Public Justice Center Annual Report for FY24

TAKING ACTION TO BUILD A JUST SOCIETY

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024 JULY 1, 2023- JUNE 30, 2024

MISSION

The Public Justice Center (PJC) pursues systemic change to build a just society. The PJC uses legal advocacy tools to pursue social justice, economic and race equity, and fundamental human rights for people who are struggling to provide for their basic needs. The PJC is a civil legal aid office that provides advice and representation to low-income clients, advocates before legislatures and government agencies, and collaborates with community and advocacy organizations. The PJC chooses projects and cases that will make a significant impact on systems, laws, and practices.

YEAR-AT-A-GLANCE

793

Number of new clients receiving legal services from the PJC

$2.6 MILLION

Value of hours provided through co-counseling partnerships with private law firms

179

Number of cases and advocacy actions taken to create systemic change

48

Number of know-your-rights presentations

$474,094

Direct economic benefits for our clients resulting from PJC representation

11 MILLION

Estimated number of individuals benefiting from the PJC’s advocacy

$4,103,676 Income

$3,908,254 Expenses

This financial summary was prepared on a cash basis from end-of-year (June 30, 2024) financial statements prior to the completion of the annual independent audit.

Reflections from the Executive Director and Board Chair

Dear Friends,

Thank you for joining the Public Justice Center in taking action to build a just society! Every day, we are grateful that you share our beliefs that a just society is achievable through persistent and collective action and that legal advocacy is a powerful catalyst for change – and that you join us in pushing for reforms to laws, policies, and practices that perpetuate injustice. Today, we are proud to share our annual report for FY 2024, which reflects on all we have accomplished together in the last year.

As PJC supporters, you understand that the issues we take on are complex, deeply rooted in a legacy of systemic inequality, and often cannot be solved with a win in one case or legislative session. Meaningful change can take years of strategic action and unwavering commitment and, for nearly four decades, the PJC has been at the forefront of the fight for justice. We have never been alone in this fight: we collaborate with our clients and allies to advocate in the courts, before legislatures, and with government agencies in pursuit of systemic change. Together, over the years, and in the last year, we have made steady progress in advancing the rights of those who have been marginalized and oppressed by unjust laws. We know there is still much more to be done. As we look ahead, we remain committed to a relentless pursuit of justice, with you by our side.

Your support – as clients, community members, partners, volunteers, and donors –has been the driving force behind our progress. Whether you joined the PJC’s fight for justice for the first time in FY 2024 or have backed us up for years (or decades), your support is invaluable. You helped us achieve the progress described in this report, and you sustained our multi-year advocacy efforts to advance racial and economic justice for people and communities in Maryland and around the country. Thank you for joining us in advocating for change that will have an impact now and for years to come. Your continued partnership is vital as we push forward for justice!

Sincerely,

Jeniece Jones, MPA, JD

Colette Colclough Executive Director Chair, Board of Directors

TAKING ACTION TO BUILD A JUST SOCIETY

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024

JULY 1, 2023- JUNE 30, 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Navigate using page numbers below and to return to the Table of Contents.

AWARDS

PAGE 4

ANTI-RACISM/RACE EQUITY

PAGE 10

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

HEALTH AND BENEFITS

EQUITY PROJECT

PAGE 15

WORKPLACE JUSTICE PROJECT PAGE 23

EDUCATION STABILITY PROJECT

PAGE 30

APPELLATE ADVOCACY PROJECT

PAGE 36

PRISONERS’ RIGHTS PROJECT

PAGE 41

HUMAN RIGHT TO HOUSING PROJECT

PAGE 42

NATIONAL COALITION FOR A CIVIL RIGHT TO COUNSEL PAGE 50

FINANCIALS

PAGE 58

PARTNERS PAGE 60

DONORS PAGE 64

VOLUNTEERS

PAGE 71

STAFF PAGE 73

STAFF RECOGNITION PAGE 74

SUPPORT THE PJC PAGE 75

APPENDIX PAGE 76

John P. Sarbanes Courage Awards

The John P. Sarbanes Courage Awards honor clients and others who exhibit tremendous courage in the face of injustice.

THERESA FLEMING has two adoptive kids who have significant trauma from their experiences with their biological mother. The PJC’s Education Stability Project has, at different times, represented both of her children. Last year, we represented her and her son in a fight against Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) over their attempt to place him (age 9, with significant special education needs) in a disciplinary school. During much of this fight, her husband was dying of cancer, and her husband died just days before we entered mediation in front of a judge. She decided not to postpone the hearing, and she fought for her son with zeal despite being in mourning. Ms. Fleming passionately fights for her children to get an education while also advocating for their dignity and right to be treated as full people with emotions and autonomy.

“I am so humbled and honored at your nomination of me for the Courage Award. Your words brought tears to my eyes. I am so appreciative of your hard work and dedication to helping us through these challenging times dealing with PGCPS’s systems injustice to prohibit children their opportunity to the rights to obtain a free and public education in a safe environment.”

–Theresa Fleming

Click here to read Ms. Fleming’s full quote.

MOHAMMED SALIM and his stepson RAFIEDUL ISLAM showed extraordinary courage by standing up for justice in the face of tremendous pressure. With help from the PJC, Mr. Salim and Mr. Islam filed a federal lawsuit alleging that they faced egregious wage theft while working at an America’s Best Pizza and Wings franchise restaurant in Salisbury, Maryland, for a period of several years. Mr. Salim alleged that the restaurant’s owners paid him just a few dollars an hour while falsely promising to make him a co-owner of the business, and Mr. Islam alleged that the owners similarly withheld his wages with the false promise that they would hold his money for him and pay it to him upon his request. Both alleged that they regularly worked 40 to 80 hours per week but were never paid an overtime rate. It is never an easy decision to turn to litigation, but what made it especially difficult here was that the restaurant’s owners were longtime acquaintances of Mr. Salim and prominent members of their community. The courage of Mr. Salim and Mr. Islam paid off when the parties reached a settlement that provided them with $260,000 in unpaid wages and damages, sending a message to wage theft perpetrators across the state.

“The Public Justice Center works for people’s rights, especially people who are not economically and financially healthy. The Public Justice Center is great for them. We need this kind of organization to keep people’s rights in society.”

– Mohammed Salim

“When everyone turned us down, the Public Justice Center helped us get what we deserved.”

– Rafiedul Islam

MARIELA CAMPOS CORADO, PATRICIA

DE ROMERO, JACKELINE CHAVEZ, and one other former Molly Maid employee persevered over several years and multiple lawsuits, showing courage throughout. In 2022, Ms. Campos and Ms. De Romero were sued by their former employer, a cleaning company, for allegedly breaching a noncompete agreement. With the PJC’s help, the court dismissed the company’s claims. The courage of Ms. Campos and Ms. De Romero gave rise to a bill – now law – expanding low-wage workers’ protections against exploitative noncompete agreements. With representation from the PJC, Ms. Campos and Ms. De Romero then joined with Ms. Chavez and another former colleague to sue the cleaning company for unpaid wages, settling in early 2024 for $18,000 in unpaid wages and damages. These courageous workers’ willingness to challenge the injustices they faced led to the dismissal of noncompete suits against them, the passage of a law to protect workers in similar circumstances, and financial compensation for their unpaid wages.

“So many immigrants do not know our rights. Those of the highest class only profit from the effort of the humblest. I am very grateful for the support of the PJC.”

– Mariela Campos

“This case was very long, like any case, and it took hard and efficient work. At times I had doubts but in the end the case was favorable! All of this was due to you all as professionals, I am very thankful!”

– Patricia DeRomero

“The Public Justice Center helps and supports in a huge way the people who need to be heard after experiencing so much abuse from their employers. Thank you and there is no need to be afraid at denouncing injustice.”

– Jackeline Chavez

Outstanding Partner Awards

The Outstanding Partner Awards go to individuals and organizations whose work makes a difference for our clients and the issues we work on.

CASA is a powerhouse in Maryland and nationally in building power and improving the quality of life in working-class communities of color. CASA creates change with its power building model, blending human services, community organizing, and advocacy. The PJC has long collaborated with CASA in defending the rights of low-wage workers, advancing immigrant rights, and protecting tenants in Baltimore City and across the state of Maryland. During the pandemic, CASA was a leader in ensuring that vulnerable communities had access to financial assistance, healthy food, and COVID-19 vaccines – as well as providing education and counseling to community members facing eviction. CASA co-led the Renters United Maryland coalition to pass the Tenant Safety Act, which will hold landlords accountable for dangerous housing conditions, and to pass a bill that will provide eviction prevention funds to families whose children are in community schools. At the PJC, we value CASA as a partner because they have

the cultural competency, language skills, experience, and community trust that enables them to engage with communities that are often difficult to reach. We routinely refer individuals who come to the PJC seeking legal services or other assistance to CASA for additional support, as well as the opportunity to integrate into CASA’s geographic organizing committees.

“CASA is proud to partner with the Public Justice Center to protect and uplift the lives of workingclass Black, Latino/a/e, Afro-descendent, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities. By joining forces, we’ve won tremendous housing justice laws, from eviction prevention funding to increased renter protections. Working together, we will be unstoppable in advocating for health care access, safeguarding workers’ rights, and securing housing for all.”

– Ninfa Amador, CASA

MURPHY ANDERSON PLLC lives up to its reputation for being “lawyers serving the public interest” in its longstanding partnership with the PJC. In the last year, Murphy Anderson co-counseled with the PJC to investigate independent contractor misclassification and wage theft by a national remote call-center corporation and to draft a detailed letter to the U.S. Department of Labor about the violations we

Outstanding Partner Awards

uncovered. Then, before and during the 2024 legislative session, attorneys from Murphy Anderson worked closely with attorneys from the PJC to draft paystub transparency legislation requiring that employers provide employees with written paystubs containing enough information for workers to understand their hours and pay. That bill passed in amended form and is now law, thanks in no small part to the expertise and hard work of Murphy Anderson attorneys.

Following the 2024 legislative session, the PJC co-counseled with Murphy Anderson on a lawsuit brought on behalf of three construction workers who alleged that they were underpaid by many thousands of dollars for work done on Morgan State University’s Public Safety Building, a publicly funded construction project in Baltimore City. The settlement in that lawsuit will provide the workers with nearly $33,000 in unpaid wages and damages.

ALYSSA FIEO is the sole education attorney at the Public Defender’s Office for all of Maryland and is a key member of the Maryland Suspension Representation Project (MSRP). She has led, or been instrumental in, important school discipline reforms. The 2024 legislative session was particularly difficult for juvenile rights advocates, and Alyssa has kept up the momentum for reform, even at times when MSRP partners have had reduced capacity. She leads

Their attorneys – Mark Hanna, Ricardo Perez, Nicole Rubin, Nicolas Mendoza, Grace Anzalone, and Adreanna Sellers – all worked with the PJC during the past year. As just one example of how Murphy Anderson PLLC lives its values, the firm generously donated a portion of their attorneys’ fees to the PJC. We appreciate their financial support as well as their legal partnership.

The PJC continues to partner with Murphy Anderson on new legislative and litigation matters, building our organization’s capacity to better serve Maryland’s lowwage workers.

“The PJC is an engine for justice for low-wage workers in Annapolis and in the courts. It is always a pleasure to partner with the top-notch legal talent in the organization, to get real results for victims of wage theft.”

– Mark Hanna

the charge on meeting with school districts and legislators as well as planning with MSRP partners on how to address school discipline issues systemically. She brings her depth of knowledge, clarity of communication, and undaunting drive to improve the lives of children to her testimony at legislative hearings, and she is assertive in her demands on behalf of Maryland students while maintaining a friendly demeanor with legislators. Every Maryland student has benefited in some way from Alyssa’s advocacy.

“Collaborating with the PJC’s Education Stability Project has been critical to my own advocacy as an education attorney with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender. By working together, we have expanded our ability to address the barriers to education services and inequities that so many students experience across Maryland.”

– Alyssa Fieo

Outstanding Partner Awards

The YOUTH ACTION BOARD (YAB) works tirelessly to rid Baltimore City of the homelessness crisis that far too many young people experience. Established in 2017, the YAB is comprised of young Baltimoreans (ages 16-24) with lived experience of homelessness and their young allies who address the issues impacting youth and young adults experiencing homelessness in Baltimore City. The YAB is responsible for advising the Continuum of Care Program and the Mayor’s Office of Homeless Services on issues related to youth homelessness – with the goal of improving the quality and effectiveness of the city’s response system. In this capacity, the YAB also assists with making informed funding decisions for programs serving youth and participates in the design of the homeless youth count. The YAB has worked closely with the PJC in advocating legislative priorities that directly affect their base. The YAB partnered with the PJC and Renters United Maryland (RUM) to advocate for the Tenant Possessions Recovery Act in Maryland’s 2024 legislative session. The Act would have allowed evicted

tenants to reclaim their personal property 10 days after they are evicted. YAB members provided testimony for this bill in addition to providing organizing and action support for all other RUM priority bills, specifically highlighting how homelessness and tenant protections are vitally important to young Maryland residents who find themselves on their own.  The insight and work the YAB provides and their partnership with the PJC, RUM, and other organizations in Baltimore and statewide are invaluable and greatly appreciated.

“We are the face, and voice of youth experiencing housing instability, working endlessly to raise awareness, influence policy, and drive change in our youth and community.”

– The Baltimore City Youth Action Board

Outstanding Partner Awards

JENNIFER ROWE AND MICHAEL ABRAMS

The PJC honors Jennifer Rowe and Michael Abrams with an Outstanding Partner Award for their years-long fight for Marylanders facing public accommodations discrimination who are denied justice by the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR). Jennifer Rowe filed and litigated a disability-based discrimination claim, first on her own through the MCCR, without remedy, and then with representation from Michael Abrams, the PJC’s Murnaghan Fellow (2021-22), in her appeal of the MCCR’s finding of “no probable cause” for discrimination before the Appellate Court of Maryland. The court dismissed her case, claiming that it did not have jurisdiction, and the Supreme Court of Maryland affirmed. This year, Ms. Rowe and Mr. Abrams came together again with the PJC to advocate successfully for the passage of SB 50 / HB 394, which creates an avenue to challenge findings by the MCCR of no probable cause for discrimination claims in the state appellate courts – restoring appellate jurisdiction for cases like hers. With their stirring testimony at two hearings, the bill sailed through the General Assembly on the first try.  Said Judicial Proceedings Committee Chair Will Smith at the committee voting session, “I love this bill!”

“Giants of the civil rights movement fought for the right to be free from discrimination in Maryland businesses. Today, that right still cannot be taken for granted. Under the tireless leadership of Deb Gardner and the Public Justice Center, our team moved the Legislature to fix a restrictive court decision and ensure appellate rights for Marylanders who face discrimination in public accommodations. We are honored to accept the PJC Outstanding Partner award.” – Michael Abrams and Jennifer Rowe

Race Equity

PJC Anti-Racism Vision

The Public Justice Center envisions a just society where Black, Latine, Indigenous, Asian, and other historically exploited people are free from systems of oppression, exploitation, and all expressions of discrimination. This will shift power and resources to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) across Maryland.

We envision that our organization is actively anti-racist and perpetually learns and applies anti-racist principles to our internal work and our advocacy as we partner with our clients and communities in pursuit of liberation.

Finally, we envision the individuals within our organization are liberated themselves, and we recognize that all liberation (our own, our clients’, our communities’) is intertwined.

PJC Anti-Racism Mission

To end oppression and dismantle racist systems and institutions that perpetuate oppression in any form, including white supremacy, both internally at the PJC and externally in our broader communities, by dedicating funds, time, and staff to follow through with these commitments.

The PJC strives to be anti-racist, and there is a long road ahead.

To our clients, our partners, and our general community, we commit to:

1. Partnering with organizations and funders with anti-racist values and calling out (or in) partners who express anti-Blackness or racism.

2. Developing authentic, nontransactional relationships with Blackled organizations and institutions.

3. Soliciting and incorporating feedback from our clients, partners, and the broader community about our approach, our work, our interactions, and our outcomes. We will use this feedback to:

a. Identify which systemic changes our clients want us to help advance; and

b. Better our client interactions to ensure we’re useful partners and assistants.

4. Advancing and initiating efforts to achieve justice for all people in contact with the legal system, and which challenge white supremacy in the legal profession and justice system, by:

a. Taking cases which attack white supremacist and racist systems and defaults;

b. Incorporating anti-racism analysis in our work;

c. Advancing race equity arguments in our cases; and

d. Taking small and big actions as part of our anti-racism work.

5. Building solidarity by joining our clients and community for moments of joy, and not just responding to crisis.

6. Implementing community lawyering practices.

Advocating for Racial Justice in our Communities and the Courts

The PJC challenges laws, policies, and practices that perpetuate racial inequities and injustice through legislative advocacy in the Maryland General Assembly. We review bills introduced each legislative session to identify those that, if passed, will advance our anti-racism vision and mission. Our Race Equity Team provides written and oral testimony and advocates in coalition with allies. During the 2024 General Assembly, we successfully advocated for bills that will make homeownership more affordable in historically redlined communities, plug gaps in Maryland’s anti-discrimination laws, and grant appellate courts the jurisdiction to review dismissals of complaints by the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. We also advocated to improve equity in the jury selection process.

Making homeownership more affordable in historically redlined communities.

Redlining practices in Maryland created disparities in homeownership, which have particularly affected Black communities. The PJC successfully advocated for HB 873 / SB 704, which will increase access to affordable homes within historically redlined communities, help rectify historic injustices, promote equity, and foster the creation of generational wealth through homeownership. The new law begins to address disparities in homeownership in two ways: 1) It will expand eligibility for financial assistance under the Appraisal Gap from Historic Redlining Financial Assistance Program to include individuals purchasing homes as owner-occupants. 2) It provides promissory notes to individual homebuyers that the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development can convert into forgivable loans.

Expanding anti-discrimination protections. The gaps in Maryland’s anti-discrimination law were illuminated when the Supreme Court of Maryland ruled in John Doe v. CRS that unless a protected class is specifically enumerated in a given anti-discrimination clause, that class does not get the protections of the clause, even if they are protected elsewhere. We joined a coalition spearheaded by FreeState Justice in successfully advocating for the Opportunity for All

Marylanders Act (HB 1397), which will standardize anti-discrimination clauses across state law for all protected categories, including race, disability, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Enabling appellate review of complaints dismissed by the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. The passage of SB 50 / HB 394 creates an avenue to challenge findings by the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) of no probable cause in discrimination claims in the state appellate courts. The bill was introduced in response to the decision of the Supreme Court of Maryland in Rowe v. Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. PJC client Jennifer Rowe had filed a complaint with the MCCR alleging that a gym discriminated against her on the basis of disability. The MCCR decided there was no probable cause to find discrimination and dismissed her complaint. Ms. Rowe appealed, and the Appellate Court of Maryland dismissed her case, claiming that it did not have jurisdiction. The Supreme Court of Maryland affirmed the lower court’s ruling, essentially eliminating individuals’ ability to appeal MCCR dismissals of complaints. This new law restores that appellate court jurisdiction.

Thank you to bill sponsors Sen. Clarence Lam and Del. Pam Guzzone; Chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Will Smith; our lobbyist, Ann Ciekot; and civil rights attorney Michael Abrams. Most of all, we thank Jennifer Rowe, who turned her full motivation to seeking justice for others facing the same barrier that she faced in the courts, testifying eloquently at two hearings, impressing legislators, and helping to get the bill passed the year it was first introduced with no opposition or weakening amendments even though she had nothing to gain personally from the passage of the bill.

