As we reflect on 2024, all of us at BALT want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of our incredible collaborators. This past year, like every year, has been a testament to the power of partnership.
At the heart of Baltimore Action Legal Team’s mission lies the unwavering commitment of our exceptional partners. Since 2022, we have been honored to call Penn North Recovery Center and Citizens Policing Project steadfast collaborators. Penn North, with its rich legacy of over three decades, embodies resilience. Their dedication extends beyond the individual, nurturing entire communities towards recovery and equality. Citizens Policing Project, a beacon of advocacy since 2018, champions the voices of marginalized residents, ensuring their concerns and priorities are at the forefront of police reform efforts. As we reflect on our journey, we are endlessly grateful to CPP and Penn North for allowing us to weave deeper connections within our communities and deliver essential legal services to those who need them most.
2024 welcomed support from collaborations new and old. Our ongoing collaboration with Open Justice Baltimore and the Office of the Public Defender have significantly advanced our legal claims for transparency and justice in police departments. In 2024, our relationship building with local schools, like Harford Heights and Liberty Elementary, has further deepened our outreach efforts, allowing us to share vital free legal resources with families that need them most. Our emerging partnership with Baltimore Safe Haven stands as another thrilling milestone—one that will pave the way for the new legal services we are providing in 2025, specifically focused on name changes for members of the Trans community.
Lastly, we extend our gratitude to the many collaborators and organizations, including the National Lawyers’ Guild, Baltimore Artists Against Apartheid and the Hopkins Justice Collective, who have strengthened our rapid response efforts. We look forward to continuing these collaborations and embarking on new endeavors, standing together as our community faces new attacks that require bold responses.
Thank you for believing in the power of partnership and thank you to the following collaborators:
Baltimore Artists Against Apartheid, Baltimore Safe Haven, Baltimore Unity Hall, Center for Criminal Justice Reform at UBalt, Civil Rights Corps, Citizens Policing Project, Harford Heights Elementary School, Hopkins Justice Collective, Jubilee Arts, Law Office of Natalie A. Finegar, Liberty Elementary School, Life After Release, Maryland Legal Aid, Maryland Youth Justice Coalition, Movement Law Lab, National Bail Fund Network, National Lawyers’ Guild, Office of the Public Defender, Open Justice Baltimore, Palestine Legal, Penn North Recovery Center, Public Justice Center, Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse, Silver Spring Justice Coalition, Trans Rights Advocacy Coalition, Vanderbilt Law School First Amendment Clinic, Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs