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Page 1

APPLICATION FOR LEGAL SERVICES
Thank you for seeking legal services through Community Law Center. CLC is a legal services provider which seeks to be a legal partner to neighborhoods and nonprofits in pursuit of more just and vibrant communities. Completing this application for legal assistance will give CLC the information needed to seek a staff or volunteer attorney to match with your organization to provide assistance.

If you are seeking brief legal advice (a single question that can be resolved with a conversation of less than 45 minutes): please do not complete this application, instead, apply for a free Brief Legal Advice Appointment here: https://communitylaw.org/request-brief-legal-advice/

















Additional Contact Information








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BOARD MEETING INFORMATION



MEMBERSHIP MEETING INFORMATION (if applicable) 







Fiscal Sponsor Information


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Upcoming Dates





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AFFIDAVIT OF GROUP ELIGIBILITY, AUTHORIZATION, RELEASE & VERIFICATION 
Application Information: I hereby authorize Community Law Center and its agents and employees to verify, disclose and make copies of any and all information provided in this application in the course of determining eligibility and in securing an attorney. 

Release: I hereby release any person or entity complying with this authorization from any and all claims relating to the disclosure of any such information and documents. 

Acknowledgement: I hereby authorize Community Law Center and its agents and employees to use non-identifying information regarding my application for legal services and the legal services that I receive. 

Validity: A copy of this authorization shall be as valid as the original. 

Providing Information Requested: I agree to meet all requests for further information from Community Law Center and/or any assigned attorney in a timely manner and I agree to contact a designated attorney promptly upon notification of assignment.  
My signature below indicates that I understand that:
  1. Community Law Center may not be able to place our case with an attorney. 
  2. Community Law Center may decline to accept an application or withdraw acceptance of an application for any reason. 
  3. The average wait time for an attorney is 4 weeks.   
  4. If a request for further information by Community Law Center and/or any assigned attorney is not fulfilled within a reasonable amount of time, the case will be closed. 
  5. The application fee covers part of the administrative costs in processing this application and is nonrefundable. 

For organizations serving specific boundaries in Baltimore City, please refer to the NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILES link: http://cityview.baltimorecity.gov/planningmaps. Click on “Neighborhood Profiles” and then click on your neighborhood for data. Compare the median household income for the average neighborhood household size with the MLSC Family Income Limits chart.

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Signature of Applicant
Please enter your name here as your signature on this affidavit.




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We will need some additional organizational information and documents to complete your application. You can upload these documents on this page, or email them to Ingrid Hitches at IngridH@communitylaw.org. You can also mail or drop them off at our office at 3355 Keswick Rd, Suite 200, Baltimore MD 21211. 

Applications will not be complete until all documents are submitted. Depending on the legal issue, additional documents may be required. If some documents are not available, or if you believe they are already on file at Community Law Center, please explain below.



For applicants seeking nonprofit startup – required documents and attachments: 

Board of Directors
Please provide a list of Board of Directors, including contact information and Officer positions (must include at least 3 Directors, and the majority of the Board must be unrelated by family or business relationships).



Current Year Budget
Please provide the budget for current year. 



Draft Bylaws
Please provide draft bylaws (in editable format, if possible).



Meeting Minutes
Please provide Meeting Minutes from most recent three Board of Directors meetings.



Business Plan
Please provide a business plan or narrative description of organization’s past, present, and planned activities, funding, and budget.



Attendance
Attendance of at least one Board member at Community Law Center’s How to Start and Maintain a Nonprofit Organization workshop (for upcoming workshop dates, visit http://communitylaw.org/training-events/workshops/); One workshop registration is included in the application fee, additional registrants must pay the workshop registration fee. 

For all other legal issues – required documents and attachments:  

Board of Directors
Please provide a list of Board of Directors, including contact information and Officer positions (must include at least 3 Directors, and the majority of the Board must be unrelated by family or business relationships).



Current Year Budget
Please provide the budget for current year . 



Signed Bylaws
Please provide signed bylaws (or draft bylaws (in editable format, if possible) if the case is to create bylaws). 



Articles of Incorporation
If incorporated, please provide Articles of Incorporation filed with SDAT (and any Articles of Amendment).



IRS 501(c)(3) Determination Letter
If tax-exempt, please 501(c)(3) determination letter.



Fiscal Sponsorship Agreement
If the organization is fiscally sponsored by another organization, please provide the Fiscal sponsorship agreement.


IRS Form 990
Please provide the IRS Form 990 from most recent year filed OR Audited Financial Statement OR Financial Review.



Meeting Minutes
Please provide Meeting Minutes from Board of Directors meeting approving application to Community Law Center. 



Any Additional Documents
Please provide any other documents related to the case (e.g. Administrative Agency File with applicant’s application, drawings or other proposed documents, and correspondence for Liquor Board or zoning case; 311 or 911 records for nuisance property case, etc.)  . 

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A nonrefundable application fee (one fee for each legal issue) is due to Community Law Center upon submission of this form. This fee contributes to Community Law Center's costs to run the program to match nonprofits with attorneys. Most legal services are free of charge except for this application fee, and attorneys are CLC staff attorneys or volunteer attorneys who do not charge for their services. However, your organization will be responsible for filing fees, court costs, and other related expenses. 


For organizations seeking assistance with preparing applications for federal tax exemption (501(c)(3) status), the application fee is based on the size of the organization's projected budget each year over the next three years. 
Does the organization anticipate that its annual gross receipts will exceed $50,000 in any of the next 3 years? 

  • If no, the application fee is $275. 
  • If yes, the application fee is $400. A draft of the full Form 1023 must be submitted. 
The application fee includes drafting and/or review of bylaws and Articles of Incorporation, and one registration for the How to Start a Nonprofit Organization in Maryland workshop. Attendance at the workshop is mandatory before placement with an attorney. The workshop is offered monthly and must be completed within 6 months of submitting the Application for Legal Services. 



For organizations seeking assistance other than Nonprofit start up cases. The fee is based on projected gross revenue, please utilize the chart below to select the appropriate fee.

PROJECTED GROSS REVENUE FOR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR OF EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS

APPLICATION FEE* FOR CASES OTHER

THAN THOSE LISTED ABOVE

$0 – 2,499

$100

$2,500 – 9,999

$125

$10,000 – 19,999

$155

$20,000 – 39,999

$180

$40,000 – 59,999

$200

$60,000 – 79,999

$220

$80,000 – 99,999

$240

$100,000 – 149,999

$260

$150,000 – 199,999

$280

$200,000 – 249,999

$300

$250,000 – 299,999

$320

$300,000 – 499,999

$350 + hourly rates may apply

$500,000 +

$500 + hourly rates may apply


What does the application fee cover and why is it nonrefundable? Upon receipt of an application, a staff attorney and paralegal reviews the application, creates a file, answers initial application questions, conducts a conflict of interest analysis, determines additional information required, requests the additional information, and follows up on those requests. The fee is nonrefundable because Community Law Center conducts these activities even if a client later decides not to pursue a case, finds another attorney, or on the rare occasion when Community Law Center cannot locate an attorney to represent the organization. 

*The application fee is not meant to be a barrier to legal representation. If your existing organization cannot afford the full application fee, a reduced fee may be considered in limited circumstances. Please contact Ingrid Hitchens at IngridH@communitylaw.org to discuss.

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