Pursuing equity in jury selection in Maryland courts. Well-informed jury selection – that is, active participation by the lawyers representing the parties – improves the quality and fairness of juries and roots out the biases of the lawyers in the case. Under current Maryland case law, participation by attorneys is tightly limited to a few questions selected and asked by the judge. The PJC and allies advocated for SB 827 / HB 1079, which would have opened the jury selection process to direct attorney participation and aligned Maryland law with that of 45 states that provide this time-tested process for reducing explicit or implicit bias in our juries. Thank you to Chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, Will Smith, for his support; the Maryland Association of Justice for advocating on behalf of trial lawyers; and private attorney David A. Harak for leading the effort to garner support from a wide array of supporters. The bill passed the Senate but did not get a vote in the House Judiciary Committee. Maryland’s Chief Justice Mattew W. Fader has called for expedited consideration of similar proposals by the Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, and the PJC is engaged with the coalition in support of similar reform through that forum. On September 12, 2024, the Supreme Court of Maryland approved a rule establishing a one-year pilot program for expanded voir dire in civil and criminal jury trials in Maryland courts. This is a first step forward for the courts, and the PJC will continue to advocate for adoption of fair, equitable, and effective jury selection.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to watch Jennifer Rowe’s and Michael Abram’s favorable testimony for SB 50 / HB 394.

Strengthening the PJC’s Anti-Racism Workplace Culture

The PJC has long been committed to developing our knowledge of institutional, cultural, systemic, and structural racism and to building strategies to advance racial equity within our organization and in our work. In February 2023, we adopted a Race Equity Action Plan focused on four priorities, created work groups focused on each priority, and have taken steps toward implementing the plan in FY24.

Transformative justice conflict resolution process. We drafted guidelines for a transformative justice conflict resolution process that can be used internally to build community and address conflicts and harm within the PJC. The work group identified the need for outside expertise to fully implement this process and released a request for proposals for a partner to 1) review and provide input on the draft guidelines, 2) develop resources and facilitate trainings on transformative justice and conflict resolution, and 3) provide external mediation, as needed, that aims to restore the relationships of the parties in conflict, looks at the conditions that may have enabled the harm to occur, and aims to repair and transform the PJC workplace community.

Restorative justice culture and practices. We founded a Restorative Culture League (RCL) to foster stronger relationships across PJC teams and identify ways to infuse restorative practices into our workplace culture. The RCL organized a tour of the exhibit Passion and Purpose: Voices of Maryland’s Civil Rights Activists at the Maryland Center for History and Culture and a screening and discussion of Translators, a film directed by Rudy Valdez about three families with limited English proficiency who rely on their children to translate.

Anti-racist community engagement practices. The community engagement work group began developing a policy for the PJC to provide honoraria to directly impacted community members for volunteering their time and knowledge to collaborate with us on advocacy, such as legislative and policy reform. Directly impacted community members have shared their lived experience of systemic inequities and discrimination in various

areas of life to inform policymakers and the general public. Their contributions have informed and supported advocacy by all PJC project teams. Supervision practices that incorporate racial equity considerations. This work group created and implemented a new performance evaluation tool that provides a mechanism for self- and superviseeassessment of equitable and inclusive supervision skills and communication for all of our supervisors. In addition, we contracted with Axia Amplified Consultants to conduct a series of workshops to train staff on supervision across differences and to support supervisors with one-to-one coaching for the application of the tools and skills discussed in the workshops. The training sessions were designed to equip supervisors with essential proficiencies in supervising diverse teams and to empower supervisees to articulate their needs and concerns to their supervisors. The training sessions were open to all PJC staff members.

The PJC’s Race Equity Team

Elizabeth Ashford • Melanie Babb • Erin Brock • Kelsey Carlson • Angelea Aldana Dwyer • Debra Gardner • Dan Gugliuzza • Hayley Hahn • Sabrina Harris • Jeniece Jones • John Pollock • David Reische • Russell Reno, Jr. • David Rodwin • Albert Turner • Lee Woo Kee • Ashley Woolard

Members of the PJC race equity legislative committee advocated on the bills described on the previous pages, including Executive Director Jeniece Jones, Legal Director Debra Gardner, attorneys Albert Turner and Ashley Woolard, and paralegal Kelsey Carlson.

Project Highlights FY 2024

Health and Benefits Equity Project

Health and Benefits Equity Project

We advocate to protect and expand access to health care and safety net services for Marylanders struggling to make ends meet. We support policies and practices that are designed to eliminate racial and ethnic inequities and enable every Marylander to attain their highest level of health.

Many systemic barriers keep people from attaining their highest level of health and accessing safety net services meant to help keep people out of poverty. In Maryland, the Black maternal mortality rate is four times the white maternal mortality rate; among the reasons is racial bias by health care providers that results in the concerns of Black birthing people being ignored and a lower quality of care. The lack of state oversight in Maryland’s licensed nursing facilities has resulted in residents being neglected and at serious risk of harm. The State’s failure has had a disparate impact on Black residents, as Maryland’s licensed nursing facilities that have a majority of Black residents are more likely to have lower quality of care. People with limited English proficiency face significant barriers to accessing high quality, culturally competent health care and public services. The state of Maryland has not provided strong monitoring and enforcement of language access rights under state and federal law, leaving individuals whose primary and preferred language is not English to experience delays in accessing time-sensitive services with little recourse.

Low-income individuals and families rely on safety net services, including food and cash assistance to survive, but Maryland’s safety net has glaring weaknesses that leave individuals and families at risk for harm. Vulnerability in Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card security meant more than 30,000 households receiving food and cash assistance had more than $18 million in benefits stolen in Maryland since 2021, driving them deeper into poverty. Hospitals have long sued patients, who are disproportionately people of color and women, for relatively small debts instead of using the millions of dollars in charity care funding they receive to cover the cost of care for those who cannot afford their medical bills. They have also wrongfully denied financial assistance to low-income patients who should have qualified for free or reduced-cost care. A 2021 report from the Health Service Cost Review Commission showed that hospitals turned 60% of patients eligible for free care over to debt collectors, resulting in these patients paying approximately $60 million statewide. These are just a few of the ways that our health care systems and safety net services continue to fail our communities, and in particular, fail people with low incomes and people of color.

Expanding Health Care Access

Reforming maternal health care. Advocacy by maternal health allies and the PJC secured a significant reform of maternal health care in the 2024 state legislative session. The Maternal Health Act of 2024 (HB 1051 / SB 1059) will improve maternal health outcomes in two ways. First, it will require Medicaid providers to complete a prenatal risk assessment form, developed by the Maryland Department of Health, during the birthing person’s initial visit and

third trimester visit and to share the risk assessment form with the local health department. When a highrisk pregnancy is identified on the risk assessment, the provider will complete an infant and maternal referral form to facilitate outreach by the local health department to the birthing parent with referrals for resources. Second, the Maternal Health Act will require the Maryland Secretary of Health, in collaboration with the Maryland Health Care Commission, to develop

a Maryland Report Card for birthing facilities and issue an annual report on care provided by each facility. The Report Card will include the number of vaginal deliveries, C-sections, and birthing complications. Thank you to bill sponsors Del. Jennifer White Holland, Del. Jheanelle Wilkins, and Sen. Arthur Ellis and our allies for their advocacy on this bill.

Addressing barriers to doula enrollment in Maryland Medicaid’s doula reimbursement program. Maryland Medicaid began providing reimbursement in 2022 for doula care* – care that reduces maternal mortality and improves the health outcomes of birthing parents and infants. But the enrollment rate of in-network service providers remains extremely low. The PJC and allies have been working on a strategy to address barriers to doula enrollment and birthing parents’ access to these life-saving services covered by Medicaid. In December 2023, we held three in-person and virtual listening sessions with community-based doulas. Approximately 20 doulas participated in the sessions facilitated by fellow doulas and shared their concerns about the Medicaid reimbursement program – ranging from low reimbursement rates and slow reimbursements to insufficient support navigating the complex and burdensome administrative processes – as well as their recommendations. One consistent theme from the listening sessions is that doulas have a strong desire to be better connected personally and professionally and to engage in collaborative advocacy on maternal health.

Following the listening sessions, the PJC and our partners – Maryland Family Network, Ana Rodney of MOMCares, Lauren Thompson of 4th Trimester Family LLC, Micknai Arefaine of Za Gualay Consulting, and Annie Byrd of DoulaID – formed a new maternal health advocacy coalition, the Doula Alliance of Maryland (DAM).

The coalition’s goal is to reshape Maryland’s Medicaid doula reimbursement program to be more inclusive of and equitable for community-based doulas and to expand low-income birthing people’s access to doula care. DAM is also developing a listserv to connect with community-based doulas and collaborate with them in related advocacy. DAM will continue its outreach to community-based doulas to better understand their needs and barriers to participating in Maryland Medicaid’s reimbursement program. Finally, DAM plans to develop policy recommendations intended to improve doula participation in the program and collaborate with policymakers to advocate for these changes.

*Doula care includes emotional and physical support, information, and advocacy for birthing people and families during the prenatal, birth, and postpartum periods.

Empowering and advocating with community health workers for sustainable funding. Community health workers (CHWs) are critical partners in health care and public outreach because they are members of the communities they serve, speak the language(s) of those communities, and have a deep understanding of those communities. They provide culturally competent health education, care coordination, and social and emotional support; help people navigate health and social service systems; and serve as advocates for individuals and communities. Despite the important role CHWs serve in their communities, their services are not covered by Maryland’s Medicaid program, and they must

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to read the five long-term priorities identified by the Community Health Workers Empowerment Coalition of Maryland and watch videos from the CHW rally.

“Even when residents are able to file a complaint with the state about their care, those complaints end up in a backlog of thousands of others and may go unanswered for years. The state has received more than 13,000 complaints over the past three years and fewer than half have been investigated.”

–Ashley Woolard, Lead Attorney, the PJC’s Health and Benefits Equity Project

“Our lawsuit aims to ensure that our clients who have mobility impairments can live in nursing homes that provide a safe and supportive environment. The special needs of those living in nursing homes are worthy of our attention and prioritization.”

–Sheila Boston, Partner at Arnold & Porter

rely on a patchwork of grant funding to sustain their work. In June 2023, the PJC brought together CHWs, trainers and employers of CHWs, and health care and advocacy organizations to discuss CHWs’ needs, long-term goals for community health work, and sustainable funding for the field.

The Community Health Workers Empowerment Coalition of Maryland formed as a result. The coalition advocated for HB 568, which would have established a Community Health Worker Appreciation Day. Though the bill passed the House, we were not successful in passing the bill in the Senate during the 2024 state legislative session. But the coalition’s advocacy educated legislators about CHWs and the lack of stable funding in the field, trained CHWs on legislative advocacy strategies, and laid the groundwork for advocacy on other CHW priorities in future years. As part of the campaign, we organized a CHW appreciation rally in March 2024 at Lawyers Mall in Annapolis. About 50 people joined the rally in person and virtually to celebrate Maryland’s CHW workforce. CHWs spoke about the unique role they play in connecting their communities to needed care and in addressing social determinants of health.

Challenging the lack of state oversight in licensed nursing facilities. The lack of state oversight in Maryland’s licensed nursing facilities has resulted in residents being neglected and at serious risk of harm. In May 2024, a group of nursing facility residents with disabilities and mobility impairments filed a class action lawsuit against the Maryland Department of Health in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland with representation by the PJC, Justice in Aging, and Arnold & Porter. The lawsuit alleges violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

The representative plaintiffs are individuals with mobility-related disabilities who rely entirely on nursing facility staff for assistance with daily care needs, like toileting, eating, transferring in and out of bed, and personal hygiene. However, these highneeds residents are often left unattended for hours in soiled linens and clothing, with their calls for help going unanswered. None of the representative plaintiffs are able to get out of bed or leave their rooms unless staff assist them, and some remain confined to their rooms or beds for weeks or months. Consequently, many have developed bed sores, with others at risk of developing them. These conditions are violations of both state and federal regulations, and the plaintiffs face serious harm if the violations are left unaddressed.

The State’s failure to adequately regulate nursing facilities has not landed evenly across populations. More than 50% of nursing facilities that have a majority of Black residents have the lowest ratings on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Care compare website (1 or 2 stars).

The lawsuit seeks to compel the State to perform its statutorily mandated obligations to conduct annual surveys of facilities and timely investigations of complaints regarding nursing facilities, thus ensuring that residents’ rights to quality care and safety are protected in Maryland’s licensed nursing facilities.

Funding the 9-8-8 Suicide Prevention Hotline. The state’s designated Suicide Prevention Hotline helps connect individuals in crisis to community-based services. We joined the Mental Health Association of Maryland and Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition to advocate for SB 974 / HB 933, which will create a dedicated funding stream for the 9-8-8 hotline in the form of a small fee of $0.25 on wireless phone bills. Increasing the availability of these services and ensuring access through a small fee will help children and adults receive the care they need in the community, avoid unnecessary hospitalization, and avoid unnecessary contact with law enforcement.

Ensuring Health Care Providers Offer Language Access Services

Building community knowledge of language access rights in health care settings. Many health providers in Maryland do not offer or refuse to provide interpretation and translation services that enable communication between individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) and their providers; LEP is defined as not having English as a primary language and having a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English. The PJC is conducting knowyour-rights training sessions on language access in health care settings and creating resources as one strategy to empower community members with LEP in self-advocacy and increase access to these essential services.

With Asylee Women Enterprise (AWE) and Intercultural Counseling Connection (ICC), we conducted our first training for refugees and asylum seekers on language access in health care settings in September 2023. We held the training in person with remote interpretation for Spanish and French language speakers. The training included opportunities for participants to role play identifying language access violations and national origin discrimination, to role play asserting their rights, and to determine when to contact the PJC for assistance. We now lead monthly training sessions for AWE’s and ICC’s clients and have expanded our trainings to include language access rights in accessing public services provided by state agencies. We created a language access know-your-rights brochure and an “I Speak” card indicating which language a person speaks to empower individuals with limited English proficiency to know and assert their rights with health care providers and state agencies. These materials are available in Spanish, French, and Arabic.

Establishing the Language Assistance Services Pilot Program. A new law will soon provide reimbursement to behavioral health providers for language assistance services, like interpretation and translation, for children with limited English proficiency (LEP) receiving care and their parents or legal guardians with LEP who are helping to coordinate their care. SB 991 establishes the Language Assistance Services Pilot Program in the Behavioral Health Administration to provide grants to local behavioral health authorities to, in turn, reimburse behavioral health providers. Inspired by recommendations in the PJC and Centro SOL’s December

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to read Speaking the Language: The Right to Interpretation & Translation Services for Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Needs in Maryland in English and Spanish.

HABLANDO EL IDIOMA

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to read the brochures that describe people’s rights to reimbursement in plain language in English and Spanish.

Reimbursement of stolen food and cash benefits: Know Your Rights

2022 report, Speaking the Language: The Right to Interpretation & Translation Services for Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Needs in Maryland, the Maryland General Assembly passed SB 991 with bipartisan support. The PJC will monitor the implementation of this bill and conduct information sessions to encourage local behavioral authorities to apply for the grants.

Thank you to Sen. Clarence Lam for sponsoring the bill. We also thank our allies Centro SOL, the Latino Family Advisory Board of Johns Hopkins System Pediatrics, Lauren Goodsmith, Health Care for the Homeless, Mental Health Association of Maryland, Catholic Charities, the Maryland Addiction Directors Council, League of Women Voters, Africans for Mental Health, NAMI Maryland, FreeState Justice, NCADD - Maryland, Behavioral Health Systems Baltimore, Pyramid Healthcare, Inc., Kennedy Kreiger Institute, the Maryland Assembly on School-Based Health Care, and the Maryland Community Health System for their support.

Strengthening Safety Net Services for Low-Income Individuals and Families

Expanding awareness of the right to be reimbursed for stolen food and cash benefits. The Prevent Electronic Benefits Theft Act of 2023 required the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) to reimburse households for stolen food and cash assistance benefits and to invest in security protections for Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards to prevent future EBT theft, among other provisions. DHS had not done any direct outreach to inform Marylanders about their rights under the law beyond publishing a toolkit on their website and social media. The PJC and Homeless Persons Representation Project (HPRP) stepped in to equip people with information on their rights to reimbursement as well as how to appeal and cite the law when DHS denies reimbursement requests. We created and are sharing a brochure that describes people’s rights to reimbursement in plain language in English and Spanish. (Thank you to HPRP for translating the brochure and to the Baltimore Banner for including the brochure in a February 2024 article on how to get reimbursed for stolen benefits.) We also hosted virtual and in-person know-your-rights training sessions, including a Justice for Breakfast discussion with HPRP and Maryland Hunger Solutions in May 2023 and a training and listening session in August 2023 at Hearts and Ears, a peer-run wellness and recovery center in Baltimore City that focuses on the needs of LGBTQ residents. In February 2024, the PJC and HPRP also collaborated on a legislative advocacy 101 workshop and EBT theft reimbursement outreach at Sarah’s House in Fort Meade, a supportive housing program that offers emergency housing and other support services to families experiencing homelessness in Anne Arundel County. A key component of our community education is to highlight aspects of DHS policy that are not consistent with the law and empower people who have experienced theft of their food and cash benefits to stand up for their rights.

Holding the Department of Human Services accountable to the Prevent Electronic Benefits Theft Act of 2023. The Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) failed to comply with the Prevent Electronic Benefits Act of 2023 by putting deadlines and limits on the stolen food and cash benefits that could be reimbursed, even though the law does not contain those restrictions. In August 2023, the PJC represented Vanessa Fleeton in an appeal against DHS for failure to properly reimburse her stolen benefits. Nearly $2,500 in SNAP benefits were stolen from Ms. Fleeton’s Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) account through skimming theft, leaving her family with less than $5 to live on. She filed a claim for reimbursement with DHS promptly. Under its policy, DHS reimbursed about $40 of the stolen benefits, citing an arbitrary limitation on the amount and number of reimbursements that Ms. Fleeton was eligible for – a clear violation of the law. After negotiations with DHS and Ms. Fleeton, the PJC secured a settlement requiring DHS to reimburse the full amount of stolen benefits to Ms. Fleeton with no requirements that she repay the benefits. While this settlement successfully resolved our client’s case, she is just one of many Marylanders who were not receiving the full reimbursement they were entitled to under the law. The PJC and our allies brought public pressure on DHS with an article in the Baltimore Banner focused on Ms. Fleeton’s case

and continued to advocate with DHS to address the systemic issues with the agency’s interpretation of the law. In February 2024, DHS announced it would fully reimburse people for their stolen benefits and correct denials and partial denials.

Defeating legislation that would have weakened the Prevent Electronic Benefits Theft Act of 2023. A bill introduced by the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) in 2024 would have stripped important protections from the Prevent Electronic Benefits Theft Act of 2023. HB 1434 would have eliminated the mandate for DHS to reimburse a beneficiary for food and cash assistance benefits lost due to theft and made reimbursement contingent on the availability of funds in DHS’s budget. Despite clear directives under the 2023 law to strengthen security features for EBT cards, DHS has made minimal progress, which means that, had HB 1434 passed, households would continue to experience food and cash assistance benefits theft and would have been left without the ability to buy food, pay their rent, keep the lights on, and afford other basic necessities. The PJC and other anti-poverty advocates opposed and successfully defeated the bill.

