History

MVLS was founded in 1981 when federal funding for legal services was in jeopardy of being eliminated. A small group of Maryland lawyers in private practice wanted to help the state’s poor continue to have access to free legal assistance in civil cases. With a staff of one and a modest budget, they launched MVLS.  Today MVLS is the largest provider of pro bono civil legal assistance, helping more than 4,000 individuals annually.

Milestones

1980
Public interest groups hold meetings to discuss the formation of a pro bono legal assistance organization in Maryland.


1981   
With state budget cuts for legal services already in place and federal budget cuts looming, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service is launched.


MVLS is one of only five groups to receive a grant from the American Bar Association for having a model pro bono program.


1987   
MVLS expands services for the disadvantaged with support for the Homeless Persons Representation Project.


1995
MVLS’ Income Tax Clinic begins preparing tax returns on behalf of low-income Marylanders.  The program receives the Herbert S. Garten Special Project Award from the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland.


1997        
The Family Law Assistance Project offers training for people who want to represent themselves in divorce cases.  This is MVLS’ first pro se family law program.


1998   
Two MVLS programs—one on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and one in Washington County—begin providing legal assistance to victims of domestic violence.


MVLS’ Welfare-to-Work Project in Somerset County is honored with the Herbert S. Garten Special Project Award.


2001   
MVLS starts the Community Development Project, offering legal help to other Maryland non-profits.


2003
Project HEAL, (Health, Education, Advocacy and Law) which provides legal advocacy to families and trains healthcare workers to advocate for their patients.  The project is a collaboration with the Harriet Lane Clinic at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.


2004
The Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations awards MVLS its Standards of Excellence certification.  MVLS was one of only 48 nonprofits, out of more than 20,000 operating statewide, to earn the certification.
 

2005
MVLS expanded Project HEAL to a second site at the Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI) to offer free advice and representation in special education matters, public benefits, family law, and housing to low-income children and their families who receive health care services at KKI.
 

Project HEAL earns the 2005 Herbert S. Garten Special Project Award.


2006   
MVLS celebrates 25 years of making pro bono count.


2008
Creation of the Washington County and Baltimore City Judicare Projects.