Pro Bono / Judicare Litigation Fund Guidelines
Administered by:
PRO BONO RESOURCE CENTER OF MARYLAND, INC. (PBRC)
520 W. Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
*FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO JUDICARE AND PRO BONO ATTORNEYS
HANDLING CASES THROUGH MLSC FUNDED AGENCIES ONLY.
THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT REQUESTS WILL BE APPROVED.
REIMBURSEMENTS ARE BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS
AND SUBJECT TO REVIEW by PBRC.*
Note: These guidelines are subject to change. Please contact PBRC with any questions.
1. MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE LIMIT
There are two caps:
$1,000 per attorney per fiscal year, whether single fee or aggregate.
$1,500 over the lifetime of a case, whether single fee or aggregate.
2. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS
Funds are limited. Reimbursement is subject to the availability of funds and is disbursed on a first come, first served basis.
3. SUBMISSION DEADLINES
Requests must be submitted within 60 days of the incurred expense. All requests incurred on or before June 30th must be received by July 15th in order to be processed.
4. PLEASE SEEK PRO BONO OR DISCOUNTED SERVICES FIRST
Since funds are limited, all legal service programs and pro bono attorneys are encouraged to seek pro bono or discounted services prior to requesting reimbursement. Please submit a statement indicating from whom discounted or pro bono services were requested and rejected.
5. PLEASE SEEK CONTRIBUTION FROM OPPOSING PARTY
The Litigation Fund was not intended to subsidize costs for the opposing party. Unless court rules indicate otherwise, pro bono attorneys are encouraged to seek contribution for discovery and other litigation costs from the opposing party. A request for the full amount, without contribution from opposing party, must be accompanied by a citation from a Maryland statute or case indicating that either you or your client bear the full financial burden.
6. DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED
Attach an itemized statement listing expenditures, with supporting documentation, to your request. No request will be approved without full documentation. Required documentation includes receipts, invoices, billings of amounts payable, Mapquest directions for mileage requests, etc. There will be no reimbursement for expenditures of $10.00 or less. Include statements required in Items 4, 5, 9 and 10.
7. COURT COSTS
A Circuit Court will waive initial filing fees and costs in the case of a client’s indigency in accordance with Rule 1-325(a). If a waiver was granted at the beginning of a domestic relations case, a modified affidavit must be filed at the conclusion of the case to waive final fees and costs, including those of a master or examiner, in accordance with Rule 2-603(e).
At present, bankruptcy filing fees will not be reimbursed. 2
8 OFFICE EXPENSES
The expenses involved must be non-routine cash expenditures outside the normal scope of office operations. There will be no reimbursement for such items as the value of secretarial time, local phone calls, minor numbers of copies made on office copiers or postage for routine correspondence. PBRC reserves the right to deny requests that are excessive. The following is the list of routine reimbursable items:
Mileage: $.50 per mile
Substantial photocopies: up to $.10 per page
Faxes: $1.00 per page
Registered mail will be covered, but regular first-class mail will not.
9. SERVICE OF PROCESS
All legal service programs are encouraged to seek pro bono or discounted services prior to requesting reimbursement. Please submit documentation of this effort at the time of the request. If not feasible, a company may be hired in your area for service of process. These costs may be reimbursed.
10. DEPOSITIONS AND EXPERT WITNESSES
Costs of expert witnesses are reimbursed only where the attorney supports the request with a statement that there were no less costly alternatives available that would have been acceptable under general standards of professional practice. Every effort should be made to negotiate a reduced fee from an expert witness.
Also see Item 1: Maximum Allowable Limit; & Item 4: Please Seek Pro Bono or Discounted Services First.
11. APPEALS
Appellate costs will not be reimbursed without prior approval of the expenses by PBRC.
12. REAL ESTATE FEES
Reimbursement will not be made for real estate transfer or recordation fees.
13. ATTORNEY TIME
Due to the limited nature of the fund, reimbursement will not be made for specialized attorney time.
How to Request Reimbursement from the Litigation Fund
Fill out a separate Reimbursement Request Form for each individual case and attach all receipts/documentation of your expenses. Copies are acceptable. You can find this form 1) online at http://www.probonomd.org/litigation-fund-policy; 2) at your local MLSC-funded pro bono referral program by request; or 3) at the Pro Bono Resource Center by request. Submit your request to PBRC at the below address.
Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland, Inc.
520 West Fayette Street, Suite 300
Baltimore, MD 21201
ATTN: Pro Bono / Reduced Fee Litigation Fund
Fax: 410-385-2616
Click herefor a Reimbursement Request Form