Enhancing Patient Protections

Against Harmful Medical Debt Collection Practices

Creating a simpler uniform application for financial assistance with medical care. Maryland’s nonprofit hospitals are required to provide free or discounted medical care to patients who qualify. The Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) provides a uniform financial assistance application (UFAA), which patients use to request assistance with medical bills. Most hospitals use a modified version of the UFAA, and their applications are burdensome, do not use plain language, and would be difficult for a patient with unique needs to navigate. The PJC and the Debt Collective are collaborating on advocacy to improve the UFAA to make it easy for people to read, understand, and complete on their own, especially for people experiencing housing instability and for people with disabilities. We reviewed each hospital’s existing financial assistance applications to identify positive design aspects of each application and convened focus groups in December 2023, February 2024, and August 2024 to gather community input. We partnered with On Our Own of Maryland to host focus groups at their Cumberland and Baltimore City wellness and recovery centers, as many individuals with lived experience with substance use disorder and mental illness may have experience with medical debt and hospital care for behavioral health crises.

Improving

access to financial assistance for hospital care. Financial assistance is a lifeline for patients experiencing chronic illness and other unexpected health emergencies. The availability of financial assistance for medical care should not hinge on where a patient lives and from which nonprofit hospital they receive care within the state. Likewise, protecting certain monetary assets from being counted in financial assistance determinations fosters intergenerational wealth transfer within low-income families. The passage of HB 328, sponsored by Del. Leslie Lopez, prohibits hospitals from denying a patient financial assistance eligibility based on where they live in the state (a geographic test). It also increases protection of a patient’s monetary assets from $10,000 to $100,000. As part of this advocacy, the PJC and the Debt Collective plan to develop know-your-rights materials for patients explaining their new rights under the law. We will also monitor and advocate for the creation of consumer-friendly regulations consistent with the law.

The PJC’s Health and Benefits Equity Project Team

David Reische • Sam Williamson • Ashley Woolard

Workplace Justice Project

Workplace Justice Project

We advance justice and equity for Maryland workers by defending and expanding workers’ rights based on the principle of worker power. We focus on low-wage, high-violation industries where Black and immigrant workers predominate, such as home care, cleaning, transportation, construction, and food service. We collaborate with community partners – including unions and community membership organizations – to ensure that those we serve determine our priorities. We provide know-your-rights education to empower and learn from workers, represent workers in wage-theft and other litigation, and advocate to change policies that maintain racial and economic inequity.

In many low-wage industries, employers do not pay their employees fully for all hours worked. The U.S.’s history of racism and discrimination created occupational segregation, often relegating Black workers, women, and immigrants to the lowest rungs of the economic ladder. Lower wage jobs, in turn, often have high rates of wage violations such as wage theft. Wage theft can include failure to pay “off-the-clock” work; tip theft; failure to pay minimum wage, overtime, and anything for worktime spent traveling between worksites; misclassification of employees as independent contractors; and denial of employers’ accountability for unpaid wages.

The impacts of wage theft are devastating: loss of wages needed to support families and build wealth, increased need for public benefits, and depression of wages across industries. Misclassification, in particular, has a direct effect on workers’ incomes and job quality. It denies workers their rights to minimum, overtime, and travel-time wages under state and federal law; denies them state and federal benefits, including workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, employer-sponsored health insurance, and sick and safe leave; imposes on workers a high self-employment tax burden (which frequently leads to significant debt); and makes it far harder to obtain the protections of anti-discrimination statutes.

Defending and Expanding Workers’ Rights

Equipping workers to enforce their rights in the workplace. Workers empowered with knowledge can stand up for their right to full and fair pay, recover unpaid wages, and create systemic and sustained change in the way high-violation industries do business by holding their employers accountable to the law. We collaborate with unions and worker membership organizations, workforce development organizations, community colleges, and other organizations that serve low-wage workers and/or predominately Black and Latine communities to reach and engage workers in low-wage industries where wage theft and other violations are common. We conduct in-person and virtual know-your-rights trainings in English and Spanish, sharing information on the harms of and remedies for misclassification and other forms of wage theft, including workers’ options for enforcing their rights. We also engage workers in sharing their experiences and identify patterns of violations by specific employers and in specific industries. We held 28 events reaching more than 1,600 people.

Somos Baltimore Latino – a Spanish-language Latino-led news organization in Baltimore – hosted two Facebook Live trainings in July 2023 viewed by more than 1,200 people. The first training focused on minimum wage and overtime rights, and the second training covered independent contractor misclassification and its connection to wage theft.

We partnered with Baltimore New American Access Coalition (BNAAC) for the first time in July 2023 to train 10 social workers serving lowincome immigrants and refugees and the senior program officer for the coalition. BNAAC seeks to minimize the economic and social disparities faced by immigrant and refugee families by connecting these communities to short- and long-term health and social resources. BNAAC social workers will reach an estimated 1,000 households over 18 months with resources and information, including the workers’ rights information from this training.

At CASA’s worker center in Baltimore, we provided our first trilingual training for 25 workers in November 2023. We presented information on rights in the workplace in English with interpretation in Spanish and French, reaching French-speaking workers from Burkina Faso, Guinea, Senegal, and other West African nations.

Two days after the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and the tragic loss of six Latino construction workers’ lives, we partnered with Comité Latino de Baltimore for a know-yourrights training for 22 members of

Baltimore’s Latine community. The Baltimore-area Latine community had been reeling following these workers’ deaths, and several attendees came to the training directly from a community vigil. We provided information on workers’ rights, how to assert them, and the connection between labor complaints and the possibility of obtaining deferred action for labor enforcement if workers lack immigration documentation.

We partnered with 1199SEIU (a health care workers’ union) and the National Domestic Workers Alliance (a national organization with a Maryland presence that organizes and advocates for nannies, house cleaners, and care workers) for a virtual know-your-rights training for 25 home care workers in May 2024. Our partnership with 1199SEIU and National Domestic Workers Alliance helped us bring together a group of workers that are typically hard to reach because they are spread throughout the community rather than at a single work site and often do not know their co-workers.

Throughout the year, we partnered with the Caroline Center and Bon Secours Community Works to train Certified Nursing Assistant and pharmacy technician students. Caroline Center hosted seven knowyour-rights trainings for 108 students, and Bon Secours Community Works held three trainings reaching 70 students. These partnerships help us inform students of their rights before they enter the workforce in these high-violation industries.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to watch the PJC’s Spanish-language knowyour-rights training hosted by Somos Baltimore Latino on independent contractor misclassification and its connection to wage theft.

Work more than 40 hours in a week?

If an employee works more than 40 hours in one week, they should generally be paid overtime

Overtime Rate is 1.5x your hourly rate

Example: If an employee is paid $15/hour, they should be paid $22 50 for all overtime hours

Always check your paystubs!

Check your paystubs to make sure you are being paid correctly.

employers’ wage and hour practices. These cases spread knowledge among workers concerning their rights in the workplace, empower workers through their success in combatting harmful and illegal employer practices, and force companies to comply with the law. Our legal victories aim to ensure that all workers who experience the same violations at the companies we sue, not just those we represent, are paid fully for all hours worked.

The PJC won wage theft judgments on behalf of 11 workers in one lawsuit and settled four wage theft lawsuits on behalf of 12 workers. We continue to represent another 30 workers in the home care, assisted living care, construction, security, and janitorial industries in five ongoing legal matters.

After five years of fighting for their unpaid wages, 11 construction workers scored a significant victory in a lawsuit against their employers – Aguilar et al. v. David E. Harvey Builders, Inc. et al. A federal judge ruled in late October 2023 that both the general contractor and subcontractor were liable for paying the workers almost $95,000 in wages and double damages for several weeks they worked in January and February 2018 without any compensation on the construction of a fitness facility in Riverdale, Maryland. The lawsuit, filed in December 2018, was brought against both the subcontractor who hired the workers as well as the general contractor on the construction project. The construction workers testified at trial that the subcontractor and general

contractor jointly exercised control over their work on the project such that both should be liable for the workers’ unpaid wages. In the court’s decision, the judge credited and relied on the workers’ testimony and adopted our central legal arguments. Congratulations to the plaintiffs for this hard-earned win: Angella Aguilar, Luis Baires, Carlos Chavarria, Blanca Ferrer, Jacinto Garcia, Fabricio Marroquin, Antonio Martinez, Wilson Panozo, Freddy Veizaga Prado, Jose Feliciano Revelo, and Jose Antonio Torres.

In Campos Corado et al. v. MMFC LLC et al., four immigrant women who are mostly monolingual Spanish speakers sued their employers, a local franchise of the national cleaning company Molly

Maid and its owners, Ritu Goel and Sumeet Goel. Mariela Campos Corado, Patricia de Romero, Jackeline Chavez, and one other former Molly Maid employee alleged that MMFC LLC failed to pay its employees overtime and the promised wage rates and made additional unlawful deductions from the employees’ wages without their prior consent. In March 2024, the parties filed a motion with the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland asking it to approve a settlement providing the workers with $18,000 in unpaid wages and damages. The court approved the settlement in May 2024. This win follows the PJC’s representation of Mariela Campos Corado and Patricia de Romero in 2022 when the cleaning franchise sued them in state court for allegedly violating a non-compete agreement that sought to bar them from cleaning certain homes; in that case, the court dismissed the employer’s lawsuits against the workers.

Three Spanish-speaking construction workers –Jose Alfredo Amaya, Luis Miranda, and Moises Aleman – obtained $18,000 in unpaid wages and damages in Amaya et al. v. Infinite Homes Group 646/500 LLC et al. In a federal wage theft complaint filed in January 2024, they alleged that they were

employed to repair vacant rowhouses in Baltimore City but were not paid the required overtime rate for their hours worked over 40 in a workweek and were paid nothing at all for several weeks of work. Their complaint included a detailed description of some of the ways in which the employer’s theft of their wages harmed them, including by resulting in evictions and inability to pay for the cancer treatment of one worker’s child. The workers sued the companies and people they alleged employed them: 11 affiliated “Infinite Homes Group” LLCs; Shay Mokai, who owned and controlled those LLCs; and two subcontractor companies and their owners. A settlement was reached in June 2024, and the Court approved the settlement in July 2024.

On behalf of three constructions workers, the PJC and co-counsel Murphy Anderson PLLC filed a state-court wage theft complaint in June 2024. The lawsuit alleges the workers’ employers denied them more than $20,000 in earned wages for work done on Morgan State University’s Public Safety Building, a publicly funded construction project in Baltimore City. In August 2024, the parties reached a settlement that will provide the workers with nearly $33,000 in unpaid wages and damages.

The PJC partnered with a broad coalition of advocates, including the National Domestic Workers Alliance (pictured here with PJC attorney David Rodwin), to pass the Home Care Worker Rights Act. Photo credit: National Domestic Workers Alliance

“It’s not right. I, and many other home care workers, put in long hours because we know it is important for the people we care for. But we can’t provide the kind of care people need if we’re not paid what the law says we’re owed. I hope this lawsuit helps make things better not just for myself, but for other home care workers and those we care for.”

–Margaret Bobb, plaintiff

“Refusing home care workers – many of whom are older and living on low incomes – the earnings they’ve worked hard for is an outright violation of the law. By ensuring they receive the livable wages they deserve, we can help address the country’s shortage of direct care workers and improve the quality of care provided to those in need, often older adults with disabilities.”

–William Alvarado Rivera, Senior Vice President for Litigation at AARP Foundation

The PJC also filed two new wage theft lawsuits on behalf of direct care workers:

AARP Foundation and the PJC filed a class and collective action lawsuit in federal district court in Maryland in November 2023 on behalf of plaintiff Margaret Bobb and other home care aides who are current and former employees of a home care agency called FinePoints Private Duty Healthcare, LLC. The lawsuit alleges that FinePoints committed wage theft by refusing to pay its home care employees overtime rates for their overtime hours and denying them any compensation for hours traveling between clients’ homes. FinePoints’ misclassification of its home care employees’ status under federal and state wage laws also exposed them to the risk of losing other employee rights such as sick leave, unemployment insurance, and workers’ compensation coverage. 14 additional home care workers have since joined the case.

Promoting Worker Power

In April 2024, the PJC and CASA filed a collective action wage theft lawsuit seeking unpaid overtime wages in federal court on behalf of four current and former workers at a Baltimore County assisted living and adult medical day care facility. The plaintiffs – Isabela Rivera Brito, Maria Brito Chavez, Petrona Cuplay Bernal, and Vicente Sanchez – allege that the defendants failed to pay their employees overtime wages for the many hours they worked beyond 40 in a workweek. The defendants are New Life Healthy Living, LLC (the assisted living facility); New Life Adult Medical Day Care, LLC (which operates out of the assisted living facility); Aashiana, LLC (a shell corporation that owns the property); and Dr. Alif Manejwala (owner of the three companies). Five additional workers have since joined the case.

Fighting wage theft with paystub transparency. Employers will be required to clearly show hours worked, pay rates, pay period dates, deductions, and other basic information on employees’ paystubs, which will make it harder for employers to hide wage theft in inscrutable paystubs, thanks to the passage of HB 385 / SB 38. The new law creates Maryland’s first-ever legally enforceable requirement for employers to include this information on paystubs; the mechanism to enforce this law will be a complaint to the Maryland Department of Labor. Thank you to our union allies IUPAT DC-51, 32BJ SEIU, LiUNA, and Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO, as well as the Maryland Center on Economic Policy, Mark Hanna and Geoffrey Simpson of the Maryland Washington Employment Lawyers Association, and all the other advocates who supported this bill. We also thank bill sponsors Del. Jeffrie Long, Jr. and Sen. Alonzo Washington.

Ending employee misclassification in the home care industry. The Home Care Worker Rights Act is a significant step toward ending independent contractor misclassification in the home care industry in Maryland. The passage of HB 39 / SB 197 will require that home care agencies funded by certain Medicaid programs must correctly classify their home care workers as employees – rather than misclassify them as independent contractors – to receive Medicaid reimbursement for the care. The new law will extend rights and protections – including workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, sick and safe leave, full pay for all hours worked, and reduced tax burdens – to approximately 20,000 home care workers providing care under the covered Medicaid programs. The Home Care Worker Rights Act also lays the groundwork to improve all Medicaid-funded home care workers’ wages by ensuring that all such home care agencies have comparable expenses and compete on a level playing field. This consequential bill is the culmination of many years of work by a broad coalition of advocates, including 1199SEIU, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, AARP Maryland, Disability Rights Maryland, and many others. Thank you to all our allies, bill sponsors Del. Robbyn Lewis and Sen. Arthur Ellis, and Committee Chairs Sen. Pamela Beidle and Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk.

Improving

wages and

quality of care

in the home care industry. The passage of the Home Care Worker Employment Act (HB 189 / SB 371) will require most Medicaid-funded home care agencies to report to the state the average, highest, and lowest

wage rates that they are paying workers – an important step to build support to set a higher wage floor for these workers since so much of Maryland’s home care is funded by Medicaid. The new law also requires the Maryland Department of Health to report back to the legislature about its progress on operationalizing a new rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that imposes various requirements all aimed at improving the quality of Medicaid-funded home care. Thank you to the broad coalition that championed this bill, as well as to bill sponsors Del. Robbyn Lewis and Sen. Clarence Lam and Committee Chairs Sen. Pamela Beidle and Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk.

Advancing worker-owned businesses.

Maryland has no corporate structure designed to support worker-owned businesses, making it harder for worker co-ops to succeed. The state’s LLC law holds back the growth of worker-owned businesses in several keys ways: 1) the exorbitant cost of workers’ compensation because insurance often treats worker-owners as if they own a far greater share of the business than they actually own; 2) confusion around formation and governance because the way LLCs are structured does not match worker co-ops’ business model; 3) incorrect recognition by state and financial institutions when the co-op seeks permits or financing; and 4) difficulties accessing funding without relinquishing worker co-ops’ core democratic values and governance structure. The PJC advocated for SB 85, which would have created a corporate form designed for worker-owned cooperatives, along with the Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy and the University of Baltimore School of Law’s Community Development Clinic. The bill passed the Senate but did not get a vote in the House. We will continue to advocate for this important bill next year.

The PJC’s Workplace Justice Project Team

Monisha Cherayil • Amy Gellatly • Diana Jarek • David Rodwin • Sam Williamson • Lee Woo Kee • Lucy Zhou

Project Highlights FY 2024

Education Stability Project

Education Stability Project

We seek to advance race equity, improve student achievement, and prevent student involvement with the criminal legal system in Maryland public schools by combatting the illegal and excessive use of suspension, expulsion, and other forms of school pushout that disproportionately target Black and brown students. We envision a school system in which directly-impacted students and families are empowered to build safe and supportive school environments for all.

Schools have long employed exclusionary school discipline, including suspension and expulsion, as a method to address behavioral issues. But research and experience have shown that this punitive approach often fails to create a positive school climate or lead to improved student behavior. Instead, it exacerbates the underlying problems, disproportionately affects marginalized students, and contributes to a culture of disengagement and resentment. In Maryland schools, Black students are about three times as likely to experience exclusionary discipline than white students, even though they comprise only onethird of the overall student population. Maryland schools also over-suspend students with disabilities for behavior arising from their disabilities, making them twice as likely to be suspended or expelled than their non-disabled peers.

Research shows that implicit bias, cultural stereotypes, and explicit prejudice explain why schools discipline Black and brown students at much higher rates than white students. This is especially true for subjective offenses like disrespect, defiance, or disruption. Maryland data shows the real-life impact of this: in the 2022-23 school year, schools imposed approximately 54% of the out-of-school suspensions and expulsions for disrespect or disruption on Black students. Teachers are more likely to refer Black students to the office for disciplinary action, even when they exhibit the same behavior as white students, and once in an administrator’s office, Black students are more likely to receive a harsher punishment.

The PJC is committed to making discipline fair, responsive to students’ behavioral needs, appropriate to the infraction, and designed to keep youth on track to graduate.

Combatting School Pushout

Leveraging statewide data to combat school pushout. The PJC conducted an analysis of statewide data on exclusionary school discipline and school-based arrests in Maryland going back as far as the 2012-13 school year to inform our work with school districts, the State Board of Education, and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to combat school pushout. Key findings include:

High rates of race-based disproportionality in the use of suspension statewide, Flat suspension rates statewide 10 years after implementation of regulations specifically designed to limit the use of exclusionary discipline,

Lower rates of suspension of very young children in the seven years since Maryland banned suspension and expulsion of students in grades pre-K through second, and

Very high rates of suspension, as well as higher rates of school-based arrest (compared to statewide), in several counties on the Eastern Shore.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to see the full map and read about two of the students we represented in the 2023-24 school year.

We are using the data in community-based outreach, advocacy, and public media campaigns to combat school pushout and build safe, supportive school environments –particularly in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. Our partner Minary’s Dream Alliance has used the data to inform and fuel conversations about disparities in exclusionary school discipline and school-based arrests on the Eastern Shore.

Representing students in school discipline proceedings. We represent students facing suspension, expulsion, school-based arrest, and other forms of school pushout, including at conferences with school district decisionmakers and in appeals before local and state school boards. In the 2023-24 academic year, we opened cases for 26 students ourselves and referred another 26 students to our partners in the Maryland Suspension Representation Project (MSRP) – Disability Rights Maryland; the Maryland Office of the Public Defender; University of Maryland Carey School of Law Youth, Education and Justice Clinic; and University of Baltimore School of Law Bronfein Family Law Clinic – and to private attorneys or special education advocates. When we represent a student in a school discipline proceeding, we handle every aspect of the case, including reviewing educational records, gathering information from potential witnesses, drafting briefs for school conferences and appeal hearings, examining witnesses and presenting oral argument at hearings, negotiating settlements, and arranging interpretation and translation for non-English speaking clients. We help students revoke suspensions, avoid extended suspension or expulsion, remove suspensions from their student records, avoid prosecution, and obtain appropriate special education services. When we represent individual students in student discipline matters, we often seek a commitment by school districts to revise their school discipline policies and practices, as well as to train staff on the law governing discipline and on effective, non-exclusionary strategies for supporting student behavior and school safety.

