State & County Bars   -  Lawyer Referral Services   -   Reduced Fee Panels   -   Specialty Bar Associations

The legal profession is organized into groups called ”bar associations”. These are voluntary membership groups that provide services to attorneys as well as set and enforce standards of attorney conduct.  A bar association can help you find a member attorney. (Remember that not all attorneys licensed to practice in the state belong to a bar association. Also some attorneys belong to several bar associations.)

Finding Bar Associations

• The Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA), a professional membership association of attorneys in Maryland, offers a searchable Directory of MSBA members.  Important things to know about this Directory. The Directory:

  • does not list all licensed attorneys in the state (only MSBA members);
  • does not list all MSBA members (only those who wish to be listed);
  • does not mean that the listed attorneys are endorsed by the MSBA.

  You must sign in to the Directory and can then search it by county, last name, law firm, legal practice area.

Finding Lawyer Referral Services are designed to assist you in finding the appropriate help for your legal problem.  Some of the county bar associations offer referral services. 

 

What are Lawyer Referral Services? Attorneys who are members of the bar associations ask to be listed on panels to which referrals are made. The bar associations do not review the work of the attorneys but can find you the name of attorneys interested in your type of case. When you contact a lawyer referral service, be prepared to briefly describe your situation to help the person on the other end of the phone line determine the kind of assistance you need.  They will also help you decide what type of case you have.  You will then be referred to an attorney in that field of practice.  The lawyer referral services administered by the county bar associations usually offer a half-hour initial telephone or in-person consultation with the lawyer for a modest fee, approximately $25-40.  Please note that Anne Arundel County and Montgomery County only offer an in-person initial consultation.  Any additional time needed for your case is then negotiated between you and the attorney. 

Here is a complete list of all the different bar associations, county and specialty, in Maryland 

Finding Reduced fee panels  - Most of the county bar associations with lawyer referral services have reduced fee panels.  When you call the county bar association for a referral, ask if it has a reduced fee panel.  Most reduced fee panels are based on income, but some are based on case type.  For example, the Prince Georges County Bar Association has a reduced fee panel for criminal cases, but not for domestic.  For the reduced fee panel based on income, each individual bar association has its own eligibility screening to determine if your income entitles you to the reduced fee. 

Remember that the attorneys reduce their fees based on their “usual” rate and that the “usual” rate will vary among attorneys. For example, one attorney’s usual rate may be less than another attorney’s reduced rate.  

Finding Specialty Bar Associations - In addition, there are other bar associations organized by special interest areas rather than by geographic area. Some the these “specialty” bar associations in Maryland offer limited lawyer referral services or publish their membership list:

• Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney's Association – The Maryland Criminal Defense Attorney's Association lists its members in a directory on its website.  You can search for an attorney by name and location.
• Maryland Trial Lawyers Association – The Maryland Trial Lawyers Association (MTLA) offers a lawyer referral service.  If you have a legal matter, such as medical malpractice, adoption or divorce, call the MTLA (410-246-2292).  You will be referred, at no cost, to at least one attorney in that field of practice.  There is no reduced fee panel available with the MTLA’s service; fees are negotiated directly between you and the lawyer to whom you are referred.
• Maryland Bankruptcy Bar Association