Dispatch | October, 21 2025

A2JC Dispatch – October 2025 Issue

The October Issue

In this month’s Dispatch, we look at the work of the ACE and Innovations in Tiered Legal Services Task Forces, and discuss new laws effective October 1st. We also highlight AG Brown’s settlement with Heather Hill Apartments and a Supreme Court of Maryland decision protecting renters. At a national level, we celebrate federal pro bono week and look at how to expand access to justice through responsible legal technology. You can find all these stories and more in this month’s Dispatch. 

A2J Commission News

• A2J Chair Speaks on Opening Plenary at National ABA A2J Conference A2JC ED, Reena Shah, spoke on the opening plenary to help kick off the ABA’s Forum on Building Access to Justice for All. The plenary was entitled The Evolving Federal Landscape: What It Means for State Access to Justice Commissions and IOLTA Programs. It examined the structural changes to federal agencies and funding, and their cascading effects on state and local legal systems. Panelists discussed new priorities as reflected in federal funding availability, grant requirements, agency staffing and regulatory changes.  Additionally, the panel explored how these changes impact both the civil and criminal justice systems, the courts, and legal aid providers. Speakers shared examples of emerging adaptations by state and local authorities to maintain essential legal system services through innovative partnerships and funding strategies. 
  • The plenary included national experts providing views from different perspectives, including Anne Sweeney, NLADA’s Chief of Civil Legal Services; Betty Balli Torres, Executive Director of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation, the largest source of funding for legal services in Texas; Isabel Shapiro, Criminal and Civil Legal Policy Analyst with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Courts and Communities Project; Michael Lucas, Executive Director of the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation and MD A2JC’s Executive Director, Reena Shah. The panel was facilitated by Karen Lash, an expert on federal funding who has worked for the DOJ’s Office for Access to Justice and White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable. 
• The Access to Counsel in Evictions Task Force Meets with a Diverse Array of Stakeholders The Access to Counsel in Evictions (ACE) Task Force is in full swing. Chaired for the past four years by A2J ED, Reena Shah, the Task Force is looking to deliver its final report to the legislature and Governor by January 1, 2026. The Task Force has been convening stakeholders to get the latest updates on implementation of the ACE Program and to identify continuing challenges that may require reform. The Task Force has heard from the Maryland Legal Services Corporation, the MD Judiciary, the Department of Housing and Community Development, numerous civil legal aid organizations, law school clinics, the Equal Justice Fellowship, outreach organizations, coordinated intake organizations, data collection organizations and landlords. The Task Force also presented at the Sheriff’s Association meeting on ACE. The Task Force is also studying other programs that could complement the ACE Program, including Eviction Diversion. The Task Force is statutorily mandated and is currently staffed by the Office of Attorney General and will be transferred to the Department of Housing and Community Development starting January 1, 2026. 
• A2JC’s Public Interest Law Committee Discusses New Laws Effective October 1  On October 6, 2025, A2JC’s Public Interest Law Committee (PILC) brought in experts to inform the Committee about the new laws going into effect on October 1, 2025. Experts from different civil legal aid organizations submitted short videos to discuss the problem the law was designed to solve and how it would impact Marylanders. Topics included housing, family law, consumer law and reentry. Following the short video segments, the Committee heard from the Office of Public Defender about the new Second Chance Act. The OPD brought in both a client who shared a story about why the law was important and an advocate to explain the intricacies of the law’s implementation. 
  • The following laws were covered: 
    • SB856 – Maryland Tenant Mold Protection Act by Zafar Shah;
    • HB767 – Procedures for Failure to Pay Rent, Breach of Lease, and Tenant Holding Over by Lisa Sarro;
    • HB1191 – Child Custody Determinations and HB275 Multifamily Adjustment for Child Support by Amee Vora;
    • HB1020 – Fair Medical Debt Reporting Act and HB428 – Complaints for Money Judgment and Real Property Liens in Medical Debt by William Steinwedel;
    • HB1018 – Assumption and Disclosures related to Conventional Mortgages after Divorce by Steven Kappen;
    • HB853 – Maryland Second Look Act by Erica Suter and Anthony Muhammad (Juvenile Restoration Act client). 
• A2JC’s Data & Legal Technology Committee Focuses on AI On October 8, 2025, A2JC’s Data & Legal Committee heard from Angela Tripp, a national expert from the Legal Services Corporation, on the use of AI in Legal Services. Tripp shared the four main ways AI is currently being deployed, including internal operations, legal work and client communication, connecting people to legal information and hotlines and intake. Tripp then gave examples of specific projects that are currently being implemented across the US and Canada, including examples from Maryland Legal Aid. The presentation gave the Committee a broad overview of what was possible and what the Commission’s role could be in assisting civil legal aid organizations and their clients.

