The University of Baltimore Law School’s Pretrial Justice Clinic (PTJC), led by 2014 OSI-Baltimore Community Fellow Zina Makar, recently published a report detailing findings and recommendations from its inaugural year.
Makar, who was also on OSI’s Solutions Summit Justice planning group, was tapped as co-director of the clinic when it was established in August 2016. PTJC works with the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) to promote pretrial justice in Baltimore City through litigation, lobbying and education.
Along with the Open Society Policy Center, PTJC is also a member of the Coalition for a Safe and Just Maryland, which is dedicated to reforming Maryland’s bail system.
As part of her fellowship, Makar partnered with the Public Defender’s office to file writs of habeas corpus to help prevent defendants from being held indefinitely without being charged.
