Dispatch | June, 23 2026

A2JC Dispatch – June 2026 Issue

The June Issue

In this month’s Dispatch, we proudly announce the appointment of Erek L. Barron as the Commission’s incoming chair, celebrate the numerous honors granted to our current Chair, Ward Coe, during MSBA’s Legal Summit, and announce PILC’s inaugural People’s Guide. At a local level, we discuss the Community Trust Act and the Data Privacy Act becoming law. Nationally, we look at programs helping self-represented litigants and training for immigration lawyers. You can find all these stories and more in this month’s Dispatch. 

A2J Commission News                                                 

• A2JC Proudly Announces Erek Barron as New Chair and New Commissioners The Maryland Access to Justice Commission is proud to announce the appointment of Erek L. Barron as the Commission’s incoming Chair. Barron will succeed Ward B. Coe following a period of transformative leadership and growth for the Commission.
  • Barron brings more than two decades of distinguished public service, legal leadership, and commitment to justice and equity to the role. Most recently, he served as United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, where he became the first African American to hold the position and led significant civil rights, community safety, and government accountability initiatives across the state. 
  • Throughout his career, Barron has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to expanding access to justice through leadership roles with the Maryland State Bar Association, Maryland Legal Aid, the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, and numerous statewide justice and community organizations. His experience spans every level of Maryland’s legal system, including service as a federal prosecutor, state legislator, trial attorney, and national policy advisor. The Commission is thrilled to enter its next era under the leadership of Mr. Barron.
  • A2JC also welcomes new Commissioners: Melissa O. Martinez, McGuire Woods, Managing Partner, Baltimore; Natasha Nazareth, Nazareth Bonifacino Law; Margaret H.C. Tippett, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP; Gwen-Marie Davis, GDH Law; Chris Jennison, FAA; Christia Ravenell, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. 
• Ward Coe Awarded A2JC Legend and MBF Eney Awards Current A2JC Chair, Ward Coe, was given a fond farewell through multiple honors at the MSBA Legal Summit. The Access to Justice Commission awarded him with the first-ever Access to Justice Legend Award for his long-standing commitment and his unparalleled impact on advancing access to justice in Maryland. Ward was also awarded the Maryland Bar Foundation’s H. Vernon Eney Endowment Fund Award.
  • In her introduction, Reena Shah highlighted Coe’s transformative career achievements, including:
    • Pro Bono Reform: Chairing the committee that established Maryland’s 50-hour annual pro bono target and mandatory reporting for attorneys.
    • Child Welfare Advocacy: Serving as lead counsel in the historic L.J. v. Massinga lawsuit, resulting in a 1988 Consent Decree that restructured Baltimore’s foster care system to protect children from abuse.
    • Pandemic Response: Co-convening the COVID-19 Access to Justice Task Force to protect low-income residents, expanding civil legal aid funding, and championing Maryland’s tenant right-to-counsel program.
• Ama Frimpong Awarded Inaugural Ward B. Coe, III A2J Leadership Award The Maryland Access to Justice Commission named its year-old Access to Justice Leadership Award after its current chair, Ward B. Coe, III. The newly-named Ward B. Coe, III Access to Justice Award was awarded to Ama Frimpong of CASA for her deep commitment to civil justice for all and her demonstrated history of fearless advocacy for marginalized populations, a track record of driving systemic and structural legal reforms, and visionary leadership in expanding civil legal aid. Ama’s fierce and fearless advocacy and leadership on behalf of immigrants in Maryland during the 2026 legislative session led to the passage of deeply impactful bills, including ridding the state of 287(g) agreements and the Community Trust Act. 
• A2JC Announces AI & A2J Summit & Survey Maryland Access to Justice Commission, in partnership with Maryland Legal Aid and other access to justice stakeholders, will convene an AI & A2J Summit on September 17, 2026. The Summit will be an in-person, all day experience designed specifically for the civil legal aid community, with participation from other justice partners. The Summit will explore a framework for AI adoption, allow hands-on experimentation with AI tools for specific use cases, cultivate a culture innovation and launch a community of practice for ongoing collaboration and learning. 
  • To make the Summit as useful as possible, A2J requests feedback from every member in a civil legal aid organization, Legal, HR, Communications, Development, Intake; at every experience level (leadership, managerial or entry level) or in any professional type (attorney, allied legal professional, administrative staff) to complete is anonymousAI & A2J Baseline Survey by Friday, July 17, 2026. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JN9PZTW 
• A2JC’s Public Interest Law Committee Delivers The People’s Guide A2JC’s Public Interest Law Committee (PILC) closed a successful year with a strong presence at PBRC’s Partners for Justice Conference, where multiple PILC submissions were accepted, and every member of its leadership team paneled. Additionally, PILC hosted its Spring SPARK Social to celebrate the public interest legal community and released its inaugural People’s Guide, translating new, impactful access-to-justice laws into plain English for Marylanders. 
• A2JC Parties with Pizza and a 50/50 Raffle at the MSBA Legal Summit A2JC held its annual Welcome Dinner & Fundraiser, lovingly known as the Pizza Party, at the MSBA Legal Summit. A2JC thanks everyone who attended the Pizza Party; sponsors of the event – Gallagher, Evelius and Jones; Brown, Goldstein and Levy; and the Daily Record; and everyone who bought 50/50 Raffle tickets. Special thanks to the winner of the 50/50 Raffle, Sandy Bartlett, who donated back her portion of the winnings back to A2JC!! 

