About Us

About Us


Our Vision

To lead in providing high-quality legal services; to build on mutual respect for clients, staff, and others; to advocate for justice; and to add maximum positive value to all who request legal assistance.

Our Mission

To provide high-quality, free legal services to Marylanders living in poverty through representation and advocacy and to bring meaningful change to the systems that impact them.

Our Values

To grow out of in-depth conversations with our clients across the state about the issues that they and their families face everyday. Maryland Legal Aid has adopted a human rights framework to our advocacy.

What We Do

Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) is the largest provider of free, direct legal services in Maryland and the state’s 3rd largest law firm*. As a private, non-profit law firm, MLA provides a full range of free civil legal services to low-income people statewide, in Baltimore City and in Maryland’s 23 counties, from 12 office locations. Financial support for our services comes from federal, state and local governments, foundations, law firms, the United Way, and from individual donors.

MLA handles civil (not criminal) cases involving a wide range of issues, including child custody, housing, public benefits, consumer law (e.g., bankruptcy and debt collection), and criminal record expungements to remove barriers to obtaining child custody, housing, and employment.

Many of MLA’s local offices represent children in CINA (Child in Need of Assistance) proceedings. Other vulnerable populations, such as victims of abuse and domestic violence, seniors, migrant farmworkers, veterans, and nursing home and assisted living residents, also receive specialized representation. MLA’s services include representation before federal and state trial and appellate courts, brief advice and counsel, and referrals to other sources of assistance.

*The Daily Record 2019

Leadership

Rachel Bitter, Esq.
Rachel Bitter, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Upper Eastern Shore
Laurence Boylan, Esq.
Laurence Boylan, Esq.
Supervising Attorney, Baltimore City Intake Services Unit
John Butler, Esq.
John Butler, Esq.
Supervising Attorney, Baltimore County Office
Matthew Braun, Esq.
Matthew Braun, Esq.
Supervising Attorney, Prince George's County Office
Cornelia Bright Gordon, Esq.
Cornelia Bright Gordon, Esq.
Advocacy Director for Administrative Law
Arlene Callender, Esq.
Arlene Callender, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Harford/Cecil County Office
Louise Carwell, Esq.
Louise Carwell, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Baltimore City Housing & Consumer Law
Natalie Coley-Lawrence, Esq.
Natalie Coley-Lawrence, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Baltimore City Intake Services Unit
Teresa Cooke, Esq.
Teresa Cooke, Esq.
Supervising Attorney, Prince George's County
Gregory Countess, Esq.
Gregory Countess, Esq.
Advocacy Director for Housing & Community Development
Graham Cowger
Graham Cowger
Director of Development
Anthony Davis, Esq.
Anthony Davis, Esq.
Advocacy Director for Consumer Law
Angus Derbyshire, Esq.
Angus Derbyshire, Esq.
Director of Pro Bono
Katherine Gillespie, Esq.
Katherine Gillespie, Esq.
Deputy Legal & Advocacy Director
Lee Heithoff, Esq.
Lee Heithoff, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Southern Maryland
John Jeffcott, Esq.
John Jeffcott, Esq.
Director of Information Technology
Karwolo Kamei, Esq.
Karwolo Kamei, Esq.
Supervising Attorney, Community Lawyering Initiative
Jeff Kaplan, Esq.
Jeff Kaplan, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Domestic Law Unit
Jennifer Lavella
Jennifer Lavella
Director of Marketing and Communications
Erica LeMon, Esq.
Erica LeMon, Esq.
Advocacy Director for Children's Rights
Joan Little, Esq.
Joan Little, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Baltimore City CINA
Ashley Mariner, Esq.
Ashley Mariner, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Lower Easter Shore
Claudine “Dini” McCullough, Esq.
Claudine “Dini” McCullough, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Montgomery County
Meaghan McDermott, Esq.
Meaghan McDermott, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Community Lawyering Initiative
Jamie Miliman, Esq.
Jamie Miliman, Esq.
Supervising Attorney, Lower Eastern Shore
Christina Moore, Esq.
Christina Moore, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Administrative Law Unit
Eileen Nnoli, Esq.
Eileen Nnoli, Esq.
Supervising Attorney, Baltimore City Intake Services Unit
Lee Ogburn, Esq.
Lee Ogburn, Esq.
Advocacy Director for Appellate Law
Kristen Pisani-Jacques, J.D., CWLS
Kristen Pisani-Jacques, J.D., CWLS
Deputy Legal & Advocacy Director
Priya Sarathy
Priya Sarathy
Chief Financial Officer
Jennifer Schauffler
Jennifer Schauffler
Director of Grants, Contracts and Compliance
Kristi Schulenberg, Esq.
Kristi Schulenberg, Esq.
Chief Operating Officer
Vicki Schultz, Esq.
Vicki Schultz, Esq.
Executive Director
Mariel Shutinya, Esq.
Mariel Shutinya, Esq.
Director of Training
Janine Scott, Esq.
Janine Scott, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Baltimore County
Zafar Shah, Esq.
Zafar Shah, Esq.
Assistant Advocacy Director for Tenant's Right to Counsel (TRCP)
Rich Sherriffe
Rich Sherriffe
Director of Administrative Services
Miriam Sincell, Esq.
Miriam Sincell, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Allegany/Garrett Office
William Steinwedel, Esq.
William Steinwedel, Esq.
Supervising Attorney, Foreclosure Legal Assistance Project
Jessica Sysak
Jessica Sysak
Chief Human Resources Officer
Vicki Taitano, Esq.
Vicki Taitano, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Prince George's County Office
Somil Trivedi, Esq.
Somil Trivedi, Esq.
Chief Legal and Advocacy Director
Frank Vitale, Esq.
Frank Vitale, Esq.
Chief Attorney, Anne Arundel/Howard Office
Amee Vora, Esq.
Amee Vora, Esq.
Advocacy Director for Family Law
Patricia Waldman, Esq.
Patricia Waldman, Esq.
Supervising Attorney, Prince George's County
Shannon Weaver, Esq.
Shannon Weaver, Esq.
Supervising Attorney, Baltimore City CINA

Board of Directors

Brian Hochheimer, Esq.
Brian Hochheimer, Esq.
President
Ora Johnson
Ora Johnson
Vice President
Richard L. Wasserman, Esq.
Richard L. Wasserman, Esq.
Treasurer
Marquita Wise-Jones
Marquita Wise-Jones
Secretary
Emerson L. Dorsey, Jr., Esq.
Emerson L. Dorsey, Jr., Esq.
Member at Large
Richard “Ricky” Adams, Esq.
Richard “Ricky” Adams, Esq.
Lorenzo A. Bivans, Jr., Esq.
Lorenzo A. Bivans, Jr., Esq.
Jessica A. duHoffmann, Esq.
Jessica A. duHoffmann, Esq.
Manuel “Manny” R. Geraldo, Esq.
Manuel “Manny” R. Geraldo, Esq.
Ashley M. Green
Ashley M. Green
Brandyn J. Hicks, Esq.
Brandyn J. Hicks, Esq.
Donald “Tim” Howe
Donald “Tim” Howe
Lauren Lacey, Esq.
Lauren Lacey, Esq.
Charles “Chuck” J. Morton, Jr., Esq.
Charles “Chuck” J. Morton, Jr., Esq.
Chelsea Ortega, Esq.
Chelsea Ortega, Esq.
Stacy Smith, Esq.
Stacy Smith, Esq.

Honorary Board of Directors

Phyllis Butler
Jo Glasco
Gwendolyn Johnson
Warren Oliveri, Esq.

Brief History