Gilbert Attorneys Richard Shore and Rachel Jennings Testify in Support of Maryland Legislation to Protect Home and Land Ownership of Disadvantaged Groups

March 16, 2022

Gilbert partner Richard Shore and associate Rachel Jennings testified in February before committees of the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate in support of a bill to protect economically disadvantaged property owners from abusive tactics that allow real estate speculators to acquire family owned “heirs” property and other real property subject to partition laws for a fraction of its value. These tactics disproportionately impact African-American property owners and are one reason why Black land ownership has plummeted in the last hundred years. Working pro bono, Richard and Rachel helped assemble and worked with a coalition of public interest, racial justice, conservation, business, legal, and academic stakeholders, interest groups, and experts to pursue enactment of this important legislation. It has now been reported favorably out of committees in the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate. Richard’s written statement can be found here; Rachel’s can be found here. Richard and Rachel also are working on similar legislation in the District of Columbia.