If you answered “yes” to all of the above, you may be able to contribute to an effort to help low-income people get legal help in civil cases in the future.

Can the Public Justice Center (PJC) help you with your case? What can they do for you?

Your right to a lawyer in a non-criminal case is unclear.

Despite the best efforts of excellent legal services and pro bono programs throughout the State, the vast majority of Maryland’s poor cannot find lawyers to assist them in civil cases involving “basic needs.”

Family law cases are one area in particular that many poor people are unable to find legal help. Family law cases concern fundamental interests, such as one’s children. The number of people representing themselves in the family law courts is skyrocketing, and the courts are not equipped to deal with it. On their own, people lose cases that could be won if they had a lawyer. As a result, justice is often denied.

The Public Justice Center (PJC) believes that there may be a right to counsel for low-income civil litigants under the Maryland Constitution in certain cases. If you would like more information about whether your case is one in which you and the PJC may be able to establish a right to counsel in civil cases, you can call the PJC toll-free at 1-877-625-9409 ext. 236. Ask for the “Right to Counsel” Project.

Can the Public Justice Center (PJC) help you with your case? What can they do for you?

This is a special project seeking to change the law to establish the right for low-income persons involved in complex legal cases to get court-appointed lawyers. We cannot represent you.  It is important for you to know that the PJC will not be able to actually represent you at the trial or hearing of your case. We may help you request a free attorney.  Depending on the facts of your case, the PJC may be able to help you request a court-appointed lawyer from the court. You should also know that, based on current law and practice, it is unlikely that the court will actually appoint an attorney for you.

But, if your motion for counsel is denied, the PJC will evaluate whether your case has grounds for appeal. If you win on appeal, your case could set a precedent that would help you and other people in similar situations get a lawyer in the future.