Expanding understanding of students’ rights and school pushout. We conduct community-based outreach to educate students, parents, and family service providers on students’ rights in school discipline proceedings and how to enforce those rights as well as on harms and failures of and alternatives to exclusionary discipline. Our approach is to meet people where they are – whether that is during an evening community meeting, at a weekend resource fair, or at a virtual event – and to share our expertise in a manner that is accessible, practical, bilingual if necessary, and family- and youth-friendly. And we gain valuable insight from the people most impacted by school pushout on the nature of exclusionary discipline in their school districts and alternative strategies that are working well in schools.

In the 2023-24 academic year, we participated in five events reaching approximately 280 people.

We partnered with Minary’s Dream Alliance in Kent County on an August 2023 screening and discussion of The Right to Read, a documentary film about the early reading crisis that shares the stories of an activist, a teacher, and two families fighting to change the broken system. (Watch the trailer.) We led a dialogue for 50 attendees on special education rights, discipline rights, and literacy following the film screening.

In January 2024, we trained 22 staff of Parents’ Place Maryland – a team of advocates who work statewide to engage parents and help them navigate the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process. The training focused on student discipline rights and how to advocate for students in suspension or expulsion hearings and appeals.

We joined our partners in the Maryland Coalition to Reform School Discipline and Youth as Resources at the Healing Justice Summit in May 2024 to provide know-your-rights resources to families, reaching an estimated 100 people at this community event in Baltimore City.

PJC attorney Levi Bradford presented Empowering Futures: A Framework for Positive Youth Justice Strategy with Payton Aldridge of Disability Rights Maryland, Elizabeth Hilliard of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, and Dave Panzer of Maryland Legal Services Corporation at the Partners for Justice Conference in May 2024. We presented data demonstrating racial and disability disparities in school discipline, legislative developments in juvenile justice and education in Maryland, rights afforded to students with disabilities and students in disciplinary proceedings, and strategies for advancing the rights of children in the justice system as well as at school.

Decriminalizing disruption. Under current Maryland law, anyone – including students – can be arrested for disrupting school, an offense that is undefined and subject to the influences of implicit bias. Because virtually any student misbehavior can be characterized as disrupting or disturbing school, police can and do use this statute to arrest students for relatively minor childhood or adolescent behaviors –such as horseplay, talking back, or roaming the hallways. Black students are arrested for disruption at four times the rate of white students even though there are fewer Black children than white children in Maryland schools. Under a bill that the PJC, Maryland Office of the Public Defender, and Disability Rights Maryland advocated for in the 2024 Maryland General Assembly (HB 615 / SB 512), the criminal penalties for school disruption would no longer apply to students, so that students would no longer face arrest and other law enforcement consequences for so-called disruptive behaviors in school. Thank you to bill sponsors Del. Sheila Ruth and Sen. Alonzo Washington. The bill did not pass this year, so we will continue the fight in the next legislative session.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to watch the PJC’s favorable testimony for SB 512.

Building Safe, Supportive School Environments

Influencing the implementation of reportable offense law reforms. School districts in Maryland previously had broad discretion to remove a student from school with minimal due process if the student was arrested for or charged with any one of a wide range of criminal offenses (called a “reportable offense”), even if the offenses were not alleged to have occurred at school. School districts often failed to comply with the minimal requirements of the law, and in 2022, the Maryland General Assembly passed reforms to the state’s reportable offense law intended to prevent school systems from removing students for alleged off-campus conduct that does not threaten the safety of the educational setting. The 2022 law also ensured that the student’s counsel is included in the process of removal from school and directed the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) to collect data on reportable offenses from local school systems. MSDE published proposed regulations to implement the changes in the law in October 2023 and solicited two rounds of public comments. The PJC drafted and submitted public comments on the proposed regulations with Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Disability Rights Maryland, and the University of Maryland Carey School of Law Youth, Education and Justice Clinic in the first round and with the same allies and the Maryland Coalition to Reform School Discipline in the second round. Our comments proposed clear standards and processes to

govern school systems’ compliance with the law. As a result, MSDE recommended three revisions based on our comments: 1) adding language to clarify that a student may not be removed solely on the basis of the reportable offense charge, 2) amending the language to require local education agencies to provide students’ parents or guardians notice of appeal rights and procedures, and 3) revising the provision to make clear that students with Section 504 plans (which provide accommodations to students with disabilities) are also entitled to meetings to determine whether a student’s behavior was related to their disability or caused by the school’s failure to follow the plan. MSDE requested permission from the Maryland State Board of Education to adopt the amended regulation in July 2024.

Improving school discipline practices in Prince George’s County Public Schools.

The Student Support and Success Act (HB 821) is rooted in our years of work with students in Prince George’s County to improve school discipline practices in the school system. Passed in the 2024 state legislative session and sponsored by the Prince George’s County delegation of legislators, the new law establishes a network of specialists at every school in the county to: 1) support students with behavioral challenges without relying on suspension or arrest, 2) examine ways to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline, and 3) promote restorative approaches

that encourage students to take responsibility for their actions and foster a sense of community within the school. This new law will contribute to a more supportive, inclusive school environment in Prince George’s County Public Schools.

Supporting community-led advocacy for restorative justice in Montgomery County Public Schools. The PJC is backing advocacy by the community-based coalition Decriminalize Montgomery County to combat overly punitive and carceral measures in schools and for investments in positive school climate, including the expansion of restorative justice programming in Montgomery County Public Schools. In support of the coalition’s goals, in January 2024, we submitted comments to the Montgomery County Board of Education to adjust the district budget to provide more funding for restorative justice programs. Our comments included data on the benefits of restorative justice for students and school climate.

Fighting against bills that would have harmed students, their families, and school environments. The PJC and allies successfully advocated against three bills introduced in the 2024 state legislative session, helping to defeat two bills –each for the second year in a row – and limiting the scope of the third bill.

Truancy court is an ineffective and harmful way to address school attendance issues. These programs drag children and their families into court while masquerading as social services programs. SB 865 would have authorized all counties in Maryland to establish truancy court programs. We worked with the Maryland Coalition to Reform School Discipline to kill the bill before it got out of committee. Thank you to Frank Patinella at the ACLU of Maryland, Megan Berger at Disability Rights Maryland, and Alyssa Fieo at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender for filing opposing testimony or testifying in person against the bill.

Under another bill, parents would have been required to seek out and participate in counseling when their child engages in “violent and disruptive behavior” at school. The bill provided no resources or information to help families find or afford counseling, but parents would have faced criminal charges for failing to get counseling. We advocated against HB 206, and it died in committee.

The PJC and allies successfully limited the scope of a bill that would have required schools to permanently prohibit students adjudicated delinquent* for a third-degree sex offense – a category which includes nonviolent incidents –from entering any school property. Legal experts argued that the original bill (SB 1145 / HB 1493) would have violated the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act by acting as a blanket ban with no individualized determinations based on the child and their circumstances, and the House Ways and Means Committee shelved the bill. The Senate then amended a different bill (HB 814) to include a provision that bans any child on the juvenile sex offender registry from entering school property. HB 814 passed with this exclusionary and legally dubious ban, but it will impact far fewer children, as very few children adjudicated of low-level sex offenses are required to register. Thank you to Megan Berger, Legal Director for Disability Rights Maryland, for bringing together local, state, and national civil rights advocates in a unified outcry against the bill. We would also like to thank Alyssa Fieo and Jeremy Zacker at the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, Frank Patinella at the ACLU of Maryland, Kelly Quinn at the CHOICE Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the Maryland Coalition to Reform School Discipline, and Vic Wiener at Juvenile Law Center for joining us in the fight for the rights of children.

*Adjudicated delinquent refers to a child who has been found by a court to have committed an act that would be considered a crime if committed by an adult.

The PJC’s Education Stability Project Team

Levi Bradford • Kelsey Carlson • Monisha Cherayil

Appellate Advocacy Project

Appellate Advocacy Project

We advocate in appellate courts to influence the development of civil rights and poverty law. We represent individuals and organizations whose cases can reform the law and write friend-ofthe-court briefs (also known as amicus briefs) in appeals to help judges understand the impact of their decisions on people with low incomes and communities of color. We include race equity analyses in our representation and in our arguments in amicus briefs with the intent of educating courts on racial bias, white supremacy, and oppressive systems. The project is staffed by the Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr. Appellate Advocacy Fellow.

Appellate advocacy is a powerful legal tool because a judge’s decision in an appeal sets legal precedent that can impact people across a court’s jurisdiction, whether that’s the state of Maryland, a multi-state region, or even nationwide. The PJC identifies cases on appeal that have the potential for changing the legal and social systems that create or permit injustice. The PJC has used the tool of appellate advocacy to influence decisions related to government accountability and transparency, tenants’ rights, workers’ rights, civil rights, and more.

Ensuring Government Accountability and Transparency

Holding government agencies accountable to the Maryland Public Information Act. The Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) gives the public the right to access information about the affairs of the government and the official acts of public officials and employees. Sugarloaf Alliance – a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve the unique natural and historical aspects of the Sugarloaf Mountain area in Frederick County – became concerned in 2021 that the County was altering the area’s landscape management plan without public input and filed two MPIA requests. The County failed to respond. Sugarloaf Alliance filed a lawsuit to compel the County to produce the records and asked the court to award attorneys’ fees and costs for the lawsuit, as allowed under the MPIA.

After two years of litigation, the Circuit Court for Frederick County found that the County violated the MPIA, ordered production of the records, and found that Sugarloaf Alliance was entitled to reasonable attorneys’ fees. The trial court, however, arbitrarily reduced the attorneys’ fees request by nearly half – even though the County did not challenge the reasonableness of the attorneys’ fees incurred. If affirmed, the Court’s decision would encourage government agencies not to comply with the MPIA and undermine private enforcement of the MPIA, as fees are the only form of enforcement the MPIA provides in most cases.

The PJC is representing Sugarloaf Alliance in a first-of-its-kind appeal of a court’s decision related to attorneys’ fees in an MPIA case. The case has been briefed and will be argued in December 2024. Read the opening brief and reply brief filed by the PJC.

Protecting Tenants’ Rights

Protecting tenants’ belongings after an eviction. A Baltimore law that allowed landlords to confiscate tenants’ possessions after an eviction is unconstitutional because it deprived tenants of their property without due process, according to a June 2024 ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. At the center of the Fourth Circuit’s decision is Baltimore City’s Abandonment Ordinance. (Read more about the law and the Court’s ruling on page 45).

Marshall and Tiffany Todman lost nearly all of their possessions in an eviction and sued the Mayor and Baltimore City, claiming the City’s ordinance violated their constitutional rights. At trial, a jury awarded the Todmans $186,000 in damages for lost or destroyed property and emotional distress, but the City appealed the verdict to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. In support of the Todmans, the PJC – along with Civil Justice, Homeless Persons Representation Project, and Maryland Legal Aid –

filed an amicus brief in October 2023 to demonstrate the devastating consequences the ordinance has on Marylanders living in poverty and to urge the Court to affirm that tenants’ personal property is protected from such confiscation under the Constitution. The brief shared the experiences of tenants represented by the PJC and allies to illustrate how losing all of one’s property compounds the trauma that eviction inflicts. It explained that Baltimore’s eviction crisis is an extension of the city’s legacy of housing discrimination and, as such, the confiscation ordinance disproportionately harmed Black renters and other people of color, people with low incomes, and women. The brief further argued that Baltimore’s approach was out of step with jurisdictions across the country that require landlords to provide advance notice and protect renters’ right to reclaim their property. Finally, the brief argued that the ordinance violates the Constitution’s prohibition on taking a person’s property without compensation and strikes at core democratic principles on which our society is founded.

The Court upheld the lower court award of $186,000 in damages for Marshall and Tiffany Todman. The Court also found that Baltimore City is liable for violating their constitutional rights. Drawing on arguments in our amicus brief and referring to the City law as a “confiscatory ordinance” in its decision, the Court emphasized that the consequences of eviction permeate all aspects of life and that renters’ possessions deserve meaningful procedural protections. Marshall and Tiffany Todman were represented by Zuckerman Spaeder and the Law Offices of Joseph S. Mack.

Advancing Workers’ Rights

Stopping employers from filing for bankruptcy to dodge wage theft liability. The PJC helped secure a favorable ruling in In the matter of GFS Industries, LLC, Avion Funding, LLC v. GFS Industries, LLC that strengthened workers’ ability to recover wages they earned but were not paid by their employers. The April 2024 opinion from the U.S.

Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit followed a July 2022 ruling by the Fourth Circuit in Cantwell-Cleary Co. v. Cleary Packaging that ensured: employers cannot use Subchapter V bankruptcy proceedings to dodge debts incurred in circumstances of fraud, willful and malicious injury, and other violations of public policy, and the exceptions to a debtors’ ability to be released from liability under Chapter 11 bankruptcy applies to both individual and corporate debtors.

The ruling stems from conflicting decisions between the Fourth Circuit (in Cantwell-Cleary Co. v. Cleary Packaging) and a bankruptcy court in Avion Funding LLC v. GFS Industries LLC. In Avion, the bankruptcy court held that Subchapter V of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy code did not apply to corporate and individual debtors alike. Recognizing the conflicting decisions and public importance of the issue, the bankruptcy court certified the matter for direct appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. In June 2023, the PJC and Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC filed an amicus brief explaining how wage theft affects workers in the Fifth Circuit (Mississippi, Louisianna, and Texas), how businesses engaged in wage theft use bankruptcy proceedings to evade legal enforcement of their obligation to pay workers unpaid wages and damages, and how exempting corporations from the malicious injuries exceptions in the bankruptcy code would facilitate wage theft and undermine Congress’s intent to prevent dishonest debtors from hiding behind the bankruptcy code. Our brief urged the Fifth Circuit to follow the Fourth Circuit’s ruling in Cantwell-Cleary Co. v. Cleary Packaging.

Thank you to Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc.; Fe y Justicia Worker Center; Loyola College of Law-New Orleans’ Workplace Justice Project; Mountain State Justice; National Employment Law Project; and North Carolina Justice Center for joining the brief. Together, we secured a second huge win for workers!

Fighting for minimum wage for incarcerated workers. Incarcerated workers at Baltimore County’s Materials and Recycling Facility

(MRF) could be entitled to minimum wage and overtime under federal wage and hour law, according to a May 2024 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Incarcerated workers at MRF, who were only paid $2-3 per hour for long hours spent in harsh conditions separating trash and recyclable materials, had sued Baltimore County for minimum wage and overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Maryland’s federal district court rejected the workers’ claim because the work was supposedly rehabilitative instead of profit-driven and was not intended to be covered by the FLSA; in fact, Baltimore County reaped considerable profits in reliance on this virtually unpaid labor by selling bales of recyclable material on the open market. On an appeal of the decision, the PJC and allies filed an amicus brief in September 2023 arguing the workers are entitled to the FLSA’s wage protections.

The brief argued that the workers were entitled to minimum wage, provided historical background on the longstanding motives of prison labor programs to generate a profit rather than to rehabilitate, and explained how the use of prison labor displaces nonincarcerated workers and results in unfair competition in commerce. The brief further argued that the FLSA is intended to protect workers, including those who are incarcerated, who lack the ability to bargain for favorable working conditions, and that paying these workers the minimum wage would serve the FLSA’s aims of deterring unfair competition and ensuring a basic living standard over time.

The Fourth Circuit found that the FLSA applies to the workers because they worked off-site at MRF – operated by the County Department of Public Works and not its Department of Corrections – which makes the work more similar to work release, which is subject to minimum wage and overtime laws, than to work done inside a jail. The Court acknowledged the increased risk for unfair competition with private businesses that provide similar services and for nonincarcerated workers whose jobs would be filled by underpaid incarcerated workers. Importantly, the Court further rejected the notion that evidence of any small rehabilitative purpose of prison labor alone can take incarcerated workers outside of the protection of the

FLSA. The case now returns to the U.S. District Court to consider anew whether the FLSA applies to these workers in light of the Fourth Circuit’s clarification of the relevant legal standards.

Thank you to Legal Aid Justice Center, Mountain State Justice, and the National Employment Lawyers Association for signing on to the brief. The workers in Scott v. Baltimore County are represented by Hoffman Employment Law, LLC.

Reforming the Juvenile Legal System

Preventing young children from experiencing the trauma of the juvenile delinquency system. The Juvenile Justice Reform Act (JJRA), in effect as of June 2022, raised the minimum age at which a child can be sent to juvenile delinquency court to 13 years old, with limited exceptions for certain violent alleged delinquent acts, to prevent very young children from contact with the legal system. An April 2024 Supreme Court of Maryland decision confirms that the minimum age for juvenile court jurisdiction applies retroactively to children whose cases were pending when the law went into effect.

The PJC and allies filed an amicus brief in In re MP in support of a child who was 12 at the time he allegedly committed a delinquent act. The brief asked the Supreme Court of Maryland to overturn the juvenile court’s decision that the JJRA did not apply retroactively. The brief cited the national trend of setting a statutory minimum age of juvenile court jurisdiction, psychological research underscoring the inappropriateness of subjecting young children to the system, and the racial and gender considerations that reinforce the need for retroactive application of the jurisdictional limit. The brief also described the harms of subjecting young children to the system, including trauma, increased risk of being subject to violence while in custody, slower adolescent development, and mental health challenges. Also, while white children have the leeway to be impulsive, the same behavior in Black children is too often seen as criminal, with the

authorities more likely to treat them like they were adults and lock them up. Law enforcement officials also disproportionately detain girls, including for offenses like violating probation or acts related to trying to escape unsafe conditions at home, and the punishment is often worse if they violate heteronormative standards of appearance or behavior.

In September 2023, the Maryland Supreme Court to issued an order directing the juvenile court to immediately dismiss MP’s delinquency proceeding on grounds of lack of jurisdiction. The Court’s April opinion expanded the scope of the ruling and reinforces the JJRA’s intention to treat children like children and respond to alleged misdeeds with support from social services, not punishment from juvenile courts.

Thank you to our co-amici – the ACLU of Maryland, Baltimore Action Legal Team, Center for Children’s Law and Policy, Gault Center, and Juvenile Law Center – for their support on this case and to Michele Hall, formerly of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, for her zealous advocacy as attorney for M.P.

The PJC’s Appellate Advocacy Project Team

Melanie Babb, Murnaghan Fellow (2023-24) • Debra Gardner • Hayley Hahn, Murnaghan Fellow (2022-23)

Former Murnaghan Fellow Michael Abrams (2021-22), Nadrat Amos, Kelsey Carlson, Angelea Aldana Dwyer, Sabrina Harris, Matt Hill, Carolina Paul, David Reische, Becky Reynolds, Albert Turner, Lee Woo Kee, Lucy Zhou, former PJC attorney Monisha Cherayil, and the Human Right to Housing team also contributed to the appellate advocacy described above.

Project Highlights FY 2024

Prisoners’ Rights Project

Prisoners’ Rights Project

We aim to eliminate pretrial detention to the extent possible, to eliminate unnecessary arrests and detentions that disrupt and destabilize families and communities, and to end pretrial practices that have a disparate impact on people and communities of color.

