Brown, Goldstein & Levy was a proud sponsor of the Abell Improvement Association’s fourth annual Porch Prom event, which took place in Baltimore’s Abell neighborhood on June 3. Several BGL attorneys reside in Abell, including Lauren DiMartino, who serves as an Executive Board Member for the association, and Jessie Weber.
The Porch Prom started during the pandemic as an alternative solution for canceled proms for high school students and community members to celebrate in a safe, fun way. Since then, the annual event, hosted in the 3100 block of Abell Avenue, has become a popular evening that the whole neighborhood looks forward to. This year’s theme was “Paranormal Formal.” Community members of all ages dressed up in “formal with a splash of paranormal” attire and danced in the streets with a local DJ. Attendees also had the option to get their portrait taken on a tintype plate made using authentic, historic methods by Wormhole Workshop, a Baltimore photographer, and to enjoy local specialties such as Ekiben and CM.Pops. Local artist Derick Brooks designed the flyers, and community brewery Peabody Heights produced a special beer that features the artist’s design.
The association also hosts an accompanying porch decoration competition each year, where winners are voted on by neighbors based on how their porch is decorated for the year’s theme. BGL attorney Lauren DiMartino won the porch decorating contest for the second year in a row: “Abell’s porch prom is so much bigger than an event. It is representative of the vibrant communities of Baltimore and the comradery that neighbors share here. I feel privileged to live in such a magical place, and decorating my porch to bring some joy or nostalgia to my neighbors feels like one small, easy way to contribute to this place that has given so much to me and others.” Lauren’s new decorating tradition has also taken on communal roots, with various neighbors and friends coming to her home to help make the porch an attraction. “We definitely couldn’t do it alone—nor would we want to.” Even the little BGLers got in on the fun: Noa, the daughter of BGL attorney Jessie Weber played a role in decorating Lauren’s porch.
As a firm headquartered in Baltimore, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is happy to sponsor initiatives like Abell’s Porch Prom that bring the community together and that strengthen the city.
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, DC. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, and criminal defense. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.