Dispatch | September, 23 2026

A2JC Dispatch – September 2026 Issue

In this month’s Dispatch, we share the Final Report and Recommendations of the Innovations in Tiered Legal Services Task Force, recap our AI & A2J Summit setting a baseline for AI integration in legal aid, and highlight funding priorities for Maryland’s Access to Counsel in Evictions program. At a local level, we discuss a federal lawsuit challenging ICE’s warrantless arrest policy in Maryland, and efforts to reform Baltimore’s tenant lockout laws. Nationally, we examine an AI expansion helping families access SNAP benefits, the impact of federal student loan caps on public interest lawyers, and efforts to address pro se filings driven by AI. You can find all these stories and more in this month’s Dispatch.

A2J Commission News 

• Innovations in Tiered Legal Services Task Force Presents to A2JC The Innovations in Tiered Legal Services Task Force, which is co-chaired by Justice Angela Eaves of the Maryland Supreme Court, Natalie McSherry, former President of MSBA and A2JC ED, Reena Shah, has completed its 20-month study and completed its Final Report and Recommendations. The Task Force co-chairs will now present the findings and recommendations to each of the partner organizations for endorsement. The ultimate authority of whether the Task Force’s recommendations for rules changes are adopted lie with the Maryland Judiciary. The Task Force has six core recommendations, including establishing three additional tiers of service in the legal profession, including a Community Justice Worker Tier, a Legal Practitioner Tier and a Legal Technology Tier. Additionally, the Task Force recommends that each tier adhere to access to justice principles, have governance and data collection and continue to monitor future applications and developments. 
• A2JC Co-Hosts Successful AI & A2J Summit A2JC co-hosted the AI & A2J Summit, that brought together over 100 justice partners, including civil legal aid organizations, the judiciary, state bar, OPD, law schools and more. Kicked off by rousing welcome remarks by Chief Justice Fader, the Summit sought to set a baseline of understanding and introduce concepts and tools that would be useful to integrate AI into civil legal aid organization workflows and work through common use cases. As we transition now to building a Community of Practice related to AI & A2J, key findings from live polling reveal that civil legal aid leaders and advocates are seeking a centralized infrastructure, practical policy templates, and collaborative training. Data security and unprompted environmental concerns continue to concern the community, underscoring the need for sustainable and responsible AI governance. 
• Access to Counsel in Evictions Funding Shapes Up to Be Top Legislative Priority Funding for Access to Counsel in Evictions is shaping up, again, to be a top A2JC priority for the upcoming legislative session. A2JC’s Advocacy Committee is forecasting that due to cuts in ACE funding in 2026 that resulted in job losses and halted the steady implementation of the effective and helpful program, it will be instrumental to ensure that we continue to have existing funding, but also sufficient additional funding to ensure full implementation. Maryland’s Access to Counsel in Evictions (ACE) program successfully preserved housing for 88% of tenants who wished to remain in their homes and is proven to generate a $3.04 ROI for every $1 invested, delivering $46.7 million in total economic benefits and fiscal savings to the state.

A2J Insights

• Legal Services Corporation’s Annual Report Highlights Work Across the Country The Legal Services Corporation’s (LSC) newly released Annual Report, highlights the important work of LSC and its grantees in communities across the country. 
• New Guidance on Civil Fee Waivers to Improve Court Access The National Center for State Courts’ (NCSC) new report, Civil Fee Waivers: National Trends and Best Practices, offers practical guidance to help courts strengthen and modernize their civil fee waiver processes by examining how state courts determine eligibility for waivers, what documentation applicants must provide, and who has the authority to approve requests.

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. 

• Access to Court Records Brochures – Newly Revised Access to Justice of the Administrative Office of the Courts makes available a six-part brochure series on access to court records, now redesigned. The brochures cover what case records are available on Maryland Case Search, how to keep case records private, information on shielding peace and protective orders, how to expunge adult and juvenile criminal records, and how to shield criminal records. The brochures are available in six languages, including English and Spanish, and are available in print as well as online. For those familiar with the brochures, the new design retained the content and color scheme for different topics. View the English brochures at mdcourts.gov/accesstojustice/brochures. The newly designed brochures in Spanish, French, Korean, Mandarin, and Russian will also be available at the same address soon.

