Litigation Newsletters

Unbundled Legal Services

In October 2000, a national conference was held on unbundled legal services. A website, www.unbundledlaw.org, was created by the Maryland Legal Assistance Network as a result of the conference. Unbundled legal services, also called limited scope legal assistance, provide a new model for legal representation for low and moderate income individuals. A client (usually a pro se or self-representing client) hires an attorney to perform a specific task or tasks for the client. The client represents himself/herself in all other aspects of the case. More...

Judicial Immunity

As a general rule, judges are immune or protected from lawsuits seeking money damages for any actions performed by the judge as part of his or her official duties. Judicial immunity shields a judge from liability for unpopular or controversial judgments. A judge can be sued for money damages based on his or her nonjudicial actions (actions not made in a judge's official capacity). A judge is also liable for actions that are judicial in nature but are taken when the judge lacks jurisdiction or authority over the matter.More...

DNA Testing

DNA is genetic material that controls inherited traits such as eye color, hair color, and bone density. DNA testing is used to match a sample of evidence (sperm, blood, saliva, skin, or hair) from the crime scene to a suspect. Current DNA techniques are so sophisticated that one person can be differentiated from all other living persons by analyzing DNA from a single strand of hair. DNA testing is especially helpful in solving rape and murder crimes and in exonerating wrongly convicted prisoners. More...

Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure

A person or company unable to pay debts may declare bankruptcy. Bankruptcy is a legal process in which the financial affairs of the debtor (a person or a company) are placed in the hands of the bankruptcy court. The process is intended to protect the creditors of the debtor and assure their equal treatment.More...

Discretionary Review of a State Court Decision

Generally, a litigant can file an appeal of a state trial court's final decision as a matter of right. The appeal is filed with the intermediate appellate court of the state. There is a distinction between mandatory review by the court of appeals and discretionary review by the state's highest court. A litigant is not entitled to a second appeal as of right to the supreme court.More...