1Ls and 2Ls: Are you interested in applying for a $4,000 grant to support your public interest work this summer? Applications for 2012 grants are available here. Remember: Much of our funding comes from our annual public interest auction, to be held this year on March 9. (More information will be available shortly).
Laura Chafey, 2L, University of Baltimore School of Law - Mid-Shore Pro Bono, Inc.
I had the great opportunity to work with Mid-Shore Pro Bono, Inc. over the summer. Mid-Shore Pro Bono is a legal referral program which serves the low-income communities of Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, and Queen Anne's counties of the Eastern Shore. I assisted in the daily duties of running a pro bono legal services organization, which included answering the phone, addressing walk-in clients, doing in-takes, and assisting with the various free legal clinics held at the office. My major project was to create a resource library for pro se litigants. In doing this, I had to research topics of law that I hadn't studied before and therefore I learned new substantive law while at Mid-Shore Pro Bono.
In addition, I had the opportunity to meetmany lawyers and judges in the area that worked with Mid-Shore Pro Bono. I was able to travel to the various Circuit Courts in all the counties that Mid-Shore Pro Bono dealt with, in order to observe family law clinics. I also observed many District Court proceedings, which dealt with traffic violations and small claims. My favorite experiences were attending conferences specifically for pro bono organizations. The laid back atmosphere of the Eastern Shore and the friendly people at Mid-Shore Pro Bono made me feel comfortable and at home. Also, knowing that I am helping those in need who could not otherwise afford lawyers, is a great feeling to have.
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