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Public Justice Center

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Baltimore, MD
Public Justice Center

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The Public Justice Center pursues systemic change to build a just society. We work in coalition to reform the money bail system in Maryland.

The PJC is a civil legal aid office that provides advice and representation to low-income clients before legislatures and government agencies, and collaborates with community and advocacy organizations. The PJC chooses projects and cases that will make a significant impact on systems, laws, and policies. Find out more at www.publicjustice.org

Current projects include:

- Human Right to Housing Project: We defend renters facing eviction, demand repair of unsafe housing conditions, and represent renters seeking systemic relief from predatory landlord practices. We advocate to change the law regarding evictions and to demand the development of equitable and sustainable affordable housing.

- Workplace Justice Project: We represent workers in court, enabling them to stand up to wage theft, recover unpaid wages, and reform their employers' payment practices. We advocate to strengthen laws that project workers' rights.

- Education Stability Project: We advance racial equity in public education by combatting the overuse of exclusionary school discipline practices, like suspension and expulsion, that disproportionately target Black and brown children and push students out of school. We also seek to eliminate barriers to school enrollment and success confronting homeless children and children in foster care.

- Access to Health and Public Benefits Project: We advocate to protect and expand eligibility for healthcare coverage and access to appropriate, affordable, effective, and culturally competent healthcare. We seek to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes and access to benefits.

- National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel: We lead a national coalition that seeks to establish the right to an attorney for low-income people in civil cases when basic needs are at stake, such as housing, child custody, or physical safety.

- Prisoners' Rights Project: We aim to make pretrial detention rare, brief, and humane. We also advocate to ensure quality healthcare and sanitary conditions in pretrial detention in Baltimore City.

- Appellate Advocacy Project: We advocate in appellate courts to influence the development of civil rights and poverty law. This advocacy offers the potential to reform law that affects many thousands of people. Find out more at www.publicjustice.org

10/30/2026

Facing eviction doesn't mean facing it alone.

Did you know that eligible Maryland renters facing eviction have the right to a free lawyer?

Legal representation can make a meaningful difference when someone's home is on the line.

A report from Stout Risius Ross found that roughly 88% of Maryland ACE clients who wanted to stay in their homes were able to do so when their cases ended during the state's 2024 budget year.

87% of landlords in the cases reviewed had a lawyer or another representative.

Maryland passed the Access to Counsel in Evictions (ACE) law to help make the legal process fairer. Under the law, eligible renters facing eviction have the right to a free lawyer who can help them understand their rights and defend themselves in court.

ACE has reached full statewide implementation. Eligible renters can learn about their rights and available legal assistance.

When your home is on the line, you deserve a fair chance to defend it.

Legal representation can help renters challenge eviction claims, understand their options, and pursue outcomes that may allow them to stay housed.

Learn how ACE works. Share accurate information. Connect eligible renters with free legal help.

Maryland Legal Aid
Public Justice Center
We Are CASA
Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland
Disability Rights Maryland
Community Legal Services
Civil Justice, Inc
Disability Rights Maryland
Harford County Bar Foundation
Shore Legal Access

10/28/2026

Maryland is already short about 100,000 homes.

And according to a report from Brooke Lierman, our state needs to build approximately 590,000 new homes by 2045 to meet growing demand.

That's a major challenge. And it's one we can't afford to ignore.

But here's another question: How do new housing supply and existing renters' legal rights fit into Maryland's housing picture?

Housing affordability isn't only about building new homes. It's also about helping families stay housed.

Maryland's Access to Counsel in Evictions (ACE) law gives eligible renters facing eviction the right to a free lawyer who can help them defend their rights and work toward staying housed.

ACE has reached full statewide implementation. Learn how the program serves eligible renters.

Building more homes addresses supply. Legal representation addresses a different challenge: helping eligible renters facing eviction defend their homes and explore options to remain housed.

Learn how ACE works. Share accurate information. Connect eligible renters with free legal help.

Justice, Inc.
Disability Rights Maryland
Harford County Bar Foundation
Shore Legal Access

10/27/2026

Tickets must be purchased by October 29 to reserve your spot! Join us as the Public Justice Center celebrates 40 years of advancing justice and community power.

On November 7, we’ll gather for an unforgettable evening featuring a special conversation between Dr. Ilyasah Shabazz and PJC Executive Director Khalilah M. Harris, EdD, JD.

