Mid-Shore Pro Bono to Commemorate Law Day on May 1st with Focus on Elder Law Services

(Easton, MD) Mid-Shore Pro Bono will commemorate Law Day on May 1st with a series of free Elder Law clinics to help seniors across the Eastern Shore prepare an Advance Medical Directive. These clinics complement a larger initiative by the Elder Law section of the Maryland Bar Association to highlight legal matters affecting our senior citizens as part of Law Day.

Established in 1958 by President Dwight Eisenhower, Law Day, held annually on May 1st, is a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law. Law Day provides an opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share. In 1961, Congress issued a joint resolution designating May 1 as the official date for celebrating Law Day, and every president since then has issued a Law Day proclamation on May 1st to celebrate the nation’s commitment to the rule of law.

Across the country on May 1st, local bar associations, law firms and legal service organizations choose to commemorate Law Day in a variety of ways. The Elder Law section of the Maryland Bar Association and the Elder Law Project at Mid-Shore Pro Bono are raising awareness of the importance of Advance Medical Directives and providing seniors with free services to prepare one of their own.

“At Mid-Shore Pro Bono, we use Law Day as a way to highlight the civil legal issues that are most critical in our community,” said Megan Ryan, Elder Law Project Manager. “Given the Eastern Shore’s large senior population, we all too often witness the heartache and frustration that comes when a senior is no longer able to make decisions regarding their care, and they do not have an Advance Medical Directive in place to provide their loved ones with much-needed guidance regarding their final wishes.”

Advance Medical Directives are how an individual names their health care agents, states their desires concerning the withholding of life sustaining procedures if they are unable to give instructions for care in the event of an end of life condition, and state their wishes concerning organ donation or the donation of their body. Advance Medical Directives are recommended for all adults but are especially critical for seniors.

Mid-Shore Pro Bono will be hosting free clinics for seniors on May 1st where an attorney will assist them with the preparation of their Advance Medical Directive.

The clinics will be held at the following locations and times:

Chestertown – Amy Lynn Ferris Senior Center, 200 Schauber Road, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Centreville – Kramer Center, 104 Powell Street, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Easton – Mid-Shore Pro Bono, 8 S. West Street, 10:00am – 2:00pm

The clinics on May 1st are in addition to the regular monthly Elder Law clinics hosted by Mid-Shore Pro-Bono that serve seniors across the Eastern Shore. For dates, times and locations, please visit, www.midshoreprobono.org.