Easton and Salisbury, MD – Shore Legal Access (formerly Mid-Shore Pro Bono) continues to grow to meet the civil legal needs of the eight counties it serves on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The non-profit organization, which has offices in Easton and Salisbury, recently welcomed four new staff members to its team.
The new staff are Jamie Ferguson, Intake and Outreach Coordinator and Life Planning Case Manager for the Lower Shore; Emily Marshall, Family Law Case Manager for the Lower Shore; Peter Rolph, Equal Justice Works Fellow Housing Attorney; and Marshall Shord, Grants Manager.
“We are thrilled to have Jamie, Emily, Peter, and Marshall joining our professional team,” says Shore Legal Access Executive Director Meredith Lathbury Girard, Esq. “They each bring valuable life experience, passion, and energy to this work and we are fortunate to have them working with us to serve our community.”
Ferguson, Marshall, Rolph, and Shord will work primarily from Shore Legal Access’s Salisbury office, where they will help individuals and families in Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties address their civil legal issues. All four already have strong ties to the communities of the Lower Shore.
Jamie Ferguson, from Aberdeen, Maryland, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice from University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne. Earlier this year Ferguson was selected to be a Sandy Brown Public Interest Intern at Shore Legal Access. Ferguson’s experience during her internship completing client intakes and planning outreach events will directly contribute to her new role as Intake and Outreach Coordinator for the Lower Shore. As the Life Planning Case Manager for the Lower Shore, Ferguson will connect clients with legal assistance for issues like Wills, Advance Medical Directives, and Powers of Attorney.
Ferguson looks forward to joining the Shore Legal Access team, “because of the dedication the staff puts in every day to be the change in people’s lives.”
Emily Marshall, a native of Dorchester County, graduated from Salisbury University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. Marshall also was a Sandy Brown Public Interest Intern prior to being hired as the Family Law Case Manager for the Lower Shore. In her new role, Marshall will help clients navigate the complex processes of family law—including adoption, child custody, and divorce —and connect them with legal assistance.
Marshall says, “I’m excited to contribute to the organization’s success and to learn from my colleagues as well.”
Marshall Shord was born and raised in Worcester County, graduated from Washington College in Chestertown with a Bachelor of Arts in English, and worked for over four years in the Worcester County Library system. As Grants Manager, Shord hopes to maintain the great relationships Shore Legal Access has with its existing funders, while seeking out new sources so the organization can continue to address and correct the barriers and inequities that have put so many on the Eastern Shore in vulnerable positions.
Peter Rolph recently closed his civil litigation practice in upstate New York and returned to his home state of Maryland. Rolph has experience working with the populations Shore Legal Access serves, having staffed a clinic in law school that helped people who had been wrongfully denied their unemployment benefits. He also previously worked in public relations for a statewide organization combatting poverty. As an Equal Justice Works Fellow, Rolph will focus on day-of court representation for tenants facing eviction in the counties of the Lower Shore.
“I feel like my career has come full circle,” Rolph says, “and I’m excited every day to come and see what we can do for our clients.”
Juanita Sutton, Shore Legal Access’s Senior Paralegal and Manager of the Salisbury office, says, “We happily welcome the new staff to a dedicated team of professionals continuing to deliver our mission to support and assist those who are unable to afford representation in civil legal matters.”
Shore Legal Access connects people on the Eastern Shore in need of legal representation with volunteer attorneys to ensure that justice truly is for all. If you need civil legal assistance, you can complete an online intake form at shorelegal.org or call 410-690-8128 Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm.