Long-term advocacy priorities of the Prisoners’ Rights Project include:

Improving conditions at the Baltimore City jail. As co-counsel (with the ACLU National Prison Project) for detainees in the Baltimore City jail, we continue to press aggressively for the overhaul of the Baltimore City Detention Center’s health care system and major improvements to facilities, including accommodations for people with disabilities, required in the 2016 settlement agreement in Duvall v. Hogan (now Duvall v. Moore) Court-appointed federal monitors tracking medical and mental health care in the city jail have found unsafe and dangerous conditions, including overcrowding, deteriorating health care, and other violations of the consent decree requiring improvements in these areas. We continue to push for constitutional health care and facilities at the Baltimore City Detention Center.

Demanding police accountability. We collaborate with grassroots, community, and advocacy groups around the state to advocate for policies to

address the systemic racism and implicit bias deeply embedded in the culture and practices of police departments in Maryland. We bring legal advocacy expertise to coalitions, including the Maryland Coalition for Justice and Police Accountability and the Coalition for a Safe and Just Maryland.

Reducing pretrial detention. Now that Maryland relies far less on money bail to detain individuals before trial, we advocate for rules narrowing the discretion of trial court judges to hold individuals without bail as a substitute. Research is clear that pretrial detention devastates families and communities, even though two-thirds of individuals languishing in jail awaiting trial are eventually released through having charges dropped or acquittal.

The Prisoners’ Rights Project Team

Debra Gardner

Project Highlights FY 2024

Human Right to Housing Project

Human Right to Housing Project

We stand with tenants to protect and expand their right to safe, habitable, affordable, and non-discriminatory housing and their right to fair and equal treatment by Maryland’s landlord-tenant laws, courts, and agencies. We defend renters facing eviction, demand repair of unsafe housing conditions, and represent renters seeking systemic relief from predatory landlord practices. We partner with tenants, tenant organizers, and community-based groups to advocate for changes to the law to further housing justice and demand the development of equitable and sustainable affordable housing.

Baltimore City has one of the highest eviction rates in the U.S. The toxic combination of substandard and unaffordable housing, legacies of discrimination in housing access and segregation, and economic inequality has resulted in an eviction crisis – with thousands of evictions per year. While more tenants than ever are obtaining legal representation in these cases, structural imbalances still often allow landlords to get away with unjust evictions, charges of illegal and predatory fees, and neglect of properties in low-income neighborhoods, forcing tenants to live with threats to health and safety. Due to hundreds of years of systemic, racist housing and economic policies, Baltimore’s eviction crisis is a racial equity issue that disparately impacts Black and female-headed households. A 2020 study by Dr. Timothy Thomas found that about three female-headed households were evicted for every two male-headed households. The number of Black women evicted is 3.9 times higher than the number of white men evicted.

At the same time, people with limited means are at a significant disadvantage in the housing economy. Housing costs are skyrocketing, and affordable, safe, fair housing opportunities are increasingly rare. We partner with tenants, organizers, and community-based organizations in Renters United Maryland (RUM) to seek systemic change to this unjust system throughout Maryland, and with our partners in Baltimore Renters United (BRU) and Baltimore Renters Solidarity Coalition (BRSC) for issues specific to Baltimore City. Our policy advocacy supports the work of tenants and community-based organizations in addressing the racist, structural elements of housing courts and the housing economy that most affect renters.

Protecting Tenants’ Rights

Defending renters facing eviction and unsafe housing conditions. The PJC provides legal advice and represents Baltimore City tenants in eviction proceedings. Because of centuries of systemic racism, the majority of our clients are Black and women-led households who are disproportionately impacted by the lack of safe, fair, affordable, accessible housing. We provided legal advice to 345 tenants and represented families in 387 eviction cases. In 95% of representation cases, we helped families avoid eviction or achieve another significant outcome, including delaying the eviction to give families time to find alternative housing, avoiding or securing compensation for illegal fees charged by the landlord, and obtaining repairs

CLICK ON THE GRAPH to learn more about our representation of tenants facing eviction in FY 2024.

Number of Cases by Type:

“This decision will allow Maryland residents a fair chance to catch up if they fall behind. Landlords will have to stop piling more and more fees on renters, driving them deeper into the hole. This will mean more housing stability and support for families.”

–Tenae Smith, plaintiff

“The Supreme Court of Maryland has agreed that state law limits the late fees a landlord can charge, protecting not just Westminster Management’s tenants but all tenants statewide. Tenants living paycheck to paycheck should not be unfairly penalized when they choose to feed their kids and pay their rent a few days late. We look forward to recovering the illegal fees Westminster has forced its tenants to pay since September 2014.”

–Andrew D. Freeman, Partner at Brown, Goldstein & Levy

to serious and dangerous defects in their housing. Our clients recovered or avoided $212,000 in landlord charges and fees as a result of our advocacy in rent court. Through representation, we also challenge unjust practices that have a systemic impact on Baltimore renters in the trial and appellate courts and enforce Baltimore City’s licensing and inspection law.

Challenging landlords’ practice of charging illegal fees. Westminster Management’s practice of charging excessive fees related to the late payment of rent and attempting to avoid eviction protections for renting families violated state law, according to a March 2024 Supreme Court of Maryland opinion. In this lawsuit, five tenants – on behalf of themselves and other Westminster tenants – alleged that Westminster engaged in a scheme to charge Maryland tenants illegal, excessive late fees; designate those fees as “rent” under their form leases; and then misapply tenants’ payments first to the illegal fees and non-rent charges so it could claim that rent was still due and thereby obtain more illegal fees and a faster eviction.

The Court concluded that:

Westminster’s practice of charging “agent fees” and other collection fees beyond a 5% late fee violates Maryland’s statutory limit on late fees.

Westminster’s attempt to define “rent” in its form lease as all charges due is illegal. Designating all charges as “rent” would have allowed Westminster to collect the illegal “agent fees,” repair charges, fluctuating utility bills, and dubious administrative fees in Maryland’s rapid, high-volume, failure to pay rent eviction docket. Instead, the Court held that rent “means the fixed, periodic payments that a tenant makes for the use or occupancy of the premises” regardless of the landlord’s lease terms.

Westminster could not misapply tenants’ payments first to non-rent charges and then claim that “rent” is still due for purposes of an eviction case. According to the Court, “[Westminster’s] allocation clause therefore results in a waiver of a tenant’s right to be subject to summary ejectment [eviction] only for failure to pay rent.”

The Supreme Court of Maryland further held that the trial court should have considered the merits of plaintiffs’ second request for class certification. The court remanded the case to the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, where the plaintiffs are expected to renew their request for class certification in order to seek damages on behalf of all tenants who were subject to Westminster’s illegal fees and change the company’s practices.

The plaintiffs are represented by Brown, Goldstein & Levy; Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC; and the Public Justice Center.

Taking on illegal landlord retaliation and source of income discrimination practices.

Elzie Walker filed a lawsuit in May 2024 against the Arrive Apartments in Wheaton, citing three violations of the law. Represented by the PJC and working with the Montgomery County Renters Alliance, Mr. Walker alleges that the landlord: 1) retaliated against him for his tenant organizing activity as cofounder of Arrive Wheaton Tenants Association, which has raised valid habitability concerns with the landlord, 2) targeted him and other residents based on their status as lowincome individuals receiving housing vouchers, which is source of income discrimination*, and 3) pursued an eviction proceeding for the non-payment of rent despite knowing that Mr. Walker had paid his full portion of the rent, which violates consumer protection laws. The lawsuit filed against the California-based property management team – FPA/WC Wheaton Station and Trinity Property Consultants, Red Tail Residentialseeks at least $75,000 in damages in connection with retaliation, source of income discrimination, harassment, and abuse against residents at the 500-unit apartment complex.

*Source of income discrimination deprives Maryland residents, particularly voucher holders, of the opportunity to live in safe, affordable housing in neighborhoods of opportunity. The PJC co-led the Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act coalition that successfully advocated for legislation that added source of income to Maryland’s fair housing law in 2020.

Protecting tenants’ belongings after an eviction. Under Baltimore City’s Abandonment Ordinance, a renter’s possessions are considered abandoned if left in a property after an eviction and become the property of the landlord. In cases where a tenant stays past the end of the lease (called tenant holding over), landlords can evict tenants without notice of the actual date of the eviction, resulting in the surprise loss of belongings. Once the eviction happens, Baltimore provides no opportunity for renters to reclaim their property.

The PJC and allies filed an amicus brief in a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit challenging this law as unconstitutional. (Read more about the brief on page 38.) In a June 2024 decision, the Court upheld a lower court award of damages for Marshall and Tiffany Todman, who lost nearly all of their possessions in an eviction, and found that Baltimore City is liable for violating their constitutional rights. Specifically, the Fourth Circuit found that the warrant of restitution that contained a warning of the possibility of the Todmans’ property being deemed abandoned after eviction was not sufficient notice and violated their constitutional rights. The warrant of restitution –which the landlord requested and the court issued on its standard form – included confusing and misleading language that made it difficult to understand what might happen to tenants’ property.

The PJC and allies attended the signing ceremony for the Tenant Safety Act (HB 1117).

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to watch Sharnae Hunt’s and the PJC’s favorable testimony for HB 1114.

The Fourth Circuit’s decision makes clear that state legislators need to act to protect tenants’ possessions. The PJC and fellow members of Renters United Maryland advocated for the Tenant Possessions Recover Act (HB 1114 / SB 992) in the 2024 session of the Maryland General Assembly, which would have provided renting families notice of a scheduled eviction date and a limited opportunity to reclaim their belongings after an eviction. The act would have aligned Maryland with 46 other states that provide similar protections. Unfortunately, the bill did not receive a vote in either chamber of the General Assembly. Thanks to bill sponsors Del. Jennifer Terrasa and Sen. Joanne Benson, tenant Sharnae Hunt, the Youth Action Board, and all of the bill’s supporters. We will continue to advocate for this legislation and call on the House Environment and Transportation Committee and Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee to pass the bill in 2025.

Establishing consistent practices to ensure tenants can access legal representation as guaranteed by Maryland’s eviction right to counsel law. Inconsistent and unfair judicial practices are a significant barrier in how Maryland’s eviction right to counsel legislation is applied in eviction cases. For example, many tenants do not know they have a right to legal representation until the day of their court proceeding. Some judges readily postpone the first hearing when a tenant seeks a postponement to obtain counsel or when an attorney –who met the tenant for the first time shortly before the proceeding – seeks a postponement to adequately prepare for litigation. Other judges will not. The PJC, Maryland Legal Aid, the Right to Counsel Task Force, and other partners have pushed the Maryland Courts’ Rules Committee to no avail to pass a rule providing tenants access to at least one postponement to obtain counsel in an eviction case, as the state of Washington has done successfully. In November 2023, we launched an online survey with Maryland Legal Aid for tenants and legal services providers to report on the results of any request for postponement. We will use the data to inform our advocacy in the Rules Committee and the Maryland General Assembly for a consistent rule for tenants who seek postponement to obtain legal counsel in an eviction case.

Advancing a Human Right to Housing

Securing eviction prevention funds to keep families in their homes. Eviction prevention funds are a critical part of creating a Maryland where all families can have safe, stable, affordable housing. That is why the PJC, members of the Maryland Eviction Prevention Funds Alliance, members of Renters United Maryland, and other advocates demanded that the state allocate money for eviction prevention funds, which pay one to three months of past due rent for families facing a short-term crisis. The passage of SB 370 / HB 428 creates a program that directs eviction prevention funds to families whose children are enrolled in community schools. Community schools in Maryland provide support for families by coordinating wraparound services like transportation, health care, counseling, and healthy food. These targeted eviction prevention funds – $5 million in FY25 – will help families with children in community schools avoid eviction and keep their children from losing access to wraparound services. The Maryland General Assembly also allocated another $5 million for general eviction prevention funds and designated the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development to administer the program.

Special thanks to bill sponsors Sen. Shelly Hettleman and Del. Vaughn Stewart; Committee Chairs Del. Ben Barnes, Del. Vanessa Atterbeary, Del. Marc Korman, Sen. Guy Guzzone, and Sen. Brian Feldman; and Speaker Adrienne Jones and Senate President Bill Ferguson, as well as the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. In addition to the members of the Maryland Eviction Prevention Funds Alliance and Renters United Maryland, we thank Advance Maryland, Stout Risius Ross, the Maryland Center on Economic Policy, Abell Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, and United Way of Central Maryland.

Empowering tenants to address health and safety issues in apartment buildings. The Tenant Safety Act (SB 946 / HB 1117) will empower tenants to hold landlords accountable for conditions of disrepair that threaten their life, health, or safety. The new law: 1) codifies landlords’ duty to keep their properties habitable; 2) clarifies that tenants in the same building with similar housing defects may join together to file one case against their landlord; 3) lowers the initial barrier for tenants to access a rent escrow proceeding, in which tenants pay their rent into escrow with the court until the landlord makes repairs; 4) provides tenants the right to file a complaint for damages when the landlord fails to maintain housing that is free from defects that endanger the life, health, or safety of occupants; and 5) incentivizes attorneys to represent tenants in habitability cases by requiring the landlord to pay the tenant’s attorney’s fees when the tenant wins the case.

Thank you to bill sponsors Del. Vaughn Stewart and Sen. Ariana Kelly, Committee Chairs Del. Marc Korman and Sen. Will Smith, Speaker Adrienne Jones, and Senate President Bill Ferguson. In addition to our partners in Renters United Maryland (including CASA), we thank the Enclave Tenants Association for organizing to push the Tenant Safety Act over the finish line.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to read more about the benefits of eviction prevention funding and hear from tenants about the impact eviction prevention funding would have on their lives.

Protecting tenants’ credit and rental history records following failure to pay rent proceedings. A new Maryland law (SB 19 / HB 181) protects tenants’ ability to rent a home after certain failure to pay rent proceedings. Prior to the passage of this new law, when a failure to pay rent case was dismissed by the court and a tenant was not evicted, these rent court actions may have appeared on tenants’ credit and other rental history records, which made it more difficult for them to rent at other properties. This new law requires the District Court to shield any court record from a failure to pay rent proceeding within 60 days if a landlord does not prevail. The law also allows a tenant to petition for the shielding of a failure to pay rent action when the tenant pays the rent that is due and stays in their home. Thank you to bill sponsors Sen. Charles Sydnor and Del. Terri Hill for their advocacy for this bill.

Establishing new rights for renters. The Maryland Access to Justice Commission and fellow legal services organizations successfully advocated along with Governor Wes Moore for the Renters’ Rights and

Stabilization Act of 2024 (HB 693 / SB 481). This new law establishes several provisions to protect tenants and keep them in their homes, including: 1) limiting security deposits, in most cases, to one month of rent; 2) creating a uniform standard for bad weather conditions when evictions cannot take place; 3) founding the Office of Tenant and Landlord Affairs within the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development; 4) establishing a tenants’ right of first refusal prior to the sale of certain residential rental properties; and 5) increasing the surcharge for complaints in civil cases in the District and Circuit Courts, including when landlords file for eviction. The revenue from this surcharge increase will fund legal services for lowincome Maryland residents, vouchers for very lowincome residents, and eviction prevention funds.

Increasing affordable housing in Baltimore City. Integrated communities with affordable places to call home are critical to building a stronger Baltimore, and two new inclusionary housing laws will bring us closer to that goal. Signed by Mayor Brandon Scott in January 2024, CB 22-0195 and CB 23-0369 provide

This spring, the PJC and other members of Renters United Maryland attended the signing ceremonies for two critical housing justice bills: Tenant Safety Act (HB 1117) and Eviction Prevention Funds for Community School Families (SB 370 / HB 428).

that developers who get special tax breaks must make up to 15% of their units affordable to families whose median income does not exceed 60% (or 50% in some cases) of the area median income. The laws also provide developers additional money for making these units affordable. The Inclusionary Housing Coalition Baltimore estimates that the laws could create over 900 new units of affordable housing marketed specifically to city residents who have been left behind by the structural racism that has fueled subsidized segregation and separate-and-unequal development policy. The PJC and fellow members of the Inclusionary Housing Coalition Baltimore advocated to pass these laws and will be working to ensure that they are implemented. Thank you to bill sponsor Councilwoman Odette Ramos and all Council supporters for championing inclusionary housing in Baltimore.

Advocating to enable counties to pass “good cause” eviction laws. Right now, landlords can refuse to renew leases for any reason and often do so to retaliate against tenants who speak up about severe conditions of disrepair or violations of the law.

Maryland is one of only six states that deny counties the right to pass “good cause” eviction laws to stop this practice. During the 2024 legislative session, the PJC and Renters United Maryland continued a multi-year campaign for a bill that would have allowed Maryland counties and Baltimore City to pass legislation requiring any landlord who owns six or more units to provide tenants with a “good cause” for why the landlord is terminating their tenancy. HB 477 / SB 644 passed the House of Delegates but died in the Senate. We thank bill sponsors Del. Jheanelle Wilkins and Sen. Anthony Muse, as well as Committee Chair Del. Marc Korman and Speaker Adrienne Jones, for their support. As priority legislation for Renters United Maryland, we will continue to advocate for this bill next year.

The PJC’s Human Right to Housing Project Team

Nadrat Amos • Omar Arar • Elizabeth Ashford • Brendan Byrne • Najá Crockett • Angelea Aldana Dwyer • Samantha Gowing • Matt Hill • Nina Masin-Moyer • Carolina Paul • Russell Reno, Jr. • Albert Turner

The Baltimore City Council passed two new laws that will increase affordable housing in Baltimore City. The PJC and members of the Inclusionary Housing Coalition Baltimore attended the bill signing in January.

Project Highlights FY 2024

National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel

National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel

The National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (NCCRC) seeks to ensure individuals have a right to effective counsel when facing the loss of their basic human needs in the civil legal system, such as housing, child custody, domestic violence, civil incarceration, and mental health. We work nationally to accomplish this by:

Envisioning and advocating for the right to counsel:

Supporting, connecting, and coordinating federal, state, and local efforts to:

§ Enact, litigate, implement, and evaluate right to counsel programs; and

§ Engage in social science research projects that demonstrate the impact of counsel.

Establishing guidelines and best practices.

Identifying and supporting a variety of funding sources for the right to counsel.

Growing and diversifying our participant and partner base so as to help grow the larger national movement.

Responding to threats to the movement while facilitating work to plan its future.

Educating about the right to counsel:

Tracking and reporting on right to counsel litigation, legislation, education, and social science research efforts around the country.

Maintaining a comprehensive right to counsel research repository and status map.

Planning and/or presenting at convenings, educational sessions, and public events, and speaking with the media, in order to raise awareness and understanding of, and enthusiasm for, the right to counsel.

The NCCRC combats systemic problems in our country’s civil legal system. The United States has long failed to ensure that sufficient legal help is available when basic needs are on the line in civil cases. This massive and measurable crisis has its roots in the U.S. Supreme Court’s repeated refusal to recognize a federal constitutional right to counsel in civil cases, no matter what is at stake. While all states have legislatively or judicially established a right to counsel for limited types of civil cases, the law remains patchwork and incomplete. It is therefore unsurprising that roughly 80 percent of the legal needs of lowincome people go unmet, and that the World Justice Project’s 2023 Rule of Law Index ranked the United States 116th out of 142 countries with respect to accessibility and affordability of civil justice (dropping from 108th in 2020). The lack of a right to counsel also has an outsized impact on communities of color, particularly in evictions due to discrimination in the housing and employment markets that has caused income inequality and pushed Black tenants into substandard, overpriced housing.

