Shore Legal Access (SLA) recently welcomed Tom Deliberto, Esq.; Candace Henry; and Kathleen Smith, Esq. to its Board of Directors. Each brings professional expertise and a shared commitment to SLA’s mission of providing free civil legal assistance and connecting clients to essential community services on the Eastern Shore.
“We are honored and delighted to have these talented leaders joining our Board of Directors,” said Executive Director Meredith Lathbury Girard, Esq. “Each brings vital perspectives, insights, and skills to our organization.”
Deliberto, a practicing attorney and certified public accountant, lives in Kent County. He has served on many nonprofit, for-profit, and foundation boards, including, currently, the Shelter Alliance in Chestertown. Deliberto started his own law firm in 1992 and continues to practice tax, corporate, estate, and gift law in the Baltimore region and on the Eastern Shore. He has also taught at Notre Dame of Maryland University, Loyola University of Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University Business School.
“I feel very fortunate and see my participation on the Board of Shore Legal Access as another way of giving back to the community, combining my legal expertise with my desire to make a contribution to the lives of others,” Deliberto said.
Henry, of Talbot County, is Director of Salisbury University’s Disability Resource Center, where she has realized innovative programs to support neurodivergent students and enhance student retention. She has extensive experience creating inclusive programs for students with disabilities and improving access for diverse populations. She has also served as Managing Director of the Water’s Edge Museum, Talbot County’s first fully accessible Black history and culture museum.
“I am honored to join the Shore Legal Access Board and support its mission of ensuring equal access to justice for all,” Henry said.
Smith, who lives in Worcester County, is an experienced litigator and mediator with deep roots on the Eastern Shore. After growing up on the Mid-Shore and completing her law degree at University of Maryland School of Law, Smith has practiced on the Lower Shore for almost forty years. She has provided legal services in both public and private sectors and spent many years running her own solo practice in Worcester County. She currently works for the Office of the Public Defender in Wicomico County.
“SLA fills a tremendous void in legal services in the Shore’s underrepresented communities,” Smith said.
SLA Board president Tanisha Armstrong said of the new board members, “Shore Legal Access is pleased and excited to welcome our new Board members. The experience and commitment they bring to this organization will be crucial to our next steps, as we continue providing civil legal services in such a dynamic environment. We are so happy to have them join us.”
Shore Legal Access connects individuals and families with volunteer attorneys to ensure justice is for all. Focus areas include criminal record expungement, economic stability, family law, housing, and life planning. For more information or to support Shore Legal Access, call 410-690-8128 or visit shorelegal.org.
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