Andrea Marcin

The Project

Andrea’s Fellowship enabled lawyers, allied professionals, and community members to identify the indicators for when an older adult is being victimized.

Older adults will doubtless endure the lasting effect of increased isolation and financial insecurity. This project supported attorneys to be better able to address elder abuse, whether that be through credit repair, debt collection defense, foreclosure prevention, estate planning, or referrals to organizations addressing health and safety.

Growing up in the Baltimore suburbs, Andrea enjoyed the benefits of proximity to city culture but was blind to the forces that oppress entire neighborhoods. After the 2015 Uprising, she became committed to advocating for the rights of low-income people