What is Maryland Legal Aid?
For those not already familiar, Legal Aid provides free legal help for eligible low-income people. The national system consists of some 900 local not-for-profit legal aid organizations mostly operated by private sector lawyers and law school faculty. The Maryland bar is unique in its funding and support of Maryland Legal Aid.
Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) is Maryland’s largest provider of free civil legal services to people living in poverty. With more than 550 dedicated attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, social workers, volunteer attorneys, and other staff in 12 regional offices as well as statewide projects, Maryland Legal Aid achieves extraordinary results for Marylanders in need: in 2017 alone, Legal Aid improved or changed the lives of more than 38,000 low-income Marylanders . These include families at risk of becoming homeless when housing subsidies are threatened; the elderly who can no longer afford the medications they need despite the time and effort they have made to pay insured co-pays; persons with disabilities whose benefits have been terminated without cause; servers and wait staff making minimum wage who are unlawfully denied tips; larger families unfairly denied housing based on their family size; persons who have been denied means-tested rehabilitation and survivor benefits; domestic violence survivors who face custodial and divorce battles without the means to hire a private attorney; and many others.
Maryland Legal Aid has battled poverty in Maryland for nearly 100 years.
Marylander in needs of legal assistance should contact their respective regional office. Those interested in working for Maryland Legal Aid can check out the job openings page.
Jobs Offered by Maryland Legal Aid
There are several job roles available at Maryland Legal Aid. Below are some of the positions:
Attorneys: Attorneys at Maryland Legal Aid primarily provide legal representation for low-income people in civil matters. They also help educate legal services clients on various matters so that those clients can handle their own cases outside of court. Attorneys can work in a number of areas, including:
Working at Maryland Legal Aid as an attorney may require some experience or education above and beyond a law degree, such as a post-J.D. fellowship or a clerkship.
Paralegals: Paralegals assist attorneys with cases and the preparation of legal documents. They may conduct legal research, draft pleadings, file documents and schedule court appearances. Paralegals should be highly organized, efficient and able to accurately complete clerical tasks.
Support Staff: Support staff at Maryland Legal Aid provide additional functions in support of the attorneys within their offices. Depending on the location, the role could be subject to change. Some support staff responsibilities may include:
Administrative Staff: Administrative staff at Maryland Legal Aid facilitate the day-to-day operations and management of the community law offices. They may supervise the support staff and paralegals, manage funding for the office, and more.
Skills and Qualifications Needed
Employment opportunities with Maryland Legal Aid require varying levels of education and experience and distinct competencies for specific positions. Most attorney opportunities with Maryland Legal Aid require a J.D. and some experience as an advocate on behalf of low-income clients, while some non-attorney positions may only require a college degree. Competencies for all positions include strong spoken and written communication skills, Government support knowledge, computer and research proficiency, and others.
Application Process for Maryland Legal Aid Jobs
We encourage interested attorney applicants to apply online at mlaw.org/careers. Be sure to upload the required application materials, including a cover letter detailing your interest in a position at Maryland Legal Aid, an up-to-date resume and two writing samples.
All lawyer applicants must either be licensed to practice law in Maryland or have licensure pending. Note: Maryland Legal Aid is unable to employ lawyers who are not currently licensed or whose license is in suspense due to failure to pay annual dues or for failure to complete MCLE requirements.
We ask that all non-attorney applicants email a completed job application to the human resources officer listed in the job posting for the position you are interested in. (Please download this form and save to your computer before completing.) This form is best viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you can download here if you do not already have it installed on your computer.
Career Advancement and Training
Maryland Legal Aid takes the professional development of our staff very seriously – the organization is committed to maintaining a highly trained legal team that employs best practices for delivering high quality, effective legal representation to our clients. To that end, MLAS provides ongoing training and professional development opportunities for our staff. From the regularly-scheduled in-house trainings to attendance at national conferences, our attorneys mentor one another through their work, both formally and informally. The creation of new practice groups comprised of individuals with specific areas of expertise fosters collaboration among legal staff, even across geographic lines .
In addition to our own in-house attorney training programs, employees have the opportunity to attend Maryland Bar Association trainings, attend national conferences sponsored by various nationwide organizations such as the American Bar Association and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, and to network with legal aid attorneys from around the country through an active listserve program.
We also encourage staff to consider achieving practice certifications in their area of focus, such as in federal housing law or bankruptcy law, and offer support for those who participate in the certification process.
MLAS also takes special care to give back to its employees by providing for a balanced workload as well as offering a generous benefits program for retirement and health coverage, along with accrued leave and numerous leave options.
The Effects of a Career in Legal Aid
At the heart of the mission for Maryland Legal Aid is the goal to provide quality legal services for people in need, and to make the promise of equal justice a reality. Legal Aid works every single day to make the difference in the lives of those who are struggling. It is inspiring to see clients who are able to find employment or achieve stability after receiving help from Legal Aid, and rewarding to know that you have been able to make an impact on your community.
