our services
All services of the Women’s Law Center of Maryland are free, confidential and – pending capacity constraints – available to all persons regardless of gender/assigned sex at birth, race, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, as well as disability or veteran status. Accommodations, including translation services, are available upon request.
Protective Order Advocacy & Representation Project (POARP)
POARP represents survivors of intimate partner violence at protection order hearings in Baltimore County and Carroll County. The attorneys represent people who have been abused by an intimate partner (current or past boyfriend/girlfriend, current or ex-spouse) in proceedings to obtain protection orders, enforce protection orders through contempt, and modify existing protection orders. Services are free of charge.
Contact Information
Contact: Camran Shealy at cshealy [@] wlcmd.org or (410) 321 – 1041
The Collateral Legal Assistance for Survivors (CLAS) Project offers holistic legal services to survivors of intimate partner violence in areas such as divorce, custody, and protective orders. CLAS promotes family and financial stability and decreases the likelihood of survivors returning to their abusers. Services are free of charge.
Collateral Legal Assistance for Survivors (CLAS) Project
Contact Information
Contact: Kimberlee Stewart at kstewart [@] wlcmd.org or (410) 321 – 1040.
Multi-Ethnic Domestic Violence (MEDOVI) Project
The Multi-Ethnic Domestic Violence Project (MEDOVI) provides immigration representation to survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and/or human trafficking. This project may be able to help with immigration proceedings, including VAWA Self-Petitions, VAWA battered spouse waivers, Interim U-Visa applications, and Final Protection Order hearings. Services are free of charge and interpretation is available.
Contact Information
Contact: Elena Martinez Fernandez at efernandez [@] wlcmd.org or (443) 699 – 1001.
The Judicare Project provides low-income litigants in Baltimore County with professional legal representation in divorce and/ or child custody cases. The WLC screens potential clients for eligibility. Clients accepted into the program are provided with an attorney free of charge.
Judicare Project
Contact Information
Contact: Suzanne Pérez Ibarrondo at sperez [@] wlcmd.org or (410) 321 – 8761.
Hotlines: Family and Employment Law
The Family and Employment Law Hotlines are free and confidential services
that provide individuals with guidance on their legal cases from experienced
attorneys. Although the Hotline Attorneys do not serve as legal
representatives, they offer valuable insights to help callers understand their
rights and navigate the legal system effectively, resulting in the best
possible outcomes.
Callers with viable employment law cases may be referred to the Women’s Law Center’s Employment Law Attorney Referral Panel for potential representation. The Family Law Hotline also makes referrals to both WLC programs and external partners as applicable.