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. 

• Maryland Court Help Center in Baltimore City Thrives After Recent Move The Baltimore City District Court Help Center relocated with the District Court from Fayette Street to the Hubbard District Court in October 2025 and has since provided 5,686 instances of service at its new location. Services include free brief legal advice on District Court civil matters, assistance completing court forms, and help understanding court documents. 
• The Help Center is conveniently located on the third floor near the Clerk’s Office and adjacent to the Virtual Resource Center, where court visitors can research cases and print court docments. The Virtual Resource Center also hosts weekly consumer protection clinics offered by the Pro Bono Resource Center and Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service.

Local A2J News                                                  

• People’s Signing Marks Historic Victory as the Community Trust Act & Data Privacy Act Become Law Just weeks after the Maryland General Assembly’s historic 2026 session, We Are CASA, joined by legislators, faith leaders, partner organizations, and advocates, boasted two major implementation milestones: the Community Trust Act (SB791) going into effect as an emergency bill since May 31st at midnight, and the Data Privacy Act (HB711) taking effect on July 1, 2026.
• Maryland Takes Significant Step Toward Fair Housing for People Returning from Incarceration                                    Maryland’s newly passed Fair Chance Housing Act expands access to safe, stable housing for people with conviction histories and advances public safety.
• Family Law Cohort Spreads Access to Justice with 15 Pro Bono Placements MVLS’s 2026 Family Law Cohort helps newer attorneys and attorneys new to family law build practical skills while taking on pro bono cases with support from experienced mentors and MVLS staff.
• Moore Creates Special Task Force to Combat Fraud, Coercion Against Maryland Immigrants Maryland Governor Wes Moore is looking at taking on fraud, much like a significant portion of the nation has pivoted to. This time, however, he is focusing exclusively on the state’s immigrant population.
• Maryland Legal Aid Files Tenant Safety Act Complaint on Behalf of 18 Hanover Square Residents For over a year, tenants at Hanover Square have suffered through bed bug infestations,rodents, and broken elevators. Despite their complaints to the landlord, these unsafe and unhealthy conditions have persisted. 

National A2J News                                          

• Utah Adopts a New Legislative Approach to Courtroom Access Utah recently enacted H.B. 397, the Courtroom Audiovisual Modifications Bill, introducing a new framework for expanded public access to court proceedings. 
• Kirkland $500 Million AI Bid Highlights Access-to-Justice Issues Kirkland & Ellis, America’s largest and most profitable law firm, announced last week that it’s investing $500 million to build its own artificial intelligence platform. Kirkland’s bet is that proprietary AI will give it an edge over rivals stuck with off-the-shelf tools such as Harvey and Legora.
• Courtroom5 Launches The LAW Accelerator, a Structured Program to Help Self-Represented Litigants Navigate Civil Court It is estimated that more than 75 percent of civil litigants in U.S. state courts have no legal representation. To address that, Courtroom5 has launched The LAW Accelerator, a program it describes as the first structured platform for self-represented civil litigants, combining AI-powered litigation tools, a step-by-step curriculum, and a peer community.
• Training the Next Generation of Immigration Lawyers in the Mass Deportation Era A growing number of students view immigration law as a way to fight back against the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign
• Self-Represented Litigants: Haines v. Kerner Becomes Lifeline For Americans Priced Out of Justice In Haines v. Kerner, the Supreme Court of the United States delivered a deceptively simple ruling that has become one of the most important access-to-justice doctrines in modern American law.
• Millions of Americans Continue to Lack Meaningful Access to Justice. What Can be Done About It? Every day, millions of Americans confront legal challenges—family disputes, housing and job issues, estate claims and more. Yet for far too many, the justice system feels out of reach. The reason is simple but devastating: Professional legal help costs more than they can afford.
• City Libraries Providing Free Access to Court Case Databases Increasing access to justice for all Nebraskans is at the foundation of the Nebraska Judicial Branch’s mission, says Maureen Eck, Deputy State Librarian, Nebraska State Library. Public libraries play a key role in that mission, helping connect people with legal information and making court resources more accessible to everyone.