A2JC Dispatch – June 2025 Issue
The June Issue
In this month’s Dispatch, we highlight A2JC’s first ever Access to Justice Leadership Award, granted to Senator Shelly Hettleman, and A2JC’s fundraiser, held at the Legal Summit. We also report on the role of interpreters in ensuring access to justice in treatment courts and the House of Ruth Maryland. In local news, we examine an injunction on deportations, and MLS’s A Taste for Pro Bono fundraiser. Nationally, we look at legal innovation in Arizona and Utah, overcoming language barriers in courtrooms, and expanding access to justice in Indiana. You can find all these stories and more in this month’s Dispatch.
A2J Commission News
- A2JC Thanks Attendees Legal Summit Pizza Party Fundraiser A2JC held its annual Pizza Party at the MSBA Legal Summit in Ocean City on June 4, 2025. The event, which started 3 years ago, has grown, while retaining it’s casual and laid back charm. One purpose of the event is to raise funds for the Access to Justice Commission; but more importantly, the event creates a home for those members of the Bar who either work for the public interest or support the public interest. This year, we awarded Sen. Shelly Hettleman the first Access to Justice Leadership Award and we were proud to host Attorney General Brown and former Attorney General Brian Frosh, in addition to legislators, including Del. Clippinger and Del. Bartlett, the Deans of both law schools, Public Defender, Natasha Dartigue, as well as Judge Nazarian and Siri. We loved catching up with leaders and staff of civil legal aid organizations and staunch private supporters from the law firms of Brown, Goldstein and Levy and Gallagher, Evelius and Jones. And we were pleased to have current, future and former MSBA Presidents, including Marisa Trasatti, Rafael Santini, Jason Deloach, David Shapiro and Natalie McSherry attend!! And we loved seeing so many new faces this year! We look forward to seeing everyone again by the ocean on June 10, 2026!
- Honoring Senator Shelly Hettleman A2JC awarded its first ever Access to Justice Leadership Award to Senator Shelly Hettleman for her leadership and tremendous effort in passing the Access to Counsel in Evictions funding law. Sen. Hettleman has been a long-time champion of the program and understands that even in these very difficult times, keeping Marylanders housed is not only the right thing to do, but also a fiscally responsible thing to do. She kept that at the center of her advocacy and continued to urge passage of the bill, until after 10pm on Sine Die, when it was passed. We thank and recognize Sen. Hettleman for her unwavering leadership and support of A2J!
- A2JC Thanks A2JC Sponsor Sciton A2JC is very thankful to Sciton for its sponsorship of multiple A2JC events this spring. Sciton sponsored both A2JC’s Public Interest Law Committee’s Spring Social Event and the Pizza Party at the MSBA Legal Summit. Sciton’s generosity created space for A2JC to forge a strong public interest law community within MSBA and provided a space to celebrate the work of civil legal aid and other public interest law organizations in MD. Thank you, Sciton!
- A2JC Thanks Raffle Aficionados, Brian and Ricky, and 50/50 Raffle Winner, John Weaver! They came into A2JC’s life last year at the Pizza Party donning Pizza outfits and selling raffle tickets to raise funds for A2JC! It was unexpected, but so fitting and charming! Last year, Brian and Ricky sold approximately $1300 in raffle tickets at the pizza party and this year, the almost matched that amount by selling 50/50 raffle tickets! Brian and Ricky have brought flair and humor to the Pizza Party and heartened A2JC to their desire to help raise funds for us! We are ever so grateful for their enthusiasm and effectiveness! Alos, a huge congratulations to John Weaver, the winner of our 50/50 Raffle! John took home $1,077.50, and in an incredible act of generosity, he donated his entire winnings back to A2JC to support our mission!
A2JC Insights
- Staffing of the ACE Program and the Pipeline for Future ACE Attorneys During the hearings hosted by the Task Force in the fall of 2024, a complex story emerged about capacity among civil legal aid organizations to staff the ACE Program.
Local A2J News
- The Role of Interpreters in Treatment Courts: Ensuring Access to Justice Access to justice is a fundamental principle of the legal system, and treatment courts play a critical role in providing specialized support for individuals struggling with substance use and mental health challenges. However, for participants who speak limited English, language barriers can create significant obstacles to understanding court proceedings and fully engaging in their treatment plans.
- House of Ruth Maryland Provides a Gateway to Change House of Ruth Maryland leads the fight to end intimate partner violence against women, men, and their children by confronting the attitudes, behaviors and systems that perpetuate it, and by providing victims with the services necessary to rebuild their lives safely and free of fear.
- Maryland Judge Grants Automatic Two-day Injunctions on Deportations Maryland District Court Chief Judge George Russell’s order applies to any immigration detainees in the state who file habeas petitions.
- DHS Sued Over Lifting Deportation Protections for Afghans, Cameroonians Immigration advocates are suing on behalf of Afghans and Cameroonians set to lose protections from deportation after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it plans to let their temporary protected status (TPS) expire.
- Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service Raises $150,000 at A Taste for Pro Bono to Expand Free Legal Aid Across Maryland Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) is proud to announce the success of its annual fundraiser, A Taste for Pro Bono, which raised $150,000 in critical funding to help advance MVLS’ mission of providing free legal services to low-income Marylanders.
National A2J News
- Five Years After Reform: Stanford Study Offers Comprehensive Look at Legal Innovation in Arizona and Utah A new comprehensive study from Stanford Law School’s Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession reveals both the promise and the complexities of regulatory innovation in the legal sector.
- For The Record Launches Multi-Language Speech-to-Text; Overcomes Courtroom Language Barriers For The Record, a global leader in court record technology, has launched a revolutionary multi-lingual speech detection tool that promises to transform the accuracy and accessibility of legal proceedings worldwide.
- Justice Connection to Offer Pro Bono Support for DOJ Workers An organization created to help Justice Department workers will connect agency employees and alumni with pro bono services if they’re facing legal challenges related to their work for the government.
- University of New Mexico School of Law Students Raise $24,500 to Support Summer Public Interest Work This milestone reflects APIL’s ongoing commitment to community service, legal equity, and support for underserved populations in New Mexico and beyond.
- ‘Expanding Access to Justice’: First five Purdue Global Law School Students Admitted to Indiana Bar The first five graduates from Purdue University Global Law School took their new attorney’s oath Tuesday morning, marking a milestone for both the school and Indiana’s legal system.
- Vermont Bar Foundation Awards Over $1 Million to Support Civil Legal Services Statewide As Vermont faces rising legal needs, economic instability, and widening gaps in access to justice, the Vermont Bar Foundation (VBF) has awarded over $1 million in grants to more than a dozen civil legal service organizations across the state.
- Iowa’s Growing Legal Deserts Hurt Access to Justice According to the Iowa State Bar Association, there are roughly 10,000 practicing attorneys in the state. The National Center for State Courts defines a legal desert as a community that has few to no options for legal representation.