Maryland Legal Services Corporation

"There is a need to provide equal access to the system of justice for individuals who seek redress of grievances. There is a need to continue and expand legal assistance to those who would otherwise be unable to afford adequate legal counsel."— from Preamble, Maryland Legal Services Corporation Act, Maryland Code, Human Resources, Title 11.

1982	MLSC & IOLTA enacted
1985	Unclaimed Property Fund appropriation - $500,000
1989	IOLTA becomes mandatory
1998	Filing fee surcharge established; MLSC Fund created
2003	General revenue appropriation - $300,000
2004	Filing fee surcharge increased; 2003 general revenue appropriation eliminated
2007	Maryland Court of Appeals adopted IOLTA Comparability Rule

The Maryland Legal Services Corporation (MLSC) was established by the Maryland General Assembly in 1982 to raise funds and make grants to nonprofit organizations for the provision of civil legal assistance to low-income persons in Maryland. MLSC is governed by a nine-person Board of Directors appointed by the Governor of Maryland and confirmed by the Maryland Senate. The MLSC Board hires the Executive Director, who serves ex officio on the Board and manages the organization. MLSC's principal funding source is the Interest on Lawyer Trust Account (IOLTA) program, also established by state legislation in 1982. Other major funding is from surcharges on court filing fees, which the state legislated in 1998 and increased in 2004. From its inception, MLSC made grants totaling over $108 million to help provide services in more than 1.5 million legal matters for Maryland's families.