Chesapeake College and Mid-Shore Pro Bono are continuing their collaboration to operate a legal clinic that serves college students and others from the five-county region who are unable to pay for attorney services on their own.
In the last year, Mid Shore Pro Bono and the Chesapeake College Paralegal Program have provided legal assistance to 60 citizens through the legal clinic on Chesapeake’s Wye Mills campus.
Local lawyers Edward Modell, Jimmy Persels and James Richardson volunteered to work with students from Chesapeake’s Paralegal program to assist individuals in the clinic. The free service provides access to advice on civil legal matters including bankruptcy, elder care, landlord-tenant disputes and other issues.
“The legal clinic, thanks to the dedication of volunteer attorneys, is serving our community and enhancing our paralegal program. The clinic fills a critical need for students and other area residents in need of legal assistance,” said Bridget Lowrie, J.D., Chesapeake College Assistant Professor Criminal Justice and Paralegal Studies. “This has also been a wonderful experience for our paralegal students who learn in a workplace environment before they begin their careers in private practices, prosecutors’ offices and non-profit legal agencies.”
Chesapeake student volunteers agree that the clinic provides experiential learning with real-world relevance.
“The legal clinic is a great experience for paralegal students. This is a great way for me to see firsthand a client seeking legal advice. This is also a good learning experience for me because it requires me to be organized in taking notes and preparing paperwork. This also allows me to experience different kinds of cases that may need legal help and what different rules apply to different situations,” said Amanda Dodge, a paralegal student who volunteered in the clinic.
Support for the legal clinic was provided by the Women & Girls Fund.
Individuals in need of legal services are encouraged to contact Mid-Shore Pro Bono in advance of clinic dates for initial evaluation and intake by calling 410-690-8128 or emailing [email protected]. Qualified individuals will be given an appointment for the clinic.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.