Dispatch | September, 9 2025

A2JC Dispatch – September 2025 Issue

The September Issue

In this month’s Dispatch, we welcome the A2JC Data and Legal Technology Committee’s new chair, and invite you to join A2JC’s Public Interest Law Committee’s PILCnic in the park. We also celebrate Dr. Khalilah Harris joining the Public Justice Center as its new Executive Director, and look at Free State Justice’s loss of grant funding. At a national level, we highlight New York City leveraging AI to solve the security deposit crisis, and a federal order to reinstate legal aid for mentally incompetent migrants. You can find all these stories and more in this month’s Dispatch. 

A2J Commission News

• A2JC’s Advocacy Committee Urges Comments on Public Student Loan Forgiveness The Department of Education has proposed rule changes that would substantially impact the eligibility for loan forgiveness for many nonprofit employees, including legal nonprofit employees, by creating a process to decertify certain employers based on the clients they help. If enacted, the new rules would redefine qualifying employers and exclude organizations judged to have a substantial illegal purpose, creating more uncertainty in eligibility for those committed to public service careers. Importantly, the National Council of Nonprofits’ analysis states: 
  • The proposed rule seeks to unlawfully bar certain charitable nonprofit employers from the program if the Department determines – by a preponderance of the evidence – that the employer engages in activities that have a substantial illegal purpose. Under the proposed rule, this includes:
    • Aiding and abetting violations of federal immigration laws;
    • Supporting terrorism;
    • Engaging in the chemical and surgical castration or mutilation of children in violation of federal or state laws;
    • Engaging in the trafficking of children to states for the purpose of emancipation from their lawful parents in violation of federal or state law;
    • Engaging in a pattern of aiding and abetting illegal discrimination;
    • Engaging in a pattern of violating state laws regarding trespassing, disorderly conduct, public nuisance, vandalism, or obstruction of highways.
  •  This directly threatens nonprofit employers working with undocumented immigrants, supporting transgender children, or advancing racial and social equity.
  • On Friday, September 12, A2JC’s Advocacy Committee will host an open meeting to inform our community about the proposed rule change. Radhika Singh from the NLADA will join the Committee to educate us on the issues and how to deliver the most effective comment to the Federal Register. Comments are due by September 17. A2JC urges everyone who may be impacted, including individuals and non-profit organizations – to submit comments thru this tool: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfR_UNyk0wbQKLYnCKu2bhOKiT0h5kGjSYtn0XmwG02Pj3psg/viewform. To attend the September 12, 10am  meeting, fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1d2fnlW99G1dU4AISTK69EInYn0xgc4TySH3AoINAhZg/edit#responses.

• Join us for PILCnic in the Park!! The Access to Justice Commission’s Public Interest Law Committee (PILC) is all about building a vibrant, connected public interest law community here in Maryland. This fall, it is launching our newest tradition: PILCnic in the Park! Think sunshine, laughter, tasty bites, and great company. It’s your chance to relax, recharge, and connect with fellow champions of public interest law. What to Bring: Blankets, Camping Chairs, Water Bottle. The event will take place in Centennial Park, South Area, meet up by the Boat Launch. The event is free, but registration is required. Food and drinks will be provided. Register here: https://www.msba.org/site/site/rise/Events/Event_display.aspx?EventKey=PILC091325.
• A2JC Data & Legal Technology Committee Welcomes New Chair Former Dean of the Frances King Carey Law School and former Access to Justice Commissioner, Donald Tobin, is now chair of the Access to Justice’s Data & Legal Technology Committee. Over the last few years, the Committee has focused on developing first-of-their-kind data tools, including a Resource & Asset GIS map and a Housing Data Dashboard. It is currently working on delivering a Story Map that explains the connection of the civil justice system to basic human needs. Tobin aims to continue the data work, with an eye to increasing research partnerships with academic institutions. He also comes to the helm with a keen interest in educating the committee and the access to justice community on how legal technologies can help self-represented litigants. A2JC welcomes Tobin! We also congratulate and thank Dave Pantzer, Deputy Director at MLSC, for his service in leading the Committee over the past few years!

