Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS), the largest provider of pro bono civil legal services to Marylanders experiencing economic hardships, today announced the recipients of its 2020 Celebrate Pro Bono Awards. The awards recognize volunteers who donate their time and expertise to help Marylanders navigate civil legal challenges that involve family, housing and workforce re-entry situations, among other civil legal issues. The award recipients were recognized during MVLS’s annual Celebrate Pro Bono award ceremony, which was held virtually on Wednesday, October 28.

“One of the events I look forward to every fall is Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Services’ Celebrate Pro Bono Awards,” said Honorable Mary Ellen Barbera, Chief Judge Maryland Court of Appeals. “The current pandemic has laid bare the inequities festering within our nation, including economic, social and legal inequities, which undermine the promise of our democracy. This year’s Celebrate Pro Bono Awards honors the volunteer attorneys who are providing life altering, and sometimes lifesaving, legal counsel so there is access to justice as equal justice under the law requires. Thank you to all of the volunteer attorneys and Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service for your selfless commitment to delivering pro bono civil legal services.”

Celebrate Pro Bono Award Recipients

• Law Firm of the Year: Frost Law

With this award, MVLS recognizes the law firm that has provided significant services to the organization’s clients either by representing many individuals or using significant firm resources for one client. Frost Law is a tremendous supporter of the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) and regularly takes pro bono cases that greatly support the underserved non-English speaking clients on the Eastern Shore, along with hosting numerous trainings on behalf of MVLS.

• Volunteer of the Year: Walter D. Ty, Esq.

MVLS presents this annual award to a volunteer lawyer who has contributed the most to its pro bono program through either individual client representation or expansion of the delivery of pro bono legal services. Based in Howard County, Mr. Ty was selected for his willingness to accept more complicated MVLS family law cases. Since 2009, Mr. Ty has accepted 87 family law cases from MVLS.

• Partnership of the Year: Fight Blight Bmore – Founder & CEO Nneka N’namdi
  MVLS gives this award to individuals or organizations that have uniquely contributed to the mission of MVLS. Fight Blight Bmore is a tremendous supporter and advocate of MVLS’s housing stability and wealth building efforts in Baltimore City. Ms. N’namdi speaks passionately and publicly about the benefits of MVLS’s services to help raise awareness among residents facing economic hardships.

• Young Volunteer of the Year: Heather Posey

MVLS’s Young Volunteer of the Year award recognizes a volunteer who contributes a significant amount of time to help Marylanders facing economic hardships. Ms. Posey, an enrolled agent and a new MVLS volunteer, actively recruits other enrolled agents to join the organization’s volunteer panel and assists greatly during tax season when clients need immediate assistance.

• Special Project of the Year: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland and Shawn Carter

U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland and MVLS volunteer Shawn Carter helped MVLS launch the Telephone Debtor Assistance Project (TDAP), which provides pro se debtors a half-hour free consultation with an experienced bankruptcy attorney about eligibility, court procedures and whether bankruptcy may be used to help prevent foreclosure.

• COVID-19 Response Award: Sheereen E. Middleton, Esq.

Ms. Middleton is receiving MVLS’s COVID-19 Response Award this year. Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, Ms. Middleton has taken eight bankruptcy cases. As a dedicated volunteer with MVLS for the past two years, Ms. Middleton has tremendously helped MVLS clients facing bankruptcy, and especially so during the current pandemic.

“This year, in particular, is an important time to shine a spotlight on those who are seeking out opportunities to help those bearing the heaviest financial impact of COVID-19, navigate their legal issues,” commented Susan Francis, executive director, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS). “Our volunteers and community partners are remarkable individuals and organizations that are working hard to create a level playing field where all people – regardless of income level and race – can have a voice in the legal process and in their futures. We are proud to celebrate all of our volunteers and especially those who are honored through this year’s Celebrate Pro Bono Awards program.”

MVLS celebrates all of the attorneys on its volunteer panel and features them in its annual report. Volunteers who took a case each year for the past 10 and 20 years are featured on the organization’s website. Volunteers who took more than 10 cases in the past year, are also recognized on the organization’s Celebrate Pro Bono website www.mvlslaw.org/cpb2020.

To learn more about the 2020 Celebrate Pro Bono award winners and ways you can donate or volunteer with MVLS, please visit www.mvlslaw.org/cpb2020.

About Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS)

For nearly 40 years, Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) has been serving Marylanders facing financial hardships by offering free legal services and full representation for their civil legal cases. MVLS matches clients with volunteer lawyers and staff attorneys who represent them in a wide range of consumer finance, family and housing situations, including foreclosure, bankruptcy, and income tax disputes, estate planning, divorce/custody, deed changes, and criminal record expungements. MVLS advocates for racial equity in Maryland’s legal system and works in concert with community partners to move closer to achieving this goal for future generations. For more information about MVLS, please visit www.mvlslaw.org.