Press Releases

ABA HONORS THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND'S CIVIL JUSTICE, INC., WITH LOUIS M. BROWN AWARD FOR LEGAL ACCESS
By John Murphy

CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2002 – Civil Justice, Inc., a project of the University of Maryland Clinical Law Program, recently received the American Bar Association Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access during the ABA Midyear Meeting in Philadelphia.

Civil Justice, Inc., established in 1998, is a nonprofit corporation linking a network of solo and small firm practitioners together electronically through a listserv and a Web site, www.civiljusticenetwork.org. The project provides mentoring and collateral services to assist new lawyers who are committed to providing personal legal services to those of moderate income.

Under the leadership of Executive Director Denis J. Murphy, the Civil Justice network has grown to include 40 lawyers. The network’s lawyers are provided access to an electronic legal research clipping service, and a referral service for reduced fee and contingency fee cases. Network members share pleadings, research and practice experience through the listserv.

Cases are frequently referred to Civil Justice, Inc., by pro bono and legal aid organizations when clients do not meet their income guidelines. Civil Justice, Inc., recently initiated the First Time Home Buyers Project to assist clients who may be vulnerable to predatory lending practices.

The Louis M. Brown Award for Legal Access is sponsored by the ABA Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services, which is dedicated to improving the delivery of services to moderate income people who do not qualify for legal aid, yet lack the discretionary income to pay for traditional legal services.

The award is named in honor of Louis M. Brown for his 60-year dedication to expanding access to legal services. Brown was the founder and chair of the National Center for Preventive Law and the originator of personal legal check-ups and corporate legal audits.

"Civil Justice, Inc., is truly a model program for linking lawyers together to deliver legal services to those who do not qualify for legal aid, yet lack the resources to afford full representation," said Mary K. Ryan, chair of the standing committee. "It integrates lawyers into the community, and provides those lawyers with the collegial support and tactical resources that allow them to use the law as a solution to personal and community problems."

Three nominees for the Brown Award were chosen to receive meritorious recognition in this year’s competition: the ARAG Group, which administers legal advisory plans in all 50 states; the law firm of Kimmel & Silverman, which focuses on enforcing "lemon laws" on behalf of consumers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware; and the Norman, Okla.-based law firm Velie & Velie, which offers immigration law services via its Web site, www.OnLineVisas.com.

The ABA Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services has produced a booklet describing the projects nominated for the 2002 Brown Award, titled "Profiles of Moderate Income Delivery Programs," which is designed to stimulate improved access to legal information, services and representation. The booklet is available online at www.abanet.org/legalservices/delivery.html.

For more information about the Brown Award and the work of the Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services, contact William Hornsby, staff counsel for the Division for Legal Services, at 312/988-5761 or whornsby@staff.abanet.org.

The American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership association in the world. With more than 400,000 members, the ABA provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work, and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public.