A2JC Insights

• The Big, Beautiful Bill and its Unseen Impact: A Looming Crisis for Law Students and Access to Justice President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill has been signed into law, and while much attention has been given to its broader implications, a closer look reveals significant and concerning changes for higher education, particularly for aspiring law students and the future of civil legal aid. 
• The Argument for Legal Advocacy Amidst New Medicaid Requirements One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, brings about significant changes to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 
• Bridging the Divide: How the Unified Benefits Screener Advances Access to Justice Increasing access to justice for all Marylanders involves more than just making it easier to navigate the court system; it’s about ensuring every Marylander has the opportunity to thrive. 
• 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.                                                                                                                  

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.      

• Spanish Language Webinars on Standby Guardianship The Maryland Judiciary is offering a new, on-demand webinar series in Spanish that provides information about Standby Guardianship—a legal option that allows parents to name a trusted adult to care for their children if they are physically or mentally unable to or become unavailable because of an adverse immigration action. These free, easy-to-access webinars walk viewers through the standby guardianship process, explain when and how a standby guardian can step in, and highlight the legal forms and requirements involved. Designed with families in mind, the series empowers individuals to plan ahead and make informed decisions for their children’s well-being. Because the webinars are available anytime, they’re especially useful for busy caregivers and community members who need flexible access to legal guidance. Learn more and watch the series on the Maryland Courts website at: https://www.mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/webinars/standbyguardianship-spanish.                                                                                                            

Local A2J News     

• Maryland Nonprofit Offering Legal Aid to LGBTQ+ Community Loses More Than $300,000 In Grant Funding Free State Justice, a Black-led Maryland nonprofit that provides free legal services to LGBTQ+ individuals across the state, has lost a $317,000 grant which is the primary funding  source for their legal services.
• Maryland Lawmakers Tour ICE Facility Two Weeks After Being Turned Away Two weeks after they were turned away from the same site, Maryland lawmakers toured an Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in Baltimore, but said they left with more questions than answers.
• Longtime CASA Leader Has a To-Do List to Accomplish Before His Retirement Gustavo Torres, who has served as executive director for 31 of his 34 years with the organization, plans to retire in November.
• Dr. Khalilah M. Harris Named as the Public Justice Center’s New Executive Director  Dr. Harris joins the PJC after over two decades in policy and justice. She recently served as Executive Vice President of Program Strategy at the Center for Policing Equity and as a campaign advisor for a mayoral campaign in New York City.
• Governor Moore Signs Executive Order to Advance Environmental Justice for Communities Burdened by Pollution The Valuing Opportunity, Inclusion, and Community Equity order will help foster a whole-of-government approach to advance meaningful engagement with communities that have historically borne a disproportionate burden of environmental 
  pollution.                                             

National A2J News                                          

• Leveraging AI to Solve NYC’s Security Deposit Crisis A new AI-powered tool called Depositron addresses the significant housing justice issue of illegally withheld security deposits in New York City by empowering tenants to quickly and legally recover their money, bridging a critical gap in accessible legal services.
• Modernizing Unauthorized Practice of Law Regulations to Embrace Technology, Improve Access to Justice In its policy paper, the TRI/NCSC AI Policy Consortium for Law & Courts issues a charge to state supreme courts and bar associations to lead modern regulatory reform to effectively govern the responsible use of AI and technology-enhanced legal services products. 
• Judge Orders DOJ to Reinstate Legal Aid for Mentally Incompetent Migrants A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to revive a policy authorizing immigration judges to appoint legal counsel for immigrants deemed unable to represent themselves, finding the Justice Department’s sudden cancellation of the policy was unlawful.
• Senate Panel Votes to Boost Legal Services Corporation Funding The Senate Appropriations Committee voted to increase funding for the Legal Services Corporation to $566 million after the Trump administration sought to wind down the program that assists the poor.
• New Pilot Program to Expand Remote Court Access in Southern Illinois The Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Access to Justice (ATJ Commission), in partnership with the Second Judicial Circuit and Land of Lincoln Legal Aid, Inc., announced a new two-year pilot program aimed at increasing the use of remote court appearances across 12 southern Illinois counties.
• The Price Of Public Service: Trump-Era PSLF Rollbacks And The Cost To Justice Following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, President Trump is now cleared to proceed with sweeping layoffs and structural changes at the Department of Education.