COMMUNITY LAW CENTER INC
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Target demographics: Community Law Center serves nonprofit organizations and neighborhood and community groups. CLC represents only organizational clients in Maryland.
Geographic areas served: State of Maryland
Mission:
Community Law Center, a nonprofit law firm, provides legal services to community and nonprofit organizations throughout Maryland to promote stronger nonprofits and more vibrant neighborhoods.
Results:
Throughout the 25 years of our history, Community Law Center has worked steadily with neighborhoods, the City, and the State to develop methods, laws and regulations that support the efforts of communities to improve their circumstances. Issues addressed over the years include:
Fighting the installation of illegal billboards, advertising undesirable products, in low-income communities
Creating innovative strategies to have court appointed receivers oversee the renovations of vacant properties
Developing a self-help nuisance abatement strategy to allow communities to board up vacant properties, rather than waiting for the City or the owner to do it
Formulating the strategy of filing drug nuisance abatement cases to combat the use of neighborhood homes as drug distribution points and “shooting galleries”
Initiating and amending “Community Bill of Rights” legislation, allowing community associations to seek enforcement of housing, building, zoning and health codes in their neighborhoods
Partnering with CDCs to reduce crime in neighborhoods through drug nuisance abatement and other strategies, helping property values to rise
Fighting open-air drug markets by forcing the removal of illegal payphones, and bringing suit against owners of vicious dogs used by drug dealers to intimidate community leaders
Investigating the practices of licensing bodies, to ensure the fair and complete compliance with applicable statutes
Facilitating legislation allowing vacant lots to be turned into side yards and community gardens and permitting alley-gating projects, and offering legal representation to the communities using these laws
Coordinating the task force addressing property-flipping and other predatory real estate practices in Baltimore City, and developing partnerships for the enforcement of applicable regulations
Fighting the installation of illegal billboards, advertising undesirable products, in low-income communities
Creating innovative strategies to have court appointed receivers oversee the renovations of vacant properties
Developing a self-help nuisance abatement strategy to allow communities to board up vacant properties, rather than waiting for the City or the owner to do it
Formulating the strategy of filing drug nuisance abatement cases to combat the use of neighborhood homes as drug distribution points and “shooting galleries”
Initiating and amending “Community Bill of Rights” legislation, allowing community associations to seek enforcement of housing, building, zoning and health codes in their neighborhoods
Partnering with CDCs to reduce crime in neighborhoods through drug nuisance abatement and other strategies, helping property values to rise
Fighting open-air drug markets by forcing the removal of illegal payphones, and bringing suit against owners of vicious dogs used by drug dealers to intimidate community leaders
Investigating the practices of licensing bodies, to ensure the fair and complete compliance with applicable statutes
Facilitating legislation allowing vacant lots to be turned into side yards and community gardens and permitting alley-gating projects, and offering legal representation to the communities using these laws
Coordinating the task force addressing property-flipping and other predatory real estate practices in Baltimore City, and developing partnerships for the enforcement of applicable regulations
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Dominic W.
10/11/12
I've been a board member for 3 years. In that time, I've consistently been impressed by the CLC; its mission, its leadership and its phenomenal staff are all equal components in its consistent success. The highlight of my year is our annual city-wide bus tour of representative clients. Again and ...
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Dave22
07/24/12
The Community Law Center recently helped a neighborhood organization in Baltimore City to reclaim an abandoned city park and to secure follow -through of promised funding for a basketball court and playground equipment. Neighborhood residents strongly supported the project and are delighted. ...
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