Many of my colleagues, friends, and clients know that I am a staunch opponent of domestic violence. I have female clients who come through my doors who are battered by their husbands and boyfriends, who seek out help but cannot get it. The Legal Aid Bureau of Maryland (in Anne Arundel County, specifically) is one such example. For years my clients seek out legal assistance from this organisation but are consistently turned away and told to seek help at the self-help center, which is a library housed in the circuit court of Anne Arundel County. Essentially, they are told to read a book and become their own lawyer. This amounts to standing up in front of a judge, their abuser, and their paid, experienced attorney and representing themselves. Since we know that battered women are thrown into the street with nothing except for the clothes on their back, we also know that this is an impossible challenge.
So, send your money elsewhere. Give to a cause where your money matters.
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