A2JC Insights

• Maryland Task Force Takes on the Access-to-Justice Gap The Innovations in Tiered Legal Services Task Force, a joint effort by the Maryland Judiciary, the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA), and the Maryland Access to Justice Commission (A2JC), aims to tackle the justice gap created by a lack of legal representation head-on. The goal of this collaborative initiative is to find new, innovative ways to meet the civil legal needs of Marylanders who are currently going unserved by attorneys.
• Technologies Are Helping Bridge the Access to Justice Gap The access to justice gap is often a result of high legal costs, geographical barriers, and a lack of legal aid resources. Legal technology is playing an increasingly vital role in addressing the inability of many people, particularly those from underserved communities, to afford or access legal services. 

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.      

• A revised accommodation rule promotes consistency in court accessibility. In 2025 the Supreme Court of Maryland adopted revisions to the rule that directs courts in the handling of accommodation requests. Revised Maryland Rule 1-332 defines key terms including what a reasonable accommodation may include, provides for flexibility in the timing of accommodation requests, clarifies that the request should trigger an interactive process to address the requestor’s needs, includes factors to guide the court in its determination, clarifies how accommodation requests can be administered, and directs the Judiciary to collect and publish anonymized data on accommodation requests. The revised rule will take effect October 1, 2025. For more about accommodations, visit the Maryland Judiciary’s Accommodations page.

Local A2J News                                       

• AG Brown Announces Multi-Million Dollar Settlement with Property Owner and Operator of Heather Hill Apartments                        This settlement provides relief for hundreds of Maryland families who were forced to pay rent while some families lived in unsafe conditions and others risked the same dangers, all because the landlord rented without the required license or inspections, said Attorney General Anthony Brown. 
• Supreme Court of Maryland Decision Protects the Fair Housing Rights of Maryland Renters The Public Justice Center filed an amicus brief in the case on behalf of eleven other civil rights organizations urging the Court to protect the fair housing rights of Maryland residents under the 2020 HOME (Housing Opportunities Made Equal) Act. 
• 100+ Organizations Oppose Updated MHBE Access to Care Act Implementation Plan Maryland is facing an immediate healthcare coverage crisis that will begin on January 1, 2026, with the expiration of enhanced Premium Tax Credits. According to data from the Maryland Insurance Administration and federal projections, approximately 20,000 legally present immigrants with incomes under 100% of the Federal Poverty Level will lose all premium tax credit eligibility.
• Looking Back on the Influential Careers of Law Professors Larry Gibson and Michael Millemann as They Retire Each has made an impact on Maryland Carey Law, the city of Baltimore, the state of Maryland, and well beyond.
• Shore Legal Access Adds Three New Members to Board of Directors Shore Legal Access (SLA) recently welcomed Tom Deliberto, Esq., Candace Henry, and Kathleen Smith, Esq. to its Board of Directors. Each brings professional expertise and a shared commitment to SLA’s mission of providing free civil legal assistance and connecting clients to essential community services on the Eastern Shore.

National A2J News                                                  

• Federal Government Pro Bono Week Each year, the Federal Government Pro Bono Program presents Federal Government Pro Bono Week, a week of events and volunteer opportunities to celebrate and promote pro bono work by federal government attorneys and legal staff.
• When The Supreme Court Says Using Race Is OK In a brief, unsigned order, the justices temporarily lifted a July lower court ruling that had stopped the government from relying on physical appearance and other race-related proxy factors to identify suspected unauthorized immigrants.
• Expanding Access to Justice Through Responsible Legal Technology Responsible legal technology might help to close the access-to-justice gap. The hope is that carefully designed self-service tools — powered by AI and other emerging technologies — may provide affordable, vetted, and accountable support for common issues such as landlord-tenant disputes, family law, small claims, and debt collections. 
• Legal Services Corp. Awards $5.5M To 19 For Pro Bono Work 19 legal services organizations across 15 states received a total of $5.5 million in awards to support their pro bono services for low-income Americans, the Legal Services Corp. announced.
• Legal Aid Group Sues to Pre-emptively Block U.S. From Deporting 12 Honduran Children A legal aid group sued to preemptively block any efforts by the U.S. government to deport a dozen Honduran children, saying it had credible information that such plans were quietly in the works.
• California State Bar Hosts 2025 Veterans’ Legal Services Roundtable to Strengthen Access to Justice The State Bar of California convened the 2025 Veterans’ Legal Services Roundtable at its San Francisco office on September 26, bringing together more than 20 legal service providers, government agencies, and community advocate organizations dedicated to serving California’s veterans.