Answering the Call: Attorneys Needed as Maryland's Second Look Act Takes Effect

April is Second Chance Month—and in Maryland, implementation of the Second Look Act is now actively underway, opening a critical new phase of sentence review and representation. The Association for the Public Defender of Maryland in partnership with the Maryland Office of the Public Defender, is meeting this moment by ensuring eligible individuals have access to counsel as they pursue sentence reconsideration and that counsel has the support and resources they need for that representation to be effective. Now in effect, the Second Look Act allows individuals who have served more than 20 years in prison for certain offenses committed between the ages of 18 and 24 to petition the court for a reduction of sentence.  It builds on the Juvenile Restoration Act, passed in 2021 to provide similar consideration to individuals convicted of crimes committed when they were less than 18 years old. 

As filings begin and cases move forward, the need for skilled, supported attorneys has grown quickly. When the law went into effect this past October, more than 500 individuals were immediately eligible for consideration. To meet that need, APDM and OPD are collectively working to expand capacity. This includes a clinical partnership with the University of Maryland Carey School of Law, robust pro bono coordination, and—importantly—the ability to compensate panel attorneys who take on these cases.

APDM has secured funding for attorneys who can provide low bono representation and for resources to support high-quality advocacy. This work is intensive and deeply meaningful: it involves case review, mitigation development, client engagement, and careful presentation of factors supporting sentence reduction. Attorneys are not doing this work alone—they are supported with training, resources, and a growing network of practitioners committed to this effort. We are actively seeking panel attorneys to join this work and represent individuals eligible under the Second Look Act.

This Second Chance Month, we invite attorneys to step into this expanding body of work and help ensure that access to sentence review is not only available in law, but fully realized in practice. Attorneys interested in becoming involved in this work should contact Brian Saccenti at brian.saccenti@maryland.gov.