American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland
The ACLU of Maryland provides legal services to remedy and prevent constitutional and civil liberties violations. Most of the cases we consider involve conduct of government bodies because constitutional rules apply differently to private entities. However, the U.S. Constitution, along with federal and state statutes, does extend some protection from violations by private entities. Even if you are unsure whether your case involves a constitutional or civil liberties violation, our office will review your complaint to determine if we can help.
Program Details
ACLU of Maryland Legal Services
Program Description:
Contact the ACLU Maryland to consider your request by:
- phone to our Civil Rights Complaint Line or
- mailed or faxed letter to our office.
1. Call Our Civil Rights Complaint Line: The ACLU Maryland has a Civil Rights Complaint Line to assist those who prefer to speak with a legal intake representative by phone. Trained intake specialists will record your information and may determine whether your request meets the criteria for cases that we consider. The intake specialist may then forward your information to the Legal Department for further review or provide referrals to assist with your request. Please be aware that the intake specialists ARE NOT attorneys and cannot provide legal advice. The ACLU Maryland does not provide legal advice or consultations with attorneys by phone.
- The Civil Rights Complaint Line is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1–3 p.m.
- During our temporary remote operations period, please call (443) 524-2558 to reach our Civil Rights Complaint Line.
2. Contact Us in Writing: Please write a brief description of your request (no more than 5 pages), including the following information:
- your name, mailing address, and phone number;
- the date, time of day, and location of the incident;
- which constitutional rights you believe were violated;
- descriptions of any supporting documents you have;
- dates of any upcoming deadlines;
- any prior administrative or court decisions in your case; and
- what legal action you hope our office will take.
The ACLU Maryland operates with limited resources to defend vulnerable communities from civil rights and liberties violations across our state. As a result, we are unable to provide general legal advice or accept all of the cases presented to us.
The ACLU Maryland aims to respond to every request for assistance – even those which our office cannot take as cases. However, our review process may take several weeks. If you are facing an immediate deadline, you should contact a private attorney for assistance.
Program uses Language Line (Y/N): Yes
Program staff provide services in other languages: Spanish, Se habla espanol
Intake days/hours (by phone): Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1pm-3pm
Eligibility-residence-county: Location of incident/issue must take place in Maryland
Services
Employment: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Housing - General: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Immigration and Citizenship: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Other Topics: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Se habla Español: Brief advice/Help with forms/Clinics
Baltimore, MD 21211
Is this legal advice?
This site offers legal information, not legal advice. We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information and to clearly explain your options. However we do not provide legal advice - the application of the law to your individual circumstances. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney. The Maryland Thurgood Marshall State Law Library, a court-related agency of the Maryland Judiciary, sponsors this site. In the absence of file-specific attribution or copyright, the Maryland Thurgood Marshall State Law Library may hold the copyright to parts of this website. You are free to copy the information for your own use or for other non-commercial purposes with the following language “Source: Maryland's People’s Law Library – www.peoples-law.org. © Maryland Thurgood Marshall State Law Library, 2024.”