SearchAs an Equal Justice Works Fellow on the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) Housing Stabilization Team, Megan Good, Tangled Title Attorney, focuses her efforts on serving Cherry Hill and the Greater Mondawmin area through a community lawyering model.
This community-based approach allows MVLS to more effectively reduce barriers to legal services while strengthening the overall impact by serving multiple households within the same neighborhoods. The goal is not only to stabilize individual families but also to help stabilize entire communities.
While this model is deeply rewarding and impactful, it is also more time-intensive — which is why MVLS volunteers play such a critical role in its success.
Meeting Residents Where They Are
Through her work, Good meets residents directly in their communities by delivering educational presentations, tabling at resource fairs, door-knocking, and providing free, brief consultations at community-based locations.
Given the limited staff capacity, it is impossible for MVLS to both engage in extensive outreach and serve every resident who wishes to access its services. That’s where volunteers step in. MVLS volunteers are essential, delivering critical legal services that strengthen entire neighborhoods and amplify the organization’s reach.
Volunteers Making a Lasting Difference
One powerful example of volunteer impact took place in Cherry Hill, where volunteer Uma Krishnan accompanied Good to conduct door-to-door outreach to homeowners at risk of losing their homes to tax sale. Krishnan also served as an additional witness, enabling the team to execute legal documents in clients’ homes.
This initiative allowed MVLS to bring legal services directly to clients’ doorsteps — a vital service for individuals who are unable to leave their homes due to mobility issues or other barriers.
In the Mondawmin community, 18 volunteer paralegals and attorneys each dedicated 5–6 hours to staffing Estate Planning and Deed Change Clinics in July and September. Many of the clients who attended these clinics were first introduced to MVLS through Good’s outreach work.
At these clinics, residents completed critical documents such as wills, financial powers of attorney, advance medical directives, and life estate deeds — essential tools for securing family homes and protecting generational wealth.
Community Feedback: How Legal Services Create Peace of Mind
The impact of these community-based legal clinics is best reflected in the words of the clients served:
“The free services gave me a peace of mind and also helped me financially. Everyone was wonderful and very helpful. Thank you!”
“I thought this would be an exchange of cards and addresses, but this was a complete total walk through with explanations of all aspects of legal paperwork and advice. This was more than amazing … everyone was friendly, knowledgeable, patient, and caring.”
“The legal help means security for me and my family.”
These testimonials underscore the importance of accessible, compassionate legal aid. For many clients, these services represent not only legal assistance but also financial stability and peace of mind for their families.
Empowering Communities Through Volunteer Engagement
The community lawyering model thrives on collaboration — and volunteers are the driving force behind its success. By joining MVLS’s community outreach and legal clinics, volunteers enable the organization to meet residents where they are and deliver the support needed to keep families housed and stable.
MVLS volunteers are not just helping individuals; they are helping strengthen the fabric of entire neighborhoods.
A Heartfelt Thank You to MVLS Volunteers
Megan Good extends her sincere gratitude to all of the MVLS volunteers who make this work possible. Their dedication ensures that community-based legal services continue to expand and reach more Baltimore residents in need of assistance.
For those who are not yet volunteers but are interested in getting involved, please contact Etta Moen, MVLS Volunteer Coordinator, for more information about how to join and make an impact.
Conclusion: Building Stronger Neighborhoods Through Legal Empowerment
Community-based legal services are transforming the way access to justice is delivered. By bringing legal support directly into communities like Cherry Hill and Greater Mondawmin, MVLS is helping residents protect their homes, preserve generational wealth, and gain peace of mind.
Through the dedication of volunteers and the leadership of attorneys like Megan Good, the mission of housing stability and community empowerment continues to grow stronger every day
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