On January 24, 2023, BGL Managing Partner and Maryland Access to Justice Commission (A2JC) Executive Board Member Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum attended the Maryland State Bar Association’s (MSBA) 4th annual MSBA Day where she presented the A2JC’s legislative priorities.
Sharon spoke to her colleagues about the Commission’s mission to ensure that the promise of justice becomes a reality for all Marylanders – rather than only for those who can afford it – by advocating for the right to counsel in civil cases where basic human rights are involved, such as housing stability. She said, “we have partially achieved that with the Access to Counsel in Evictions Law, but we need to fully fund it. As predicted, evictions are increasing. And as Governor Wes Moore said, housing insecurity is the main driver of poverty.”
She also outlined A2JC’s goals for the 2023 Legislative Session: to obtain annual budgetary allocations so that access to counsel in evictions is an established right for years to come and to increase civil legal aid funding in an effort to gain salary parity for legal services attorneys with other government attorneys.
In closing, Sharon took some time to praise the tireless work of legal services attorneys: “They are dedicated to helping the poor, and they walk with their clients against the winds of injustice… As Governor Moore said last week, it is time for our policies to be as bold as our aspirations. Our time is now to build a state that leaves no one behind. That means justice for all.”
Sharon was delighted to participate in the 2023 MSBA Day – the first one in person since 2020. The MSBA’s nationally-recognized advocacy protects the legal profession, preserves the integrity of the judicial system, and ensures access to justice for all Marylanders, regardless of their socioeconomic status.