✨ Enjoy Caribbean-inspired food and drinks, interactive art, performances by local artists, DJ Tanz, and Too Much Talent Band, along with a special appearance by Maryland Poet Laureate Brion Gill, aka Lady Brion.

Celebrate the people behind our work and help support the next 40 years of racial and economic justice.

📅 November 7 | M&T Bank Exchange, Baltimore, MD

🎟️ Get your tickets: https://www.publicjustice.org/en/event/40th-anniversary-celebration/

Presented by Gallagher, LLP, and co-chaired by Lady Brion and James Bragdon, Partner at Gallagher, LLP.

10/26/2026

For 40 years, the Public Justice Center has used legal tools to advance justice, equity, and civil rights in Maryland and beyond. As we celebrate this milestone, we wanted to hear from people who helped shape our legacy and continue to inspire the work ahead.

Thank you to Camille Blake Fall, Jamie Raskin, John Sarbanes, Michael Pinard, Nancy Paige, and Dena Robinson for their reflections.

✨ Join us on November 7, 2026, as we celebrate 40 years of people-powered advocacy, justice, and change!

🎟️ Get your tickets: https://www.publicjustice.org/en/event/40th-anniversary-celebration/

10/23/2026

Did you know? A minimum-wage worker in Maryland would need to work 100 hours a week to afford a modest two-bedroom rental.

That's according to the 's 2026 report.

With housing costs stretching family budgets, helping Marylanders remain in their homes is an important part of addressing our housing affordability crisis.

Maryland's Access to Counsel in Evictions (ACE) law gives eligible renters facing eviction the right to free legal representation. Lawyers can help renters understand their rights, defend their homes, and explore options to remain housed.

And the benefits extend beyond individual households.

According to an independent evaluation by Stout Risius Ross, every $1 invested in ACE generated an estimated $3.04 in fiscal and economic benefits for Maryland, totaling $46.7 million in one year.

Keeping Marylanders housed benefits us all.

Learn how ACE works. Share accurate information. Connect eligible renters with free legal help.

Justice, Inc.
Disability Rights Maryland
Harford County Bar Foundation
Shore Legal Access

10/22/2026

🏫 Dignity in Schools Week of Action | Demand 4: The Data Doesn’t Lie: Stop the Pushout  Every student deserves access to a quality education, supportive teachers, and a school environment where they can thrive. Yet, students continue to be pushed out of school at rising rates. Black, Brown, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, multilingual, low-income, housing-insecure students, and students with physical or learning disabilities face disproportionate barriers to education.  Removing students from school should be a last resort. We must address disparities in school discipline, support students and educators, and ensure that families are not excluded from school communities.  📣 If you or someone you know needs help with a suspension or expulsion from a Maryland public school, the Maryland Suspension Representation Project (MSRP) provides free legal advice, technical assistance, and, when necessary, legal representation. The Public Justice Center (PJC) leads this collaborative project and operates its intake line.  Learn more: https://www.mdsuspensionrep.org  Public Schools. Public Good! ✨  

10/22/2026

🏫 Dignity in Schools Week of Action | Demand 4: The Data Doesn’t Lie: Stop the Pushout

Every student deserves access to a quality education, supportive teachers, and a school environment where they can thrive. Yet, students continue to be pushed out of school at rising rates. Black, Brown, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, multilingual, low-income, housing-insecure students, and students with physical or learning disabilities face disproportionate barriers to education.

Removing students from school should be a last resort. We must address disparities in school discipline, support students and educators, and ensure that families are not excluded from school communities.

📣 If you or someone you know needs help with a suspension or expulsion from a Maryland public school, the Maryland Suspension Representation Project (MSRP) provides free legal advice, technical assistance, and, when necessary, legal representation. The Public Justice Center (PJC) leads this collaborative project and operates its intake line.

Learn more: https://www.mdsuspensionrep.org

Public Schools. Public Good! ✨

10/22/2026

Every student deserves a quality education and the resources they need to thrive. 📚

During the National Week of Action Against School Pushout, Dr. Harris highlights the importance of investing in educators and creating schools where students have access to arts education, music, and academic support.

The Dignity in Schools Campaign calls for an end to physical punishment, school policing, and surveillance—and greater investment in restorative justice, counselors, and mental health support.

We must fund people, not punishment, and ensure every student has the opportunity to learn and succeed.

Public Schools. Public Good! 💙

PublicJusticeCenter

10/22/2026

Address

201 N Charles Street, Ste 1200
Baltimore, MD
21201

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

(410) 625-9409

Website

http://www.publicjustice.org/

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