The NCCRC is the only entity in the country dedicated solely to this work, which we do because of the necessity of protecting such critical needs, to challenge poverty and racial inequity, and to provide access to justice, fundamental fairness, and protection of the rule of law.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to watch the April 2024 webinar and view the slides.

Growing the Movement for Tenant Right to Counsel

Supporting tenant right to counsel legislative efforts in 100+ jurisdictions. The tenant right to counsel movement is growing rapidly: the NCCRC is currently backing campaigns to enact a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction in 100+ jurisdictions throughout the United States and added an Enactment Advisor and an Implementation Specialist to its staff to support the growth. The NCCRC provides assistance to advocates with campaign building, stakeholder identification, data identification and development, bill language, cost estimates, implementation concerns, funding, and tactics to further race equity and tenant empowerment, and helps bridge connections within and between jurisdictions. To date, 24 jurisdictions, including five states, have enacted a right to counsel over the past seven years with support from the NCCRC.

Developing resources for the movement. A growing number of communities have passed right to counsel laws to help tenants fight unfair evictions, but we have a long way to go. That means we need a much bigger bench of supporters and advocates – and they need resources to make their case to local and state decisionmakers. The NCCRC and partners have developed multiple resources for the movement in the last year.

The National Homelessness Law Center’s (NHLC) annual Human Right to Housing Report Card is an important analysis of how the U.S. ranks on the seven internationally recognized elements of the human right to housing: legal security of tenure; accessibility; affordability; availability of service, materials, and infrastructure; location; habitability; and cultural adequacy. The NCCRC provides input on the Report Card each year and in November 2023 joined a webinar hosted by NHLC to discuss how tenant right to counsel fits into security of tenure.

Advancing Racial and Health Justice Through a Right to Counsel for Tenants: A Primer for the Public Health Field is a resource for public health practitioners and professionals to learn more about tenant right to counsel laws, their impact on racial and health justice, and ways in which the public health field can support these efforts. The policy brief was written by the NCCRC, Human Impact Partners, ChangeLab Solutions, PolicyLink, and Results for America and presented in a March 2024 webinar.

Beyond the Courtroom: A Tenant Right to Counsel’s Broader Impact – a webinar hosted by the NCCRC in April 2024 – explores right to counsel’s larger systemic impacts, such as how it has helped to increase tenant engagement in the eviction process, support tenants engaged in organizing and rent strikes, positively impact the behavior of systems actors like landlords and judges, improve the coordination and efficacy of legal services organizations, and increase legislative advocacy to address issues and patterns identified by right to counsel attorneys.

Building Support for a Civil Right to Counsel by Anchoring Your Case in Racial Justice: A Playbook for Justice Seekers Everywhere sets out a framework and sample language advocates can use in navigating critical conversations about how right to counsel is interwoven with issues of race. The NCCRC collaborated with TheCaseMade and the New York Law School Wilf Impact Center for Public Interest Law to develop the playbook and host a webinar in May 2024.

The National Tenants Bill of Rights (TBOR) emphasizes seven essential rights for tenants, including the right to safeguards against eviction. The national TBOR was launched by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Housing Law Project, and the Tenant Union Federation and endorsed by the NCCRC and the PJC. Resources related to the national TBOR include the full bill of rights, section summaries, a fact sheet, and social media graphics.

Evaluating the effectiveness of tenant right to counsel. Data from cities across the country that have enacted a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction demonstrate the positive impacts of a right to counsel. For example:

The impacts of Cleveland’s and Toledo’s right to counsel ordinances were featured in a five-part series by the Richland Source exploring issues low-income renters face in Ohio. The piece highlighted key findings from the latest evaluation by Stout Risius Ross of Cleveland’s program, including the increase in the tenant representation rate from about 2% to 16% as the program continues to scale up.

• Cleveland’s program helped about 86% of clients meet their goals between July 2020 and December 2022.

• Ninety percent of represented tenants in Toledo were able to remain in their homes or secure more time to vacate, according to data from Legal Aid of Western Ohio.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to read the playbook, watch the May 2024 webinar, and view the slides.

Kansas City, Missouri’s right to counsel program provided attorney representation to 1,196 renters facing eviction between September 2022 and August 2023 and resolved more than 80% of cases through dismissal, judgments in favor of the tenant, or settlements, according to a City of Kansas City press release. In the program’s first year, more than 1,000 Kansas City residents remained in their homes.

In Philadelphia, 40% of tenants facing an eviction in right to counsel zip codes had legal representation –more than twice the rate of representation in other

zip codes – and right to counsel zip codes had better outcomes for tenants in court, including lower rates of default judgments in favor of the landlord and lower rates of lockouts. In interviews for the June 2023 report by the Reinvestment Fund, “tenants reported that they value having someone who understood the legal process on their side, regardless of outcome.”

A 2022 report on Washington State’s right to counsel found that “tenants remained in their homes in more than 50% of closed cases where the result is known.”

Building public awareness and support for a right to counsel. Public understanding of the need for a right to counsel is key to the success of local, state, and federal right to counsel initiatives. We increase public awareness by amplifying advocates’ efforts in the media, sharing our expertise with journalists, writing law review articles and op-eds, hosting webinars, and presenting at conferences and public events. The NCCRC and Coordinator John Pollock were featured in several media outlets in 2023-2024, including NPR, NBC Nightly News, Law360, and Harper’s Magazine. The NCCRC wrote an op-ed for CT Mirror on why a right to counsel for tenants is transformative and economical. The NCCRC also gave presentations at dozens of conferences and public events, including the National Legal Aid & Defender Association annual conference, the National Civil Justice Institute conference, an Enterprise Community Partners meeting, an Ohio Tenant Protection Roundtable meeting, and a Pittsburgh Tenants Forum meeting.

Enacting, Expanding, and Strengthening Tenant Right to Counsel Laws

Two jurisdictions enacted tenant right to counsel laws and three expanded or strengthened existing laws with support from the NCCRC.

The Nebraska state legislature passed the 23rd tenant right to counsel law in the country in April 2024. LB 840 provides a right to counsel for unrepresented public housing tenants in “cities of the metropolitan class”, a definition related to population. Omaha is currently the only city fitting that definition. The bill was filed and passed after local reporting found that the Omaha Housing Authority had filed a record number of evictions. The NCCRC provided testimony in support of the bill.

The County of Los Angeles enacted an ordinance in July 2024 that creates a right to counsel for tenants at 80% or below area median income who are facing eviction in the unincorporated areas of the county. The ordinance goes into effect on January 1, 2025,

and seeks to address a significant imbalance in representation: only 3% of LA County tenants have access to counsel, compared to 88% of landlords. LA County is the second county and 24th jurisdiction to create a right to counsel for tenants, and the advocacy efforts there, as well as in the City of Los Angeles, have been supported by the NCCRC.

Philadelphia expanded its right to counsel program to another zip code in December 2023, bringing the total number of zip codes with right to counsel to five.

The state of Michigan approved an earmark of $2.5 million in April 2024 to expand Detroit’s tenant right to counsel, enacted in 2022 to provide free legal representation to tenants facing eviction.

The right to counsel for tenants facing eviction in Washington State is stronger as a result of two key changes. First, the Supreme Court of Washington adopted a new court rule in October 2023 that creates uniform procedures for first appearances in eviction cases. The rule requires the court to advise an eligible tenant of the right to counsel, refer the tenant for appointment of counsel, and continue the case for a reasonable time for the tenant to obtain counsel. This new court rule is critical to

ensuring that representation for tenants is effective by providing attorneys sufficient time to meet with tenants and prepare for representation. Second, in March 2024, Washington’s legislature approved an additional $3 million in funding over the next two years for the statewide tenant right to counsel. This additional funding is expected to add 10 attorneys throughout the state to help tenants at risk of losing their homes.

Expanding access to counsel for tenants facing eviction around the country

Numerous cities and states took steps to expand access to counsel for tenants facing eviction in their jurisdictions. Access to counsel is distinct from a right to counsel in that a jurisdiction provides funding so that more tenants facing eviction can receive counsel, but the jurisdiction does not pass a law that provides all or some tenants with a right to counsel in eviction proceedings.

Washington, DC, relaunched its “Housing Right to Counsel Project”, which will primarily serve tenants who receive a form of subsidized housing assistance. One out of every six tenants with subsidies with eviction proceedings in November and December 2023 were guaranteed counsel as part of the relaunch. When the program initially ran between 2016 and 2019, approximately 300 residents were represented; the represented tenants were 16 times more likely to challenge an eviction and eight times less likely to be evicted. Six legal services providers and 20 law firms provide legal services as part of the Housing Right to Counsel Project.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to see a map of the legislation tracked by NCCRC in 2023-24.

In July 2024, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously agreed to create a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction or loss of housing subsidies who earn 80% or less of the area median income, with a start date of January 1, 2025. The right to counsel would likely be phased in over five years and give priority to residents in zip codes with the most residents at risk of eviction. The ordinance will make permanent an eviction defense program initially rolled out in 2019 and is based on recommendations from the Los Angeles Housing Department. After an initial draft of the ordinance by the City Attorney stated that the law would not create a right to counsel, the Council voted in August 2024 to put the “right to counsel” language back in the ordinance and instructed the City Attorney to produce a new version. As with Los Angeles County, the NCCRC has been providing support to the LA Right to Counsel Coalition.

In Oklahoma, a tenant representation initiative coordinated by Legal Services of Oklahoma expanded into three zip codes in Oklahoma County in December 2023. The program provides legal advice and representation to tenants facing eviction and, before expansion, had been able to prevent eviction for 90% of families receiving legal assistance.

The St. Petersburg City Council approved $100,000 in funding in September 2023 for a pilot program that will provide legal representation for any resident of the South St. Petersburg Community Redevelopment Area facing eviction, with no limitation on income. The pilot program will support one full-time attorney and court fees. A team of St. Petersburg policymakers, legal services providers, tenant organizers, and others participated in the NCCRC’s fall 2022 Right to Counsel for Tenants Sprint – a two-month “bootcamp” for cities and states working to enact and successfully implement a right to counsel for tenants facing eviction.

The Cincinnati City Council unanimously passed an ordinance establishing an Access to Counsel Pilot Program for tenants facing eviction in December 2023. Under the pilot program, the United Way and Legal Aid Society will provide legal services, ranging from legal advice to full representation, for tenants facing eviction. Tenants who have received rental assistance in the past year are ineligible for legal services under the pilot program.

Advancing Civil Right to Counsel Laws in Other Critical Areas

Federal, state, and local advocates around the country are leading efforts to establish a right to counsel in a variety of types of civil cases where basic human needs are at stake, such as shelter, safety, health and mental health, child custody, and more. In 2023-24, we tracked and reported on more than 300 bills introduced in 42 states and at the federal level. We provided technical assistance and submitted testimony on 15 bills related to child custody, forfeiture, mental health, and other aspects of civil law. Examples of progress in right to counsel laws related to family law, child welfare, domestic violence matters, and adult guardianship include:

At long last, the Mississippi legislature enacted a right to counsel for low-income custodial parents in abuse and termination of parental rights matters. The successful passage of SB 2792 stems from a long-running pilot project – supported for more than a decade by the NCCRC – that demonstrated the case for a right to counsel in abuse/neglect and termination of parental rights cases. In enacting this bill, Mississippi joins the vast majority of states to provide for such a right. Mississippi also enacted HB 1149, which expanded the right to counsel for children in abuse and neglect matters to all stages – instead of just critical stages – and removed the requirement to be below a certain income. The NCCRC submitted testimony in support of HB 1149.

New Mexico has provided parents and legal guardians with the right to counsel prior to the signing of a voluntary placement agreement proposed by the state in response to an investigation of abuse/neglect, and the right to counsel extends for the duration of the voluntary placement agreement. This is a groundbreaking right to counsel, as the right usually only attaches after a court proceeding has begun, but it is critically important because parents are often threatened with legal proceedings if they do not sign a “voluntary” placement agreement, so counsel is essential for parents to make an informed decision as to whether to agree.

The federal Department of Health and Human Services finalized a landmark rule change in May 2024 that makes more federal funding available for civil legal representation related to foster care proceedings. The rule change expands the costs eligible for federal reimbursement to include expenses related to representing a child not yet in foster care and other civil legal proceedings necessary to carry out the requirements in a Title IV-E foster care plan, which could include housing and other types of civil matters.

The New York legislature extended its already broad right to counsel in domestic violence protection order cases for both victims and alleged abusers by passing AB 6545. The new law provides certain minors with the right to counsel in juvenile matters related to the extension of temporary protection orders against them. Pennsylvania enacted SB 506 in December 2023, which provides alleged incapacitated adults the right to client-directed counsel in proceedings related to guardianship establishment, modification, and termination regardless of their ability to pay. Prior to passage of SB 506, Pennsylvania was one of the very few states to not guarantee lawyers for those facing the potentially extreme deprivations of liberty caused by the imposition of a guardianship.

The National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel’s Team

Andrew Ashbrook • Amanda Insalaco • Shuron Jones • John Pollock • Maria Roumiantseva

FY 2024 Income & Expenses

July 1, 2023- June 30, 2024

Thanks to our many supporters, the Public Justice Center had another very strong year financially.

Highlights from FY 2024 include:

The PJC Board approved a budget of $3,850,889 – including just under $375,000 in new development (i.e. funds to be identified and raised throughout the year to fully cover anticipated expenses). We ended the year with a net positive income of $392,350.

We saw steady growth in restricted gifts and grants, government grants, and law firm gifts compared to FY 2023, while unrestricted contributions (from both individuals and foundations) declined slightly from the prior fiscal year – reflecting national trends in charitable giving. Fees from fiscal sponsorships of three Black-led organizations were down considerably as two of the three organizations became independent 501 (c)(3) nonprofits and no longer needed fiscal sponsorship.

On the expense side, the PJC made several strategic investments to advance our advocacy. We added three new staff positions, two to support the national movement for tenant right to counsel and one to expand workers’ rights and access to health care and safety net services for Marylanders. We also hired consultants to plan for the next phase of advocacy for a civil right to counsel; to conduct a study on the impact of eviction prevention funds in ensuring families have safe, stable, and affordable housing; and to train staff on supervision practices that incorporate racial equity considerations.

At the end of the year, we have nearly $2 million in unrestricted net assets (reserves) that will help us weather any fluctuations in the economy, invest in staff and training, and respond to unanticipated opportunities.

Thank you for trusting the PJC to use your contributions wisely to create systemic change and for continuing or increasing your financial commitment to our mission and advocacy. You make the progress described throughout this annual report possible!

The Standards for Excellence evaluate principles of honesty, integrity, fairness, respect, trust, responsibility, and accountability in nonprofit program operations, governance, human resources, financial management, and fundraising. The Public Justice Center was re-certified by Maryland Nonprofits in August 2019.

This financial summary was prepared on a cash basis from end-of-year (June 30, 2024) financial statements prior to completion of the annual independent audit. The audited financial statements will be available at www.publicjustice.org/financials-and-annual-reports/

The Public Justice Center, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization, gifts to which are deductible as charitable contributions for Federal income tax purposes. The Public Justice Center is incorporated in the State of Maryland. Copies of current financial statements are available upon request by contacting the Public Justice Center at 201 N Charles Street, Suite 1200, Baltimore, MD 21201 or by telephone at (410) 625-9409. Documents and information submitted to the State of Maryland under the Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are available from the Office of the Secretary of State, Annapolis, MD 21401 for the cost of copying and postage. The Public Justice Center is registered to request contributions in the states that require charitable solicitation registration. See www.publicjustice.org/charitable-solicitation-disclosures/ for more information.

INCOME: $4,103,676

EXPENSES: $3,908,254

Thank you to our partners! Partners FY 2024

Thank you to the many organizations and individuals that led us and partnered with us in advocating for good laws, policies, and practices at the local, county, and state levels between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

Organizations

1199SEIU

4th Trimester Family LLC

AARP Foundation

AARP Maryland

Abell Foundation

Access to Counsel in Evictions Task Force

ACLU National Prison Project

ACLU of Maryland

Advance Maryland

Africans for Mental Health

Alzheimer’s AssociationGreater Maryland and National Capital Area Chapters

Arnold & Porter

Asylee Women Enterprise

Baldwin Legal Group, LLC

Baltimore Action Legal Team

Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success

Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs

Baltimore DC Metro

Building Trades Council

Baltimore Movement of Rank and File Educators

Baltimore New American Access Coalition

Baltimore Regional Housing Partnership

Baltimore Renters

Solidarity Coalition

Baltimore Renters United

Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy

Behavioral Health Systems

Baltimore

Comité Latino de Baltimore hosted a PJC know-your-rights training on workers’ rights for 22 members of Baltimore’s Latine community in March 2024, two days after the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and the tragic loss of six Latino construction workers’ lives.

Partners FY 2024

Bon Secours Community Works

Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP

Caring Across Maryland

Caroline Center

CASA

Annie E. Casey Foundation

CASH Campaign of Maryland

Catholic Charities of Baltimore

Center for Children’s Law and Policy

Centro de los Derechos del Migrante

Centro SOL

Child, Adolescent & Young Adult Services, Mid Shore

Behavioral Health

CHOICE Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County Civil Justice

Coalition for a Safe and Just Maryland

Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC

Comité Latino de Baltimore

Common Cause Maryland

Community Development Network of Maryland

Community Health Workers

Empowerment Coalition of Maryland

Communities United

Decriminalize Montgomery County

The Debt Collective

Disability Rights Maryland

District Court Self-Help Center

Doula Alliance of Maryland

DoulaID

Earl’s Place/Prospect Place

Economic Action Maryland

Enclave Tenants Association

End Medical Debt Maryland

Equal Access Language Services LLC

Family Values @ Work

Fe y Justicia Worker Center

Food and Water Watch

Frederick County Local Behavioral Health Authority

Free State PTA

FreeState Justice

Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP

Gault Center

Governmental Access Workgroup

Governor’s Office of Crime

Prevention and Policy, Eastern Shore Local Management Boards

Health Care for the Homeless

Hearts and Ears

Hoffman Employment Law, LLC

Homeless Persons Representation Project

Housing Justice Network

HWG LLP

IMAGE Center of Maryland

Inclusionary Housing Coalition Baltimore

Intercultural Counseling Connection

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades - District Council 51

Jews United for Justice

Job Opportunities Task Force

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Joseph Greenwald & Laake, PA

Jubilee Association of Maryland

Justice in Aging

Juvenile Law Center

Kennedy Krieger Institute

Kennedy Krieger Institute, Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law)

La Clinica del Pueblo

Language Access Task Force

Latino Family Advisory Board of Johns Hopkins System Pediatrics

Law Offices of Joseph S. Mack

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

League of Women Voters

Legal Aid Justice Center

Liberty Grace Church of God

LiUna! - Baltimore Washington Laborers’ District Council

Locke Lord LLP

Loyola College of Law-New Orleans’ Workplace Justice Project

Maryland Access to Justice Commission

Maryland Addiction Directors Council

Maryland Assembly on SchoolBased Health Care

Maryland Association for Justice

Maryland Behavioral Health Coalition

Maryland Center on Economic Policy

Maryland Centers for Independent Living

Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative

Maryland Coalition for Justice and Police Accountability

Maryland Coalition of Families

Maryland Coalition to Reform School Discipline

Maryland Commission on Caregiving

Maryland Community Action Partnership

Maryland Community Health Worker Association

Maryland Delaware DC Press Association

Maryland Dental Action Coalition

Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development

Partners FY 2024

Maryland Department of Juvenile Services

Maryland Employment Lawyers Association

Maryland Eviction Prevention Funds Alliance

Maryland Family Network

Maryland Hunger Solutions

Maryland Justice Project

Maryland Latinos Unidos

Maryland Legal Aid

Maryland Legal Services Corporation

Maryland Office of the Public Defender

Maryland Regional Direct Services Collaborative

Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO

Maryland Trans Rights Advocacy Coalition

Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service

Marylanders for Patient Rights

Mental Health Association of Maryland

Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association

Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters

Minary’s Dream Alliance

MOMCares

Montgomery County Renters Alliance

Mountain State Justice

Murphy Anderson PLLC

NAACP, Baltimore City Branch

NAACP, Baltimore County Branch

NAACP Legal Defense Fund

NAACP Maryland

NAMI Maryland

National Association of Social Workers - Maryland Chapter

National Domestic Workers Alliance

National Employment Law Project

National Employment Lawyers Association

National Women’s Law Center

NCADD - Maryland

North East Housing Initiative

North Carolina Justice Center

O’Melveny & Myers LLP

On Our Own of Maryland

Parents’ Place of Maryland

Partners for Dignity and Rights

The Poor People’s Campaign

Pro Bono Resource Center

Progressive Maryland

Renters United Maryland

Rosenberg Martin Greenberg, LLP

Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC

SEIU 32BJ

SHARE Baltimore

Somos Baltimore Latino

South Baltimore Community Land Trust

Southeast Community Development Corporation

Stout Risius Ross

Talbot County Department of Social Services

UNITE HERE! Local 7

United Way 211

United Way of Central Maryland

United Workers

University of Baltimore School of Law

University of Baltimore School of Law Bronfein Family Law Clinic

University of Baltimore School of Law Civil Advocacy Clinic

University of Baltimore

School of Law Community

Development Clinic

University of Maryland

Carey School of Law

University of Maryland

Carey School of Law Youth, Education and Justice Clinic

University of Maryland Community Engagement Center

Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs

Werman Salas P.C.

