No Time to Play Small: Barron Lays Out 3 Strategic Priorities for the Next Chapter of Civil Justice in Maryland
The Maryland Access to Justice Commission is entering a dynamic new era. As our new incoming Chair, Erek Barron, takes the helm, he steps forward with deep gratitude for the path paved by former Chair Ward Coe, and begins by laying out his strategic priorities to allow the Commission to function methodically, but with urgency.
Barron starts by stating the realities of the civil justice crisis. With the average market rate for legal services hovering at $362 per hour, legal representation is out of reach for the vast majority of Marylanders. While our civil legal aid organizations perform heroic work daily, severe underfunding means they can only meet about 20% of the need for civil legal aid.
He notes that when hundreds of thousands of our neighbors are left to navigate life-altering crises like eviction, family instability, and consumer debt entirely alone, the consequences ripple across our families, communities, and economy.
To meet this moment, Barron urges us to move beyond simply keeping our heads above water, addressing in that thread, the Commission as an institution, civil justice reform and reinvestment and the necessity to leverage existing and new partnerships.
1. Building a Thriving Foundation: Long-Term Financial Sustainability
Barron notes that for the Commission to scale its impact, it must first secure its own foundation. He underscores that while our vital partnership with the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) has provided essential stability and shielded us from existential budget crises, survival is not the end goal. To truly serve Marylanders, the Commission must thrive.
Currently, the Commission operates with just one paid, full-time staff member. To build a robust, permanent infrastructure that can scale to meet the state’s needs, we must expand our operational capacity.
Barron urges the Commission to actively pursue its own 501(c)(3) status. This pivot will unlock diversified funding streams and corporate philanthropy, allowing us to build a powerful, self-sustaining framework for civil justice.
2. Shifting the Paradigm: Systemic Reform & Civil Justice Reinvestment
Barron shares how in recent years, robust research has exposed how the criminal justice system actively produces and maintains racial and socioeconomic inequities. He urges Commissioners to bring that exact same rigorous scrutiny to the civil justice system.
Civil legal issues do not exist in a vacuum; they are deeply intertwined with food insecurity, housing instability, gender equity, and education. He highlights that the Commission can work to shift how state leaders view “justice reform” to ensure the civil system is always part of the conversation.
“We must lead an aggressive, data-driven effort in research and data collection to highlight structural harms, expose systemic shortcomings, and use that empirical evidence to demand not just civil justice reform, but civil justice reinvestment.”
Barron emphasizes the need to work towards civil justice reform, but also broaden our view to civil justice reinvestment.
3. Activating Our Collective Power: A Call to Action for Partners
Finally, Barron notes that the Commission will remain a lean organization, he challenges Commissions to think and act big. This is what the Commission’s mission demands and the people of Maryland deserve. He acknowledges that we cannot solve the civil justice crisis alone, which is why his final priority is to deepen existing alliances and forge new, cross-sector partnerships.
He makes his most immediate call to action to the Commissioners themselves, highlighting that every member of the Commission was appointed for their unique expertise, perspective, and influence. As the Commission rolls out plans for FY2027, he calls on every Commissioner to assess how they can leverage the power, resources, and influence of their home institutions to champion our mission.
The Road Ahead
Barron concludes by asking all Commissioners to recommit, step us and leverage every tool at our disposal. He also commits to building bridges and bringing the Commission into rooms where it is not presently and he invites our partners, advocates, and community members across Maryland to join us in this next chapter. He emphasizes that together, we can turn the promise of equal justice into a reality.