Mission
The Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland addresses the inequality of access to the legal system by connecting volunteer lawyers to economically disadvantaged individuals, non-profit legal services providers, and communities for free legal counsel and representation. Our goal is to ensure that all Marylanders have equal access to the legal system regardless of their socio-economic condition. As the designated pro bono arm of the Maryland State Bar Association, we play a unique role as the support, training and advocacy center for pro bono activities. Our ultimate mission is to open the doors of justice for all.
Ruling year
1991
Executive Director
Ms. Sharon E. Goldsmith Esq.
Main address
1500 Union Avenue, Suite 2400
BALTIMORE, MD 21211-1986 USA
EIN
52-1664796
NTEE code
Legal Services (I80)
Human Services - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C. (P99)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Equal access to the justice system is a fundamental principle of our nation. The Pro Bono Resource Center (PBRC) engages attorneys to provide free legal help to low-income families, ensuring that they can meet essential needs like food, shelter, employment, and medical care. We work to stop wage garnishments, evictions, foreclosures, denial of benefits, and more. Only individuals charged with a criminal offense have a constitutional right to a lawyer. Yet more than 80% of Maryland residents who need civil legal help cannot afford it. Nearly 544,000 Marylanders live below the federal poverty line of less than $25,100/year for a family of four. Almost half of those living in poverty subsist on less than $6,070 a year for one person, meeting the federal definition of “deep poverty.” These families cannot afford a private lawyer--but justice for all is a core American value. PBRC was founded in 1990 to address this tremendous need.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Consumer Protection
The Consumer Protection Project (CPP) provides assistance to Maryland consumers who have been sued by creditors in District Court collection actions. Volunteer lawyers help consumers assert defenses in court, negotiate settlement agreements with creditors, and represent consumers in litigation.
Home Preservation
PBRC’s Home Preservation Project recruits and trains pro bono attorneys to provide legal representation to low income Marylanders at risk of losing their homes.
Tenant Volunteer Lawyer of the Day
Baltimore City tenants appearing in Rent Court are almost always unrepresented, unfamiliar with court procedures, and unaware of available defenses. Even when they have a clear defense or face unsafe conditions like rodent infestations, leaks, or mold, tenants need help to successfully navigate Rent Court and exercise their rights. Pro Bono Resource Center recruits volunteer attorneys to provide limited scope, day-of-court pro bono representation to Baltimore City tenants being sued for nonpayment of rent.
Unaccompanied Children
Between October 1, 2013, and August 31, 2016, more than 9,000 unaccompanied immigrant children came to Maryland – seeking refuge from violence in their home countries, and more children continue to arrive each month. Without representation, many children eligible for relief will likely be deported right back to the dangerous situations from which they escaped. The Unaccompanied Children Pro Bono Project trains and deploys volunteers to help these children gain access to critical legal assistance with their valid claims to remain in the United States.
Core Program: Training, Support, and Advocacy
The Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland recruits, trains, and matches lawyers to those in need across Maryland; strengthen the capacity of other legal services nonprofits; and advocates for improvements to the justice system.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
(Court closures in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic limited some of our clinic operations)
Hours of volunteer service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of people trained
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Core Program: Training, Support, and Advocacy
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn 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?
The Pro Bono Resource Center is dedicated to connecting lawyers with purpose. Our robust training and mentoring system provides comprehensive skills so lawyers can have a lasting and profound impact on their pro bono clients, while our innovative direct service projects mobilize community resources to offer immediate assistance in areas of critical legal need to thousands of low-income individuals each year.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
PBRC offers a comprehensive menu of training options, giving attorneys the skills necessary to make a difference. We refer hundreds of trained volunteers to legal services nonprofits across Maryland, as well as to our own direct service projects which address areas of unmet need.
Our innovative legal clinics mobilize volunteers to offer immediate assistance to low-income clients in areas of critical legal need. We bring trained volunteers, laptops, printers, phones, and all the necessary documents directly to the courthouse or convenient community locations, like senior centers, hospitals, and libraries. PBRC's current direct service projects include: Courtroom Advocacy (tenant and consumer defense), Home Preservation, and Immigrant Legal Assistane.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
For thirty years, PBRC has served as the statewide coordinator and clearinghouse for pro bono legal service in Maryland. We train and refer hundreds of volunteer attorneys each year, and thousands of clients receive valuable legal services through our projects.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Over the past two years alone, PBRC closed 4,991 cases for individuals with legal issues, with a total impact on 11,358 low-income individuals; provided community outreach to more than 20,000; trained 1,609 volunteers (attorneys, law students, paralegals, and interpreters); and coordinated $957,137 worth of free legal services to those in need. We continue to evolve, working to advocate on behalf of our clients and their communities, and meeting the most pressing civil legal needs among low-income families in Maryland.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland Inc
Board of directorsas of 07/22/2022
Mr. Joseph Dyer
Seyfarth Shaw, LLP
Organizational demographics
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