Women's Law Center of Maryland

The Employment Law Hotline allows you to talk to an experienced employment law attorney to learn about the law and your rights in the workplace. The Employment Law Hotline will answer questions about:

• Discrimination in hiring, firing, promotions and other working conditions
• Pay equity
• Sexual harassment
• Discrimination based on pregnancy
• Family or medical leave issues
• Unpaid wages
• Contract issues
• Minimum wage and overtime violations
• Being punished by the employer for having acted together with other employees to improve working conditions
• Issues related to immigrant and part-time workers
• Eligibility for unemployment insurance

The Employment Law Hotline attorney will not represent you and will not review or draft any documents for you. The attorney may suggest self-help measures you can take. You may be referred to a social service or governmental agency for assistance.

Callers with viable cases may be referred to the Women’s Law Center’s employment law attorney referral panel. Additionally, you may be referred to a lawyer referral program that may be able to find you an attorney who will charge low or moderate fees.

The Employment Law Hotline answers questions from women and men about a wide range of employment law issues. However, the Women’s Law Center is especially interested in helping callers with problems that predominately impact women.

CLAS attorney represents existing clients, and new clients who are also victims of domestic violence, in collateral legal issues, including custody, divorce, landlord/tenant matters, and more. CLAS also represents victims of domestic violence in protective order hearings when conflicts arise for our other offices or in other jurisdictions as the needs arise. By providing these wrap-around legal services, the WLC prevents re-traumatization of our clients and ensures victims increased stability in their family lives and economic status, thereby decreasing the likelihood that they return to their abusers.

Our Multi-Ethnic Domestic Violence Project (MEDOVI) provides immigration legal services to foreign-born Maryland residents who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault and/or human sex trafficking. If you have been the victim of any of these crimes, MEDOVI’s staff may be able to help determine whether you qualify for legal status in the United States and related benefits (including work authorization). If you qualify, MEDOVI could help you apply for such benefits without having to rely on the perpetrator of the crime, such as an abuser. MEDOVI provides these free and low-cost services to individuals of all genders throughout the state of Maryland. MEDOVI’s services include:

• Help completing and filing VAWA self-petitions
• U-visa and T-visa applications
• Petitions to remove conditions on permanent resident status
• Citizenship petitions
• Limited affirmative asylum cases based on domestic violence
• Accompaniment to court hearings and help through the criminal process Information and advice about your legal rights and options
• Referrals to other programs in the community that may be able to help you MEDOVI can assist with continuing your immigration process and in filing for additional family members
• Continuing your immigration process and in filing for additional family members.

These services are not free, but are offered for a low-cost fee. Services available for parents, adult children, non-derivative spouses, and siblings include:

• Applications for Legal Permanent Residency (Green Cards)
• Work Permits
• Citizenship Adjustment of status

The Protection Order Advocacy and Representation Project (POARP) can provide you with a free attorney to represent you in protection order hearings if you have been abused by an intimate partner (current or past boyfriend/girlfriend, current or ex-spouse) and your case is in Baltimore City, Baltimore County or Carroll County.

POARP services are free and can include:

• Help filling out the Petition for Protection from Domestic Violence
• Representation in court in protective order hearings
• Help enforcing or changing a protective order
• Helping you develop a plan to keep yourself safe
• Accompaniment to criminal court hearings and assistance through the criminal process
• Referrals to other programs in the community that may be able to help you

To request a lawyer to represent you or to get more information about the protective order process, contact the POARP office in the county where you are going to court.

Baltimore City: 410-783-0377

Baltimore County: 410-887-3162

Carroll County: 410-386-2440

The Women’s Law Center’s free hotline answers questions about family law. The hotline is staffed by an experienced attorney. While the hotline attorney cannot represent you in court, he or she will provide basic information to help you understand your rights and tell you about other community resources to help you. Hotline services are anonymous and are available to men and women.

• Separation
• Divorce
• Custody and visitation
• Child support
• Marital property
• Alimony
• Paternity
• Name change
• Guardianship

The Family Law Hotline is operated in partnership with the Legal Aid Bureau, Inc. Your call will be answered by a Women’s Law Center staff attorney, volunteer attorney or Legal Aid Bureau staff attorney. All Family Law Hotline attorneys are knowledgeable about Maryland family law. 

The Judicare program can provide you with a free attorney to represent you in a contested custody case in Baltimore County. The attorney will represent you throughout the case. Attorneys who participate in Judicare are paid a significantly reduced fee by the Women’s Law Center.

Participation in Judicare is limited to low income individuals. You will be asked to provide proof of your income and will go through a screening process before your case is placed with an attorney. A limited number of program slots are available. Judicare services are available to men and women.