Maryland Court of Appeals requires attorneys to complete annual reporting about IOLTA funds and pro bono hours by February 15^th of each year.  We are happy to announce that this year the Court of Appeals instituted an online giving program offering all Maryland attorneys the option to donate to an Maryland Legal Service Corporation (MLSC)-funded agency at the completion of online filing. The donation page will appear as the last screen in the process.   

If you are an attorney licensed in Maryland, please consider using this page to make a donation to MDLC, and encourage colleagues and friends to do the same.  It’s quick and easy, and donations we receive through this process will count toward the $15,000 MLSC challenge grant we received earlier this week!

Maryland Court of Appeals online IOLTA and pro bono filing

MDLC is positioning itself for a strong future by moving its offices in April of this year to Union Mill in Hampden.  Union Mill is a green, urban infill project by Seawall Development, based on the award-winning Miller’s Court model. 

Recognizing that MDLC needs extra help to cover expenses related to our relocation and keep precious program dollars fully deployed on our mission, MDLC’s largest grantor, Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC) has issued us the following challenge:  if MDLC can raise $15,000, MLSC will match this amount with a $15,000 grant.  Given that all MLSC grants will be reduced by a minimum of 5% this year with further reductions all but assured, MDLC absolutely must meet the $15,000 challenge.  Our clients rely heavily on our assistance and we simply cannot leave these dollars on the table. 

A donation of any amount will help us reach our $15,000 goal and will be greatly appreciated by all of us.  Individuals and businesses that make a donation at the “partner” level of $3,000 will be memorialized on the beautiful plaque gracing the entrance of MDLC’s new office suite. 

For years, the hard-working advocates at MDLC have been opening doors for people with disabilities and are now reaching out to the community for help in opening new doors of our own.  If you prefer to donate online, please use our website: www.mdlclaw.org .  If you prefer to send a check payable to MDLC, you may mail it to us at: MDLC, 1800 N. Charles Street Suite 400, Baltimore, MD 21201.

Thank you for any help you can provide! 
Virginia Knowlton, Executive Director

Since 2007, MDLC has provided advocacy assistance for “Petra,” a 10-year-old with autism, blindness, cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities who exhibits self-injurious behaviors.  MDLC has visited Petra’s home and school, attended IEP, DDA and service coordination meetings, corresponded with various agencies and coached Petra’s parents.  Despite her parents’ best efforts, including working opposite shifts so one of them could always be with Petra, she was not receiving the support services she needed and rarely left home except to attend school.  Petra’s parents eventually had to doubt whether they could maintain her in the family home although that was their goal.  MDLC was told repeatedly that Petra had no entitlement to services, but we persisted.  Finally, we were able to get our client placed into the Community Pathways Waiver program.  At long last, Petra will be able to access the services she needs to be healthy and safe at home!

Have your income tax forms completed for free!

People with disabilities living in the Baltimore metropolitan area with an income of less than $50,000 are invited to Disability Income Tax Day on February 11, 2012 from 9 am to 2 pm.  Clinics will be held at 3 locations:  Northern Community Action Center on York Road, Goodwill Industries on East Redwood Street, and Office of Employment Development at Mondawmin Mall.    Read the announcement for information about how to make an appointment and what services will be offered.  Questions?  Call Division of Rehabilitation Services at 410-333-6119 or go to www.baltimorecashcampaign.org .

MDLC and Allies bring you: Special Education Legal Clinic in Prince George’s County!

Do you need help obtaining appropriate special education services for your child?  MDLC and its Special Education Coalition of Prince George’s County partners invite you to our Special Education Clinic for free advocacy assistance and information. 

Nov. 19, from 9 AM to 2 PM
The Arc of Prince George’s County
1401 McCormick Dr., Largo, MD 20774

Appointment strongly recommended for individual attorney/paralegal consultations.  Please call MDLC at 800-233-7201 ext. 2516, or MCIE at 410-859-54- ext. 118 by Nov. 15 to assure your appointment! 
We also welcome walk-ins.   Representatives from Prince Geoprge’s County Public Schools will be present to hear your concerns and answer questions.  Additional parent resources will also be available.

Please let us know any accommodations you may need!  See you on Nov. 19.

Read flier in English, or en Espanol.

MDLC represented “Louis,” who had been sent to the Rosewood institution from foster care at age 6 and remained there until age 23 when he was discharged to community services.  A few years later, he was discharged from community services and began relying on support from former staff people and the supervisor at his job, until circumstances changed and he needed a more reliable support plan.  Meanwhile, the state had destroyed Louis’ entire record except for the two-page discharge summary.  This discharge summary, prepared by state officials, is the only documentation remaining from Louis’ time at Rosewood and the only documentation describing him prior to the age of 22, the age by which a developmental disability (DD) must have manifested for eligibility purposes.  Unfortunately, the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) did not find this discharge summary persuasive and denied Louis, a former ward of the state, eligibility for services as an individual with a DD.  MDLC represented Louis in an informal hearing where the state again did not give the discharge summary proper weight and incorrectly found him ineligible.  MDLC then hired an expert to perform a neuropsychological evaluation to show that Louis does have a DD.  MDLC also found Louis’ staff from when he first left Rosewood, and learned more about the supports he needs and receives from his supervisor and the social worker at his place of employment.  MDLC represented Louis at an administrative hearing.  Upon receiving the neuropsychological report, speaking with MDLC’s witnesses, and learning more about the support Louis used to receive and still needs, DDA decided to withdraw their denial and issue a new decision.  DDA changed their position, not only finding that Louis does have a DD, but placing him in the highest priority category which enables him to start receiving services quickly.

“Petra” is a single mom with a young son who has Multiple Sclerosis.   Petra suffered a stroke in 2009 and was no longer able to lift her son to take him to school or even to the car.  She had attempted to port her housing voucher from the County to the City to get her son into a school program that would better attend to his needs and pick him up from home.   The County had refused, so she moved on her own and had lost her voucher.  As Petra’s condition became more disabling and her son’s condition worsened, she could no longer afford her housing.  She came to MDLC for assistance.  MDLC convinced the County to reinstate her voucher and talked the City into accepting her voucher being ported to the City.  We found her a unit that while not fully accessible had a no-step entrance, but at that time her son could walk with assistance.  After six months, her son’s condition was reaching the point where he needed a fully accessible unit and Petra needed an additional bedroom to accommodate the equipment for his increasing needs.  MDLC went back to the City to ask for a 3-bedroom voucher and to the landlord to ask that she be allowed to move prior to her lease ending.  Mom and son love their new 3 bedroom accessible home!

MDLC has prevailed in representing a client who was institutionalized at the State’s “Secure Evaluation and Therapeutic Treament” (SETT) facility and Baltimore City Detention Center without receiving the educational services to which he was entitled. MDLC filed a complaint with the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), and MSDE found that the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) and the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR) failed to provide our client with educational services required by law. MDLC just learned that not only will DHMH provide compensatory services to our client, they will also hire an education liaison to address the systemic problem we uncovered. The State’s past practice has been to contact the home school and request “home and hospital” services, regardless of whether the student had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) – with the result that it took weeks or months before any educational services were in place. Now, because of MDLC’s successful complaint, DHMH will have an in-house staff person to coordinate educational services for these students. DHMH has also recognized that because all residents at the SETT have developmental disabilities, all who are under age 21 will likely have IEPs.

MDLC has launched its annual planning process, and we’d like to hear from you.  Please take a minute to complete 2012 planning survey on our website to let us know what disability-related issues are important to you.  We are asking for responses by October 30^th, by fax, email, or mail.  Thank you for your input!