Community Support

Gus Brown -- Dedicated to Furthering the Highest Standards in the Practice of Law; Helping Victims of Terrorism and Violence; Working to Achieve Equal Justice for All

Gus Brown is a frequent speaker at seminars and programs sponsored by the MAJ (Maryland Association for Justice) and a regular faculty member for MICPEL (Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education for Lawyers), as well as on the faculty of the National College of Advocacy (AAJ - American Association for Justice). For the AAJ, Gus conducts focus groups and teaches trial advocacy and topics relating to personal injury and criminal defense in Federal and State Courts.

He also is on the faculty of the Maryland State Bar Course on Professionalism, and is Chair of the Character Committee of the Maryland State Board of Law Examiners, Second Appellate Circuit (Baltimore and Harford Counties), which ensures that members of the legal profession possess and display the highest levels of honesty, integrity and reliability, and which disciplines those who do not.

Gus Brown's volunteer work includes volunteering as a member of Trial Lawyers Care, an association founded by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America that continues to help victims of 9/11 and their families receive compensation and help from the Federal Government. Gus is the only attorney from Harford or Cecil County to assist with this important task. So far, Gus has represented 7 different victim groups, including families who had loved ones killed in the attacks in New York and persons seriously injured at the Pentagon.

Gus Brown has also assisted the Harford County Public Defenders Office in panel cases, where conflicts of interest prevented members of the Public Defenders Office from handling the matter. He is also a member of the Equal Justice Council of the Harford Count Legal Aid Bureau, raising funds for Legal Aid in conjunction with the Harford County Bar Foundation to provide civil legal services to the poor. The beneficiaries of Gus's work include victims of domestic violence seeking court orders for protection of themselves and their children; tenants defending themselves against lawsuits by landlords (these are often cases of constructive eviction due to the inadequacy of the premises); persons seeking counseling in bankruptcy cases; and more.

Jay Young -- Regional Expert Helping Senior Citizens with Estate Planning

Firm principal Albert J. A. "Jay" Young offers free Estate Planning and Living Will seminars each fall through the auspices of the Upper Chesapeake Health System. These seminars are given at the Upper Chesapeake campus in Bel Air.

Also, Jay is a featured presenter at Stevenson University (formerly Villa Julie College) on Estate and Tax Planning approaches "for these uncertain times" (in the words of the promotional literature published by Stevenson U.). Jay joins local financial experts Mike Mandish, CPA of SC&H and Jonathan Murray of UBS Financial on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, from 5:30- 7:30 p.m. in the Stevenson University School of Business and Leadership.

Dave Carey -- Bel Air Town Commissioner and Local Government Expert

Firm principal David E. Carey was elected to the Town of Bel Air Board of Commissioners in 1997 and re-elected in 2001 and 2005. The Board of Commissioners comprises 5 non-partisan-elected officials who are charged with the ultimate responsibility for approving the supervising the incorporated Town and its professional staff, including the Town Manager, Town Police Department, Town Public Works Department, and Town Planning and Zoning Department. The chairmanship of the Board rotates each year, with each year's Chair being given the honorary title of "Mayor," a role Dave has filled in 3 separate years.

Dave, who is Past President of the Maryland Municipal League, has also testified numerous times before committees in both the Maryland Senate and the House of Delegates on issues affecting cities and towns.

Dave also serves on the Board of Directors of the Harford Community Action Agency, the Local Government Insurance Trust and the Maryland Municipal League, and served on Governor Martin O'Malley's Smart Growth and Land Planning Transition Team Workgroup.