October Newsletter

We co-sponsored a Wills for Heroes event on September 15 to assist first-responders, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, corrections and probation officers. We have been co-sponsoring these one-day events for many years. Volunteer attorneys are provided with free training and in turn, they assist with free wills, advance directives and powers of attorney.

Wills on Wheels

CLS in partnership with the Pro Bono Resource Center are scheduling several free Estate Planning Clinic for low income residents ages 60 and over in Prince George’s County. Attorneys interested in expanding their practice area and volunteering for the Wills on Wheels program please consider signing up for CLS’s and PBRC’s Estate Planning Training Basics for Low-Income Seniors. Topics covered are drafting wills, advanced medical directives, financial powers of attorney and ethical issues when representing seniors with estate planning. The live training will be held on October 16, 2018, 9:00 am to 12:30 pm, and will be taught by Lindsey K. Erdmann, Esq. of McNamee Hosea, 6411 Ivy Lane, Suite 200, Greenbelt, MD 20770. Register online at www.probonomd.org/training The training will be recorded and available to view on demand.

CLS Monthly Foreclosure Prevention Training – Last Wednesday of Every Month

Join us monthly on the last Wednesday of the month at 2:00 pm for a presentation regarding the foreclosure related cases with opportunity to speak with an experienced foreclosure attorney. Topics covered will include foreclosure mediation, foreclosure tenant actions, Foreclosure Pre and Post-Bankruptcy options, and wrongful eviction. Please RSVP to Nora Eidelman at 240-391-6532, ext. 5 or eidelman@clspgc.org. Trainings to be held at 6301 Ivy Lane, Room 720, Greenbelt, MD.

Training: Representing Domestic Violence Survivors

As part of our Domestic Violence Legal Wellness Program, Community Legal Services is partnering with the Pro Bono Resource Center to host a training on Representing Domestic Violence Survivors. The training is for volunteer attorneys interested in representing domestic violence survivors in protective order cases, family law, as well as other resources available to survivors in Prince George’s County. The training will take place on October 5, 2018 from 10am-1pm at the Upper Marlboro Courthouse. The training will feature presenters from Community Legal Services, House of Ruth, Amara Legal Center, Community Advocates for Families and Youth, and Maryland Safe Center for Human Trafficking Survivors.

Funding Available for Representation in Foreclosure Prevention

CLS has funding for attorneys representing clients in Prince George’s County in foreclosure prevention cases.  CLS has expanded our Foreclosure Prevention project to provide paid hours to attorneys accepting cases for representation in foreclosure defense cases, post-foreclosure motions for Surplus, tenants in foreclosures, as well foreclosure mediation. In foreclosure prevention cases, the funding provides attorneys $80.00 an hour up to thirty hours of representation. Funds include representation at judicial proceedings, mediation preparation, representation at mediation, and negotiations. Additionally, funding is available for bankruptcy chapter 7, and other legal actions that may help the client save his home.  If you are interested in being added to our foreclosure volunteer attorney pool or require additional information, please contact Michael Udejiofor at 240-391-6532, ext. 1 or udejiofor@clspgc.org.  Training, mentoring and malpractice insurance is provided.  Funding is available from a generous grant provided by Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC).