Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts issued the following announcement on Aug. 30.
September 10 is the date by which all active Maryland attorneys must complete their court-mandated, annual compliance requirements. By that date, attorneys must pay the annual Client Protection Fund (CPF) assessment; confirm their tax identification number, if they have one; submit a report on pro bono legal services; and submit the Interest on Lawyers Trust Account (IOLTA) report.
Maryland attorneys on active status who fail to pay the annual CPF assessment by September 10 will incur a late fee. Additionally, attorneys who fail to pay the assessment, confirm their tax ID number, or complete pro bono and IOLTA reporting may be subject to a temporary suspension or decertification from the practice of law.
On or around July 10, Maryland attorneys on active status were sent an email notifying them to pay the annual CPF assessment and complete online reporting for their pro bono activities and on their Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA). Attorneys must complete their reporting and may pay their assessment using the Attorney Information System (AIS) available at www.mdcourts.gov/lawyers/ais. While attorneys may choose to pay the CPF assessment online or through the U.S. mail (accompanied by an invoice printed from AIS), pro bono and IOLTA reports must be completed online using AIS. Data about pro bono service are used by the Maryland Judiciary to plan and promote pro bono activity. Interest generated from IOLTA accounts is used to fund civil legal aid programs in the state.
Maryland Rule 19-802(b) requires all Maryland attorneys to register with AIS to ensure they receive all future communications regarding their license to practice law. AIS is a comprehensive database that brings together information about Maryland attorneys. The database is maintained by the court-related agencies that support the Court of Appeals in its role of regulating the legal profession in Maryland. With the implementation of AIS, paper invoices and notices have been discontinued and all communication with Maryland attorneys will now be electronic.
Changes to the Maryland Rules took effect January 1, 2019, that consolidated several processes into a single compliance cycle for Maryland attorneys. This single, annual process should make it easier for attorneys to fulfill their annual requirements and remain in good standing.
For additional information about attorney compliance requirements and AIS, visit https://mdcourts.gov/lawyers/ais.
Original source can be found here.
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