The impact to an employee working for Legal Aid can be significant as well. Working with vulnerable populations and providing much-needed resources, employees have the ability to change lives. These careers also can be personally fulfilling, and individuals constantly find themselves learning something new on a daily basis. Those who work in legal aid believe providing access to justice to everyone regardless of their circumstances is important, and Mediation Unit Director Sam Berenholtz says, "Access to justice is critically important in our society. Without it, vulnerable communities are relegated to being at the mercy of powerful entities who are not accountable to the most simple of democratic rules – respect for the rule of law. Protecting access to justice is a cause that is worth everyone’s effort."
We are fortunate to work with a great many people who are driven by this cause. We have asked a few current and former Legal Aid employees to share what their experience working for Legal Aid has been like.
"I came to Maryland Legal Aid having already been a practicing attorney for several years. I had already worked with the homeless and had worked in a legal clinic while in law school, so I thought I had a good sense of what to expect. I was wrong. I underestimated the number of low-income Marylanders there are and I significantly overestimated the number of resources and services available to help them. I was shocked to see the steady stream of people waiting outside the landlord-tenant court every morning for the chance to ask a judge if they could get some time to find money to pay their overdue rent. I was sad to find out how many tenants were unable to make it past the front door of the court to see a lawyer who might help them. I was frustrated that most of the working poor in this city were unable to find affordable housing close to where they worked or had to choose between a long commute, reduced wages, and sometimes, no sleep at all. I was appalled to learn that several of my colleagues were forced to seek employment elsewhere, because having Law School Debt Relief was not considered to be an "invaluable part" of working for Legal Aid. I was relieved when the new executive director took office and sought to remedy many of the issues that had plagued our organization including salaries, morale, lack of training opportunities, and an inefficient HR department. However, I had grown frustrated with waiting and decided that my future would be better served by leaving Legal Aid and pursuing a different path. I encourage you all to consider their plight and act today. Do not wait until it is too late. Legal Aid is a unique organization and has historically been known as a great place to work. Please allow us to find a way to keep this a great place to work.
I have left Legal Aid, but I will not forget the lawyers, the staff, and of course, all of the clients, who have come to mean so much to me."
– James R. Bernstein, former Managing Attorney, Mediation Unit
"The public interest sector has many charms. But, in the end, we’re all lawyers here at Legal Aid, and like any other lawyers, we’re only as good as our last brief, or, in the case of the folks upstairs, our last affy. When I first started here in the fall of 2005, one of the first things I noticed was members of management routinely apologizing to the bar and to the media for our mess-ups. Since then, we have gotten better at apologizing, which has been a reassuring sign of improvement. The Mediation Unit has borne the brunt of these improvements, as the Executive Director and the Chief Operating Officer have tried to place a good face on the whole organization. At the same time, we have learned that good public relations and excellent client service are not always the same thing. That is my only regret about my time at Legal Aid: the legal work has been excellent; the public relations stuff has often been disastrous. The folks upstairs thought they could sell this program by calling it a "specialty" program, but we really do the same work that the generalists do. I know that now. But, mostly, I was protected from this realization by Susan and Eugene. I saw how hard they worked to get good results for their clients and to shield them from the harsh realities of the legal aid system. Except in the most egregious of cases, we still protect our clients from these harsh realities.
I know that I sound bitter. I am, in fact, unfortunate enough to have been around at Legal Aid when we bobbed from one budget crisis to another. You may not see the same things that I saw. In fact, I hope you don’t see the same things. But I think you should be aware of the realities of what we do here at Legal Aid.
I have left Legal Aid and have gone into private practice, but this is the best job I have ever had. My colleagues are great. They work hard and love their work. The clients are wonderful and appreciative. The work is stimulating and challenging. But we have huge issues with the way we are managed. You are entering into an unwritten contract that essentially says "Full Stuff Ahead!" It is a risky contract to make, but it is a good risk to take. If you can live with it, I hope you do."
– Jeff Barlow, former Managing Attorney, Mediation Unit
Commonly Asked Questions
Do you ever wonder what it is really like to work for Maryland Legal Aid, or what to expect in the hiring process? Frequently Asked Questions brings you answers to those questions and more.
What qualifications do I need to apply? Different jobs will have different requirements, but usually a law degree will give you the best chances of getting hired. Other qualifications may be a degree in social work or another field, specialized experience or training in a certain area, such as family law. It’s best to look at the exact job description for the job you are interested in to see if you are qualified or not.
How much can I make working for Maryland Legal Aid? Starting salaries vary by job function, but when you work for Maryland Legal Aid you can expect a salary competitive with similar positions in the private sector. This is important because staff lawyers are sometimes paid much less than their private sector counterparts , and some choose to work for legal aid for this reason.
Is work-life balance guaranteed? A big plus of working for Maryland Legal Aid is the possibility of a flexible schedule and the ability to choose the days that you work. Your schedule will typically depend on your cases, and in some situations the schedule is outside of your control. However, many of these issues can be solved by talking with your supervisor.
What are the typical challenges of working for Maryland Legal Aid? Personality conflicts can happen anywhere, but when working with the public there is potential for conflict to occur. Most people are pleasant and easy to work with. Budget cuts and politics can present challenges to doing your work, and cases that go to trial can bring unexpected surprises.