Women’s Law Center of Maryland

Young People for Progress

Youth Action Board

Youth as Resources

Za Gualay Consulting, LLC

Zuckerman Spaeder

Individuals

Michael Abrams

Ann Ciekot

Michele Hall

David A. Harak

Camila Reynolds-Dominguez

Jennifer Rowe

National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel Partners

Thank you to the many organizations and individuals who partnered with us to ensure individuals have a right to effective counsel when facing the loss of their basic human needs in the civil legal system.

ACLU

TheCaseMade

ChangeLab Solutions

CityHealth

Democracy Policy Network

Democratic Socialists of America*

Disability Economic Justice Collaborative

Enterprise Community Partners

Eviction Lab

Equal Justice Works

Housing Justice Network

Human Impact Partners

Kaiser Permanente

National Association of Counsel for Children

National Center for State Courts

National Homelessness Law Center

National Housing Law Project

National Legal Aid & Defender Association

National Low Income Housing Coalition

New York Law School Wilf Impact Center for Public Interest Law

PolicyLink

Results for America

Right to Counsel NYC Coalition

Salvation Army*

Stout Risius Ross

Strategic Actions for a Just Economy

Tenant Union Federation

United Way*

Urban Institute

World Justice Project

The NCCRC also thanks the more than 600 allies in 45 states – including civil legal aid organizations, the private bar, public interest law firms, academia, bar associations, access to justice commissions, nonprofit organizations, public defender offices, and community organizing groups – leading the efforts at the local, state, and federal levels to establish a right to counsel in civil cases.

* National organizations with local chapters that partner with NCCRC

Donors FY 2024

Thank you to our donors!

Thank you to the many individuals and organizations who made gifts between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Together, we are building a just society!

Catalysts for Change

Thank you to the many individuals who give monthly or quarterly to power our pursuit of economic justice and racial equity. Our loyal Catalysts for Change give us the resources to stand with workers, tenants, students, parents, and communities advocating for systemic change.

Anonymous (4)

Liz Atlas

Kate Bladow

Delegate Regina T. Boyce

Mara Braverman

Paul S. Caiola and Vanessa D. Billings

Paula Carmody and Keith Zimmerman

Andrew Chalfoun

Colette Colclough

Emried D. Cole, Jr. and Wandaleen P. Cole

Hannah Cole-Chu

Anne Coventry

Antoinette Crockrell

Chad Crowley

Andy Dahl

Ernie Dominguez

The Honorable David Dreyer

Sally and Keenan Dworak-Fisher

Erika D. Eason and Mark Likos

Deborah and Neil Eisenberg

Jeremy Feldman

Lisa Firnberg

Mindie Flamholz

Susan Francis and Sandra Daniels

Elaine Frazer

Debra Gardner

Thomas X. Glancy, Jr. and Charlotte A. Stivers

Rebecca Gorton Grandfield

Kathleen Gregory

Heather Harris

Olivia Holcombe-Volke

Jeniece Jones

Stephanie Jones

Cassandra Kelly

Lisa Klingenmaier

Margaret Ladlow

Matthew LaGarde

Cassie Marie Malane

Kathleen Maltbie

Cynthia Meekins

Arley Mosher

Eric Nalley

John Nethercut

Donors FY 2024

Nathaniel Norton

Thomas Pacheco

Gregory Peckham

Jennifer Pelton

Diana Philip

Rebeca Rios and Dan Gugliuzza

Dena Robinson

Jordan D. Rosenfeld

Christopher R. and Carla Ryon

Brooke Sachs

Joy R. Sakamoto-Wengel

Stephanie Schulze

Aniko Schwarcz

Joshua Segall

Charlie Shilling

Jon Shuttle

Larry Simmons

Amy Sobnosky

Nancy and James Stivers

Marcus Taube

Keeley Thomas

Zach Uhrich

Jon Watts

Christine E. Webber and J. Wesley McClain

Jessica Weber

Rachel Whiteheart

Lewis Yelin and Teresa Hinze

Champions of Justice

Thank you to the leading individual donors who contribute $1,000 or more to demonstrate their commitment to systemic change.

Our Champions of Justice afford us the strategic flexibility to meet injustice where it rises and to use the tools necessary to balance the scales of injustice – no matter how long it takes.

Anonymous (6)

Liz Atlas

Susan D. Bennett and John C. Eidleman

BFK Foundation, Inc.

Jean-Baptiste Binz

Max E. Blumenthal

Michael Booth and Kristine Smets

Paul S. Caiola and Vanessa D. Billings

The Louise W. Cather Charitable

Lead Annuity Trust

Edward Chaney

David Chavis and Shelly Komisar

Emried D. Cole, Jr. and Wandaleen P. Cole

Hannah Cole-Chu

Maroudia F. Courpas and Jonathan C. Puth

Antoinette Crockrell

Tim Davis and Carol Critchlow

Lynne Durbin

Deborah and Neil Eisenberg

Margaret Z. and Henry C. Ferguson

Andrew D. Freeman and Jo Margaret Mainor

Janine Frier, The Lilac Fund

Michele E. and Neil K. Gilman

Thomas X. Glancy, Jr. and

Charlotte A. Stivers

Kathleen Gregory

Stephen and Margaret Greif

Heather Harris

Sandra D. Hess

Rufino and Lauri Richman Hidalgo

Paula K. and Martin S. Himeles, Jr.

Amy Horton

The Howard Family Fund

The Honorable Earl Johnson, Jr.

Jeniece Jones

Richard and Judith Katz

Susan B. Katzenberg

Stephen and Susan Kay

Karen Kinnamont Stewart

Eve Biskind Klothen and Ken Klothen

Margaret Ladlow

The John Meyerhoff and Lenel Srochi-Meyerhoff Fund

Jeremy Mullendore

Donors FY 2024

George A. Murnaghan

Nagase Family Fund

Jerome Nance

John Nethercut

Nancy Newman

Simeon L. Niles

Warren S. Oliveri, Jr. and McGennis Williams

Thomas Pacheco

Gregory Peckham

Helen Greene Perry-A Wade Perry Charitable Trust

Port Tack Family Fund

Mary Hall Reno and Yannick Meurice

Individuals

Anonymous (14)

Megan and Nana Agyeman

Karen Ahlquist

Don and Lisa Akchin

Alisha Akmal

Annie Alexander

Bonnie C. and David Allan

Uta Allers

Dorca Almanzar Paramio

Jose Anderson

Judith A. Armold

Maxine Arnsdorf

Joshua N. Auerbach

Mary Azrael

Andrew Baida and Cynthia Spell

Nathaniel Balis

Taunya L. Banks

William M. Barry and Joan H. Jacobson

Howell Baum and Madelyn Siegel

Jonathan Beard

Russell R. Reno III and Juliana Reno

Arnold and Alison Richman

Rebeca Rios and Dan Gugliuzza

John and Audrey Rogers

Delegate Samuel I. Rosenberg

Jordan D. Rosenfeld

Christopher R. and Carla Ryon

The Honorable John P. and Dina E. Sarbanes

Jonathan F. Saxton

Robert I. Schattner Foundation

Joseph Sellers and Laurie Davis

M. Sigmund and Barbara K. Shapiro Philanthropic Fund

Nancy and James Stivers

Maureen A. Sweeney and Frederick C. Bauerschmidt

Keeley Thomas

Elizabeth H. Trimble

Stephen Walden

Michael K. Wasno

Christine E. Webber and J. Wesley McClain

Pamela P. Young

The Bea & David Zack

Memorial Foundation, Inc.

Liza Zamd

Benedictine Sisters

Peter V. Berns

Michael S. and Pamela M. Betton

Michelle P. Betton

Susan Biro

Catherine Bledsoe and Thomas Moser, Jr.

Salli Blevins

Andrea Bloch

James D. Blum

Les Bodian

David S. Bogen and Patricia Y. Ciricillo

Kathleen Bohnert

Hannah Bond

Leonidas and Mary Boutsikaris

Molly Bowen and Eli Wykell

Alisa D. Bralove-Scherr

Paul W. and Joan Y. Breidenstine

Anne Bricker

Gregory A. Brock and Wendy J. Wirth-Brock

L. Tracy Brown

Anita Byrd

Lauren Calia

Walter Calvert

Douglas Martin Canter

Gregory P. Care

Anthony M. and Eleanor M. Carey

Michael Carlson

Meghan Casey

Spencer Casey

Bobby Cherayil and Nandini Sengupta

Ann T. Ciekot and Noah D. Parker

Elsa L. Clausen

The Honorable

Charlotte M. Cooksey

Lawrence and Arlene Coppel

Sara Couture

Jennifer Davidson

Ayoka Campbell Davis

Gabrielle Dean and Tim Teigen

Donors FY 2024

Philip and Claudia Diamond

Susan E. Dodge and Gerald J. Whittaker

Mark and Jacqueline Donowitz

Fran and Frank Dworak

Bonnie Earhart

Gina M. Eliadis

Anna A. Ellis

Jerome Epstein

Alexander and Judith Estrin

George C. and Elaine Farrant

Denise Featherstone

Sandra and Robert Fink

John and Debra Fisher

Eric Ford

Michele Freeman

Gerard J. Gaeng

Herbert S. Garten

Bill Geenen and Lillie Stewart

Ilana B. Gelfman

Phoebe Gilchrist

Maureen Glancy

Heidi Goddard

Sally Gold and Elliott Zulver

Sara Gold

Daniel F. Goldstein and Laura W. Williams

Len Goodman

Leigh S. Goodmark and C. Douglas Nierle

Andrew Jacob Gordon

Matt Gray

Elizabeth Grdina

Teri Guarnaccia

Dalton Guthrie

Mary Hambleton

Janelle Hansen

Laurence Hartwig

Michael and Ilana Heintz

Lee M. Hendler

Senator Michelle L. and Jeffrey K. Hettleman

Emily Higgs

Charles Hill

Thomas Hochstein

Simba Hodari

Phoebe Hoffman

Thomas Hood

Rebecca Hooker

Susan and Thomas Howley

David A. and Katherine B. Hurst

Gary and Deborah Ignatowski

Daniel Isenberg

Joni Jacobs

Bob and Judy Jacobson

Nicholas Johansson

Marci Johnson

Cecilia Jones

Edward R. Joshua, III

Bruce H. Jurist

Alan Kabat

The Honorable Ronald A. and Donna Karasic

Ingrid Kershner

Lisa A. Kershner

Claire Knezevic

Nancy Kochuk and Carl Luty

Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum and Harold Weisbaum

Francine and Allan Krumholz

Nancy and Ed Kutler

Janet LaBella

David Lapp

Martin W. Lee, Jr.

Bruce and Michelle Leff

William Leibovici and Dana Reed

Ameya Lele

Andrew D. and Sandy Levy

Megan Lewis

William C. Lindsey

Rhonda Lipkin and Michele Nethercott

Alexandria Lippincott

Jesse Lipson

William K. and Kathy D. Litzenberg

Lorie Logan-Bennett

Sally Lowe and Francis Welsh

Alan J. and Pamela Lynn Malester

Elizabeth Malloy

Roger Manno

Brian Joseph Markovitz

Kyriakos P. Marudas

Sophie Louise Marzin

Lisa D. and William T. Mathias

Shavonna Maxwell

Jeanne Marie McCauley and Frank C. Paul

Ellen McGinnis

Andrew and Sarah McGlone

Pamela McGraw

Brian McNally

Beth Mellen

Brenda and Michael Midkiff

Andrew Miller and Sandra Dzija

Christopher Miller

Carrick Mollenkamp

Annette Mooney

Jim Morgan

Ed Morman

Rishaunda Ewings Moses

Ian Moss

Fergal Mullally

Gnanasambandhar Muthuchattanathan

Donors FY 2024

Joanne Nathans

Bill Nethercut

Joel Dion Newport

Margaret Nolan

Jean Noonan

Denice Norris

Helen F. Norton and Laurence E. Norton, II

Andrew and Sharon Nussbaum

Milan and Mitch Obradovic

Arlene Ogurick

Aaron Oldenburg

Daniel Paige

Linda Pardoe

Ed Pascucci

Donald Patterson and Celeste Stivers

Nancy Patz Blaustein

Anne S. Perkins

Eliana and Andrew Perrin

David S. Preminger

Jeff Rackow and Dana Shoenberg

Rachelle H. Raphael

Darius and Monica Rastegar

Salem Reiner and Dana L. Johnson

Elizabeth Ann Renuart

Eileen Carr Riley and Douglas B. Riley

Harriet M. Robinson and Donald Jennings

Tonya Robinson and Paul Oostburg Sanz

David Rodwin

Lisa Bloch Rodwin

Loren Rodwin

Marilyn Rodwin

Elaine Romberg

Barbara Rosenberger

Evelyn K. Rubel

Richard Rubel

Susan Russell

Nora Ryan

Rod Ryon and Joan Stanne

Brad Sagal

Barbara Samuels

Jeffrey and Marsha Samuels

Erica Sarodia

Deborah Schechter

Batya Schwarz

Duane Scott

Clay Serenbetz

Joshua M. Sharfstein

Gary Richard Siegel

Kathryn Silvestri

Cheryl Smith

Michael A. Smith

Bernard Solnik

Thomas S. Spencer

Ray and Linda Sprenkle

Hal David Starr

Rashad Staton

Therese Staudenmaier and Daniel J. McCarthy

Thomas and Jane Steele

Marc E. Steinberg and Jennifer A. Goldberg

Walter and Susan Stone

Lynn W. Strott

Kelly Swanston

Judy K. Sykes

Susan W. and John A. Talbott

Sanford V. and Karen R. Teplitzky

Delegate Jennifer R. Terrasa

Joseph B. Tetrault

Stephen Thibodeau

Denise and Jerrold A. Thrope

Ray Tomasic and Mary Jane Tomasic

Mitchell Torczon

Francis James Townsend, III

Susan Trainor

Sophia Votava

Beth and David Wanger

Richard L. and Manuele D. Wasserman

Rebecca A. Weaver and C. Curtis Croley

Ellen Weber

John Welliver

Katherine White and Tom Urquhart

Lionel J. White

Amos M. Whitney

Rodney Yoder

Natalie Zaidman

Donors FY 2024

Law Firm Campaign Donors

Thank you to the many law firms and individual lawyers who join the Public Justice Center in building a just society. Our Law Firm Campaign donors fuel advocacy that advances economic justice and race equity in Maryland and beyond.

$15,000+

Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP

Venable Foundation

$6,000+

Outten & Golden LLP

$4,000+

Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP

Saiontz & Kirk, PA

$3,000+

Iliff, Meredith, Wildberger & Brennan, P.C.

KSC Law

$2,000+

Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC

Correia & Puth, PLLC

DLA Piper LLP

Zuckerman Spaeder LLP

$1,000+

Ballard Spahr LLP

Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP

Gilbert Employment Law, P.C.

Gordon Feinblatt LLC

Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, LLC

Murphy Anderson PLLC

Shawe Rosenthal LLP

Organizations

AbbVie

The Abell Foundation Apple

The Clayton Baker Trust

The Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, Inc.

Annie E. Casey Foundation

Community Development Block Grant, Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development

Family Values @ Work

Fannie Mae

FM Global

The Fund for Change

Up to $750

Bekman, Marder, Hopper, Malarkey & Perlin, LLC

Goodell DeVries

Joseph Greenwald & Laake, PA

Nathans & Ripke LLP

Salsbury Sullivan, LLC

Saul Ewing LLP

Schochor, Staton, Goldberg & Cardea, P.A.

Werman Salas P.C.

Media Sponsor

Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, State of Maryland

Hopewell Fund

JPMorgan Chase

The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund

The John J. Leidy Foundation, Inc.

Lever for Change

Maryland Housing Counseling Fund, State of Maryland, Department of Housing and Community Development

Maryland Legal Services Corporation

Meyer Foundation

Microsoft Corporation

Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr., Appellate Advocacy Fellowship

National Domestic Workers Alliance

News Corp

Open Society Institute US

Pfizer

Sempra Energy

Aaron Straus & Lillie Straus Foundation

U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau

United Way of Central Maryland

Yahoo

Donors FY 2024

National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel Donors

Thank you to the many individuals and organizations who made gifts to advance the right to counsel for low-income people in civil cases involving basic human needs, such as housing, health, domestic violence, civil incarceration, and child custody.

Individuals

Martha Bergmark and Elliott Andalman

Elizabeth Bluestein

Tonya Brito

Catherine C. Carr and Louis N. Tannen

Ben Carter

Edward Chaney

Randall D. Chapman

William H. Clendenen

Emried D. Cole, Jr. and Wandaleen P. Cole

The Honorable David Dreyer

Russell Engler and Tracy Miller

Steven Eppler-Epstein

Jeremy Feldman

Michael Figgins

Debra Gardner

Michael S. Greco

Daniel Greenberg and Karen Nelson

David Sunshine Hamburger

Alan W. Houseman

The Honorable Earl Johnson, Jr.

Amy Karozos

Eve Biskind Klothen and Ken Klothen

Chinh Le and Vanita Gupta

Gregg and Elizabeth Lombardi

Ashley Lowe

Thomas and Ginger Mlakar

Gene Nichol

Marcia E. Palof

Clare Pastore

Deborah Perluss and Mark Diamond

Port Tack Family Fund

Russell R. Reno, Jr.