Local A2J News 

• Maryland Immigrant Rights Coalition Sues ICE Over Warrantless ‘Arrest First, Ask Questions Later’ Policy We Are CASA, the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, the ACLU of Maryland and the National Immigration Project, filed a federal lawsuit and a motion for a preliminary injunction against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (D.H.S.) to end the agency’s practice of conducting warrantless immigration arrests in Maryland. 
• MVLS Attorney Courtland Merkel Shares How Homeowners Can Protect Their Equity Homeowners may be familiar with postcards, calls, texts, or signs promising a fast cash sale with messages like We Buy Houses. While many cash home-buying companies operate legitimately, some use high-pressure or deceptive tactics that can put a homeowner’s equity at risk.
• Bill Would Change Law That Allows Baltimore Landlords to Lock Out Evicted Tenants and Keep Their Possessions City renters have lost furniture, clothing, family photos, medications and their loved ones’ ashes thanks to an ordinance struck down two years ago as unconstitutional.
• Senior Renters at Cottages at Berlin Demand Action from Severn Management Over Staffing, Maintenance and Community Center Access Senior residents of Cottages at Berlin are demanding action from Annapolis-based Severn Management after the company failed to respond to a June 8 demand letter signed by residents and sent on their behalf by Maryland Legal Aid.
• Maryland Launches Court-Ordered Mental Health Care in Baltimore, Some Counties Questions remain about implementation from county officials, about ethical concerns from disability rights advocates.

National A2J News

• The ‘Martinizing’ Problem: Closing Courthouse Doors to Indigent Litigants The ideal of keeping courthouse doors open to indigent litigants has deep roots in American law. The Magna Carta provides that [w]e will not sell, or deny, or delay right or justice to anyone, and the United States Supreme Court frequently invokes its longstanding tradition of leaving its door open to all classes of litigants. 
• New Mexico Justice C. Shannon Bacon to receive William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence Justice Bacon is helping lead a national push to reform legal education and bar admission and champions a model for bringing legal services to New Mexico’s most underserved rural communities.
• IAALS Launches Justice Narrative Project to Unite Civil Justice Voices Nationwide IAALS announced the launch of the Justice Narrative Project, a collaborative effort bringing together leaders from across the civil justice ecosystem to build a coordinated, high-level message on the importance of our civil justice system, broad access to justice, and justice system improvement that catalyzes civil justice champions to unite in how we frame its urgency. 
• New York Announces $7.25M Investment for Legal Services for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children More than 700 children in New York City are expected to lose legal representation after a federal contract with legal aid groups expired last month. However, state and local leaders stepped in to provide millions of dollars in legal services funding for unaccompanied immigrant children throughout New York.
• AI Drives Spike in Pro Se Filings but Not Courtroom Success Some research indicates that the technology has had little effect on case outcomes, while other data suggests that AI-drafted lawsuits are dismissed earlier and more often than lawsuits filed without the aid of large language models.
• Immigrant families, We Are CASA, ASAP, and ICAP Asked the Court to Reaffirm Birthright Citizenship Regardless of Immigration Status A preliminary injunction was granted, enjoining the President’s new Executive Order attempting to limit birthright citizenship, which was issued on August 6. U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Boardman blocked implementation of this latest executive order in response to a motion filed by immigrant families, We Are CASA, the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP), and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection (ICAP) asking for urgent relief from the administration’s latest efforts to curtail birthright citizenship.
• Legal Aid for Immigrant Kids in Question After Trump Administration Pulls Contract More than 20,000 unaccompanied immigrant youth remain at risk of losing their legal representation, one month after the Trump administration ended a federal contract with an organization that provided legal services to migrant children.