Shore Legal Access, Inc.
Connecting Counsel & Communities
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
In 2005, five Mid-Shore counties, together with state pro bono legal services groups, identified a need on the Eastern Shore for an agency that could connect volunteer attorneys with low-income individuals in need of civil legal representation. Mid-Shore Pro Bono (MSPB) was established out of that need. Remarkably, Mid-Shore Pro Bono became the first regional pro bono referral agency in the state of Maryland and remains the only pro bono legal services provider on the Eastern Shore. Rapid growth and expansion of Mid-Shore Pro Bono demonstrates the urgent need for these services. MSPB has grown from a small referral agency, able to meet this need for a smaller segment of the community, into a significant community resource, able to handle multiple critical legal needs for the Eastern Shore’s at-risk residents. Now Shore Legal Access, satellite offices allow us to take our services closer to those residents in more distant areas of our widespread rural Eastern Shore region.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Life Planning Program
SLA recognizes that a growing proportion of the Eastern Shore residents are seniors. We have launched this program to better serve our aging population by providing them with important end of life documents and general legal advice in a safe, secure setting.
Services: Wills/POA/AMD
Small Estate Administration
Guardianship
Economic Stability Project
With a broad scope of programming, this project provides legal advice on a variety of financial problems faced by low income individuals including Foreclosure, Consumer Debt, Expungement, Bankruptcy, and various other Real Property issues. By helping resolve these matters clients are better able to remain employed, remain in their homes and provide for their families.
Services:
Foreclosure, Housing, Bankruptcy, Consumer Debt, Employment, Expungement
Debtor Assistance Project
The Debtor Assistance Project
The Debtor Assistance Project (“DAP”) is a clinic, originally located at the U.S. Courthouses in Maryland, which provides debtors with an opportunity to meet with a bankruptcy attorney for a cost-free half-hour consultation. The DAP is designed to help individuals without an attorney to answer legal questions about bankruptcy. SLA holds a DAP clinic once a month in 2 counties. This project started in January 2010 in Talbot County and has expanded to other Eastern Shore counties including Kent and Wicomico.
Family Law Program
Provides free legal assistance for divorce, custody, child support and other family law related matters. Outreach is mainly done at the Courthouses and other social service agencies. Special services include the Purple Notebook Project, Child Advocacy Project and the Judicare Project. Court Liaisons are primary conduit for these cases.
Cannabis Charges Expungement Program
In November 2022, Maryland citizens voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis by adults. Shore Legal Access aides those with cannabis convictions to have those charges expunged.
Where we work
Awards
William L Marbury Outstanding Advocate 2018
Maryland Legal Services Corporation
Affiliations & memberships
Maryland Legal Services Corporation- William L Marbury Outstanding Advocate Award 2017
Mid-Shore Community Foundation- J. MCKENNY WILLIS, JR. AWARD Established in honor of Mr. J. McKenny 2020
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients assisted with legal needs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of people who reach out to our organization for assistance with legal issues.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Provide access to direct legal services to the area's poorest residents
Engage the Private Bar in Pro Bono Service
Outreach and Education regarding Civil Legal Services
Expand access to remote communities
Provide preventative legal remedies to avoid egregious law suits
partner with area agencies
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Continue to be a community based legal services provider and bring our services out to the people. We do this by outreach, education and networking with other agencies that share a client pool.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have been doing this for over 14 years and we are the only Legal Services Provider on the Eastern Shore of Maryland providing so many diverse programs and engaging private attorneys in Pro Bono Service
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We continue to increase the number of clients we serve each year and develop new programs to meet that need.
We have yet to engage our local community in giving!
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Shore Legal Access, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 09/11/2024
Esq. Timothy Abeska
Retired Attorney
Term: 2023 - 2026
Tawes Harper
Tim Abeska
Clinton Pettus
Jim McComb
Becky Burner
Hillary Lindeman
Holland Brownley
Doncella Wilson
Tanisha Armstrong
Arlette Bright
Rosemary Granillo
Mike Starling
Anthony Rodriguez
Ruth Thomas
Judith Showalter
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable
Organizational demographics
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Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
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