Allan G. Rodgers

Delegate Samuel I. Rosenberg

Toby Rothschild

Louis S. and Carolyn C. Rulli

Jamie Sabino

Joy R. Sakamoto-Wengel

Michael Santos

Andrew Scherer

Mary Deutsch Schneider and Mark Schneider

Stephanie Schulze

Dveera Segal and Bradley Bridge

Joshua Segall

Margaret Shull

Jonathan M. Smith and Wendy Turman

Deborah Sorin

Mark and Carol Steinbach

Ronald J. Tabak

Eric Tars

Rhodia D. Thomas

Jayne Tyrrell

David Udell

Anne Frances Wysocki

Organizations

Bigglesworth Family Foundation

Bunting Family Foundation

ChangeLab Solutions

Cornell Law School Clinical Programs

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

JPB Foundation

New York Law School

Organizational Members

The Chicago Bar Foundation

Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada

North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Foundation, Inc.

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Philadelphia Bar Association

Texas Access to Justice Foundation

Volunteers FY 2024

Thank you to our volunteers!

Thank you to the many talented and inspiring volunteers who contributed their time between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.

Our Board of Directors and Leadership Council provide excellent guidance, weigh in on special topics, and help sustain our mission. Through our Litigation Partnership, private law firms and individual attorneys assist with specific projects – by serving as co-counsel, providing research, and offering consultation. Through the Lawyers’ Alliance, private or public interest attorneys, corporate counsel, and law students act as ambassadors for the Public Justice Center within their own firms or organizations and within the bar at large, raising awareness of and unrestricted funding for the PJC. Law students clerk on our projects.

Board of Directors

Chair

Colette Colclough

Vice Chair

Dena Robinson, Esq.

Treasurer

Karen Kinnamont Stewart, MBA, MSM

Secretary

Simeon Niles

Board Members

Tonya Baña, Esq.

Tonya Baña LLC

Max Blumenthal, Esq.

Hannah Cole-Chu, Esq. Outten & Golden LLP

Andy Dahl

Lisa Klingenmaier, MSW, MPH

Cynthia Meekins

Thomas Pacheco, Esq.

Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, LLC

Xander Perry

The Annie E. Casey Foundation

Larry C. Simmons, Jr. LCSimmons Consults and Nobody Asked Me Campaign

Rashad Staton Community Law in Action

Leadership Council

Camille Blake Fall, Esq.

Max Blumenthal, Esq.

Paul Caiola, Esq.

Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP

Gregory Care, Esq. Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP

Emried D. Cole, Jr.

Professor Michele Gilman University of Baltimore School of Law

Tom Glancy, Esq.

Sharon

Krevor-Weisbaum, Esq. Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP

Miriam Nemeth, Esq.

The Honorable Nancy Paige

Professor Michael Pinard University of Maryland Carey School of Law

Christopher R. Ryon, Esq. KSC Law

Joy Sakamoto-Wengel, Esq.

Michael K. Wasno

Christine Webber, Esq. Cohen, Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC

Volunteers FY 2024

Litigation Partnership

Arnold & Porter

Baldwin Legal Group, LLC

Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP

Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC

Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP

HWG LLP

Joseph Greenwald & Laake, PA

Locke Lord LLP

Murphy Anderson PLLC

O’Melveny & Myers LLP

Rosenberg Martin Greenberg, LLP

Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC

Werman Salas P.C.

Lawyers’ Alliance

Co-Chair

James D. Bragdon, Esq. Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP

Co-Chair

Thomas Pacheco, Esq. Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman, LLC

Lawyers’ Alliance Members

Tonya Baña, Esq. Tonya Baña LLC

Laura Bacon, Esq.

Monica Basche, Esq. Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP

Max Blumenthal, Esq.

Hannah Cole-Chu, Esq. Outten & Golden LLP

Michael Collins, Esq. Ice Miller LLP

Tierra Dotson, Esq.

Neel Lalchandani, Esq. Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP

Emily Levy, Esq. Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP

Anamika Moore, Esq. Saul Ewing LLP

J. Michael Pardoe, Esq. Cole Schotz P.C.

Lelia Parker, Esq. Gilbert LLP

Roseann Romano, Esq. Keller Postman LLC

Aniko Schwarcz, Esq. Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC

Kevin Sullivan, Esq. Salsbury Sullivan, LLC

Lauren Harrison Williams, Esq. Venable LLP

Catherine Woolley, Esq. Wright, Constable, & Skeen, LLP

Law Clerks and Volunteers

Saleh Ali

Erin Fullerton

Rithu Gurazada

Katherine Kettell

Liz Kosik

Kanta Mendon

Lauren Young

Thank you to our staff!

Thank you to the dedicated staff whose work between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, is detailed in the pages of this annual report.

Executive Director

Jeniece Jones, MPA, JD

Legal Director

Debra Gardner

Attorneys

Andrew Ashbrook*

Elizabeth Ashford

Levi Bradford

Monisha Cherayil

Amy Gellatly

Samantha Gowing

Matt Hill

Diana Jarek

John Pollock

Russell R. Reno, Jr.

David Rodwin

Maria Roumiantseva

Albert Turner

Sam Williamson

Ashley Woolard

Lucy Zhou

Angelea Aldana Dwyer, JD

Amanda Insalaco, JD

Murnaghan Fellows

Melanie Babb (2023-24)

Hayley Hahn (2022-23)

Managing Paralegal

Carolina Paul

Paralegals

Nadrat Amos

Omar Arar

Brendan Byrne

Jesuit Volunteer Corps (2023-24)

Kelsey Carlson

Najá Crockett

Nina Masin-Moyer

Jesuit Volunteer Corps (2022-23)

David Reische

Lee Woo Kee

Tenant Right to Counsel

Enactment Advisor

Shuron Jones

Director of Finance and Administration

Brenda Midkiff

Office and Operations Manager

Sabrina Harris

Administrative Coordinator

Becky Reynolds

Director of Development

Kathleen Gregory, CFRE

Development Manager

Erin Brock

Development Associate, Operations and Grants Compliance

Dan Gugliuzza

*Admitted in New York only.

CLICK THE IMAGE to read more highlights from Monisha Cherayil’s advocacy and watch a video with her reflections.

Thank you to Monisha Cherayil and Russell R. Reno, Jr.

We send our best wishes to two long-time staff members – Monisha Cherayil and Russell R. Reno, Jr. – who started their next chapters in the last year. Monisha and Ronnie leave incredible legacies at the PJC, and we are grateful to have counted them as colleagues.

For nearly 15 years, attorney Monisha Cherayil was a key leader in the PJC’s advocacy for economic justice and race equity – first as a Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr. Appellate Advocacy Fellow, then as the lead attorney of the Education Stability Project and a member of the Workplace Justice Project. Monisha led the PJC’s effort to enforce homeless children’s education rights under the law and to attack school pushout –the illegal and excessive use of suspension, expulsion, and transfers to alternative schools – that disproportionately impacts Black and brown students and students with disabilities throughout Maryland. Monisha also led litigation to achieve significant settlements to recover workers’ unpaid wages and change employer practices to ensure they pay workers fully as well as the PJC’s work to achieve a groundbreaking settlement in a case to reform Maryland’s unemployment insurance system. Finally, Monisha had a positive influence on PJC culture and staff development. She mentored numerous PJC attorneys and embodied egoless leadership in countless ways, such as showing kindness and an eagerness to include others, staying cool under pressure, questioning assumptions, and producing high quality work.

Russell R. Reno, Jr. joined the Public Justice Center in 2010 as a full-time, volunteer attorney with our Human Right to Housing Project after more than 50 years at Venable practicing real estate law. In his nearly 15 years at the PJC, Ronnie advised or represented over 1,500 tenants facing eviction in trials and appeals, including renters whose landlords were in foreclosure; contributed to advocacy campaigns resulting in laws that require utility companies to provide tenants with their own utility accounts upon request, ban landlords from discriminating against tenants based on their source of income, and more; and played a key role in developing the trial and appellate strategies in Curtis v. U.S. Bank, in which the Supreme Court of Maryland held that a foreclosing bank’s premature and inaccurate notice to vacate to the tenant didn’t comply with state law and was insufficient to evict the tenant from the foreclosed home. He served as a conduit for advice from his former colleagues at Venable, who have contributed to our advocacy on behalf of tenants and workers – including conducting research and crafting agreements that helped ensure an employer paid their obligation under a $1 million settlement in a PJC Workplace Justice Project case that assisted 34 workers in obtaining back wages that had been stolen from them. Ronnie also mentored PJC attorneys and paralegals to advance their professional development, providing a listening ear and thoughtful case analysis. In 2022, Ronnie was honored by the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland for his significant contribution to pursuing justice while retired.

“Find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life. That has certainly been true for me. I was admitted to the bar in 1957, and I certainly found the right profession because I loved every minute of my career as a lawyer. When I practiced at Venable and at the Attorney General’s Office, I had wonderful clients, some of whom became friends, but none of them ever gave me a great big hug. But when I volunteered at the PJC, I got lots of hugs. That was one of the biggest rewards for me of working at the Public Justice Center!”

– Ronnie Reno

Support the Public Justice Center’s advocacy to build a just society.

The PJC collaborates with our clients and allies to advocate in the courts, before legislatures, and with government agencies in pursuit of systemic change. Join us in taking action to build a just society with a gift today!

Donate online or through any of the other ways to give, including:

Donor-advised fund (DAF) grants

Individual retirement account (IRA) charitable distributions

Stock donations

Workplace giving

Employer matching gifts

You can also mail a check to Public Justice Center, 201 N Charles Street, Suite 1200, Baltimore, MD 21201.

For more information on giving today or leaving a legacy, contact Kathleen Gregory by email or at (410) 625-9409 x239.

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024

John P. Sarbanes Courage Awards

The PJC awards Theresa Fleming with a John P. Sarbanes Courage Award for passionately fighting multiple times against Prince George’s County Public Schools for her children to get an education while also advocating for their dignity and right to be treated as full people with emotions and autonomy.

“I am so humbled and honored at your nomination of me for the Courage Award. Your words brought tears to my eyes. I am so appreciative of your hard work and dedication to helping us through these challenging times dealing with PGCPS’s systems injustice to prohibit children their opportunity to the rights to obtain a free and public education in a safe environment.

The PJC has represented me on two different occasions. Attorney Levi Bradford was the lead in representing my son. The first case was with my son, who is identified as a student with a disability. To look at my son, you would not put in that classification. He is bright, energetic, and an honor roll student who suffers from PTSD, ADHD and anger disorders. The diagnoses alter his day-to-day functioning. As a result of early and severe trauma, my son is fidgety and inquisitive, and he processes things differently than others. The PGCPS did an injustice to my son. They would call the police or mental health crisis center in lieu of not knowing how to meet his needs or flat-out unwillingness to meet his needs. Attorney Bradford eagerly stepped in and successfully got him out of the environment that was causing further trauma. His hard work gave my son a future. It resulted in having him moved to a welcoming learning environment where he could thrive.

A couple of years later, PGCPS reared its ugly head of injustice on my daughter, who is also identified as a student with a disability. My daughter, unlike her brother, struggles with learning. She is bullied and confused as to how to deal with her disability while entering into puberty. PGCPS caused my daughter to experience the trauma of repeated suspensions, bullying by staff and peers, and having the police and mental crisis center called. This has been a pattern and practice of my experience with PGCPS. The PJC rolled up their sleeves and went to battle in the fight for my daughter as well, again with Attorney Bradford as the lead. My daughter’s case is active and has not been settled. However, I believe that the PJC will once again reach a fair and proper settlement for the rights of my daughter as they did my son.”

– Theresa Fleming

Return to John P. Sarbanes Courage Awards.

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024

Health and Benefits Equity Project

In June 2023, the PJC brought together community health workers (CHWs), trainers and employers of CHWs, and health care and advocacy organizations to discuss CHWs’ needs, long-term goals for community health work, and sustainable funding for the field. The Community Health Workers Empowerment Coalition of Maryland formed as a result. The coalition identified five long-term priorities:

1. Reimbursing CHWs in a way that is sustainable and allows low-income and undocumented communities to access CHW services.

2. Ensuring the health care system is person-centered and recognizes that CHWs are the key to improving health outcomes.

3. Building relationships with allies to educate policymakers about the CHW field, barriers to being a CHW, and recommendations on how to address these issues.

4. Ensuring access to language services and cultural orientation for CHWs coming from non-English speaking communities.

5. Educating CHWs about the legislative process and building their advocacy skills.

In March 2024, we organized a CHW appreciation rally at Lawyers Mall in Annapolis. CHWs spoke about the unique role they play in connecting their communities to needed care and in addressing social determinants of health.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE to watch videos of the CHW rally.

We would like to extend special thanks and recognition to our rally speakers: Delegate Heather Bagnall; Dr. Chidinma Ibe; Greg Rogers, CHW; Linda Flores, CHW/ Promotora; Rory Nolan; Tiffany Scott, CHW and Co-Founder/Chair of the Maryland CHW Association; and Stephanie Brown, CHW.

Return to Health and Benefits Equity Project highlights.

Health and Benefits Equity Project

Speaking the Language: The Right to Interpretation & Translation Services for Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Needs in Maryland was released in December 2022 by the PJC and Centro SOL. The report describes the experiences of children and adolescents who were denied recommended mental health care due to their primary and preferred language, highlights challenges to providing interpretation and translation from the perspective of mental health providers, and offers five recommendations to mental health providers and policymakers to close the gap in communication between patients and their providers.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES to read Speaking the Language: The Right to Interpretation & Translation Services for Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Needs in Maryland in English and Spanish.

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024

Return to Health and Benefits Equity Project highlights.

HABLANDO EL IDIOMA

Health and Benefits Equity Project

The PJC and Homeless Persons Representation Project created this brochure that describes people’s rights to reimbursement for stolen food and cash assistance benefits as well as how to appeal and cite the law when the Department of Human Services denies reimbursement requests.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES to read the brochures that describe people’s rights to reimbursement in plain language in English and Spanish.

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024 Return to Health and Benefits Equity Project highlights.

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024

Education Stability Project

In the 2023-24 academic year, the PJC opened cases for 26 students and referred another 26 students to our partners in the Maryland Suspension Representation Project and to private attorneys or special education advocates. The map below shows counties in which the 52 students received legal advice or representation.

Number of Students Receiving Legal Advice or Representation in the 2023-24 School Year

10+ STUDENTS

2-5 STUDENTS

1 STUDENT

0 STUDENTS

The Education Stability Project provides legal advice and representation to students around the state. In the 2023-24 school year, that included an eighth grader in Saint Mary’s County and a first grader in Prince George’s County.

In St. Mary’s County, we filed a state special education complaint on behalf of an eighth grader who had been repeatedly removed by his school to an isolated alternative setting as a result of behavior problems related to his disability. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) found that the school system had violated the student’s educational rights, including by failing to develop and implement an effective Behavioral Intervention Plan for the student and by failing to provide the student with all his special education services in the alternative setting. MSDE ordered relief for the student and schoolwide relief designed to ensure that other students do not experience similar violations.

Specifically, MSDE ordered the student’s school to provide him with extra education services to make up for progress lost during the time he had an insufficient Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and was in in-school-suspension (ISS) without educational services. MSDE also ordered the school to revise the student’s Behavioral Intervention Plan to address his unmet needs. Finally, MSDE ordered St. Mary’s County Public Schools to develop a system to document that each student in ISS receives all the special education services required under their IEPs and to train all staff on the development of Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavioral Intervention Plans for special education students.

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Education Stability Project (continued)

In Prince George’s County, we represented a first grader who had been repeatedly suspended in violation of his rights under state law limiting the use of exclusionary discipline against Maryland’s youngest learners. Specifically, the child’s school had suspended him on multiple occasions without first engaging a mental health professional to determine if his actions posed an imminent threat of serious harm and if non-exclusionary interventions could adequately address the child’s behaviors. We filed a complaint with MSDE, which yielded a Letter of Findings requiring individual and systemwide relief.

As a result of our advocacy on behalf of this student, Prince George’s County issued new guidance to district staff on the requirements of the law and conducted a series of trainings – reaching hundreds of staff, including administrators, special education chairs, and other key elementary educators – to ensure compliance. The training series included best practices for minimizing the use of suspension and promoting positive behavior in young students.

Unfortunately, in April 2024, this student was suspended three more times after consultation with a school counselor, which does not fall under the law’s definition of mental health professional. The school system acknowledged, after we advocated on behalf of the student, that it had acted unlawfully and further acknowledged that the school district policy is not in line with state guidance. We are now advocating for Prince George’s County Public Schools to change its policy and practices related to who should be consulted before suspending a young student to align with state law.

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024 Return

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024

Human Right to Housing Project

The PJC represented 387 families facing eviction in FY24. In 95% of representation cases, we helped families avoid eviction or achieve another significant outcome.

Top 3 outcomes for representation cases

OUTCOME %

CASES

prevent eviction 60% delay eviction 28%

avoid illegal charge 10%

Number of representation cases by type

FTPR 334

Escrow 24

THO 20

BOL 5

WD 4

In failure to pay rent (FTPR) cases, a landlord alleges a tenant failed to pay the rent that is due.

In rent escrow cases, a tenant asks the court for permission to pay their rent into escrow with the court until the landlord makes repairs to conditions that threaten their life, health, or safety.

In tenant holding over (THO) cases, a landlord claims a tenant remained in the property after the end of their lease or the date in a notice by the landlord to vacate the property.

In breach of lease (BOL) cases, the landlord asserts the tenant has violated the lease.

In wrongful detainer (WD), the landlord contends the tenant has held possession of the home without the legal right to use the property.

Return to Human Right to Housing Project highlights.

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024

Human Right to Housing Project

$1 = $2.39

Every $1 spent on eviction prevention saves the State of Maryland $2.39.

1 in 4

Today 1 in 4 Black children in rental households in Maryland face the threat of eviction in a typical year.

Preventing eviction has ripple effects far beyond keeping people in their homes.

A new study finds that a targeted investment in eviction prevention funding in Maryland for families at high risk of displacement would yield significant economic impacts, including costs saved or avoided, related to better health care, foster care and employment outcomes, as well as decreased incarceration costs for people experiencing homelessness, and fewer people moving out of the state.

The study was conducted by Stout Risius Ross in collaboration with the Maryland Center on Economic Policy and members of the Maryland Eviction Prevention Funds Alliance.

Read the Maryland Eviction Prevention Funds Alliance policy analysis

CLICK ON THE IMAGES to hear from tenants about the impact eviction prevention funding would have on their lives.

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ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024

National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel

Advancing Racial and Health Justice Through a Right to Counsel for Tenants: A Primer for the Public Health Field is a resource for public health practitioners and professionals to learn more about tenant right to counsel laws, their impact on racial and health justice, and ways in which the public health field can support these efforts.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES below to read the report, watch the webinar, and view the slides.

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Report

Webinar

Slides

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024

National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel

Beyond the Courtroom: A Tenant Right to Counsel’s Broader Impact explores right to counsel’s larger systemic impacts.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES to watch the webinar and view the slides.

Return to National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel highlights.

Webinar

Slides

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024

National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel

A May 2024 webinar about the playbook Building Support for a Civil Right to Counsel by Anchoring Your Case in Racial Justice provided an overview of tenant right to counsel advocacy and included a panel on the importance of having conversations about race and racial justice when advancing and implementing tenant right to counsel.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES below to watch the webinar, view the slides, and read the playbook.

Return to National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel highlights.

Webinar

ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2024

JULY 1, 2023JUNE 30, 2024

National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel

In 2023-24, the NCCRC tracked and reported on more than 300 bills introduced in 42 states (in blue in the map below) and at the federal level.

Return to National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel highlights.