of legal practitioner initiatives.
- Justice Where We Live: Promising Practices from Rural Communities Justice Where We Live offers practical recommendations for policymakers, courts, legal services providers, law schools and community leaders for closing the rural justice gap.
- Violence Has No Place Here — Neither Does Islamophobia Ayuda issued a statement grieving the loss of the National Guard service member killed in the shooting on Wednesday, November 26, and condemning Islamophobia.
- New New Jersey Rules Combat Artificial Intelligence And Housing Discrimination The use of artificial intelligence in hiring practices is among the areas targeted by a sweeping new mandate enacted by New Jersey’s Division on Civil Rights meant to shore up protections against discrimination.
- 3 Reforms To Help Pro Se Litigants Tackle Family Court Forms For individuals who are unable or unwilling to find a lawyer, pursuing a case in court can be confusing and overwhelming. And finding accurate information about the court process — what documents need to be filed and how best to complete them — can be just as confusing and overwhelming.
- Legal Aid of North Carolina Announced the Public Launch of JusticeHub JusticeHub was developed over the past year through Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Innovation Lab, in close collaboration with A2J Tech PBC, a legal technology public benefit corporation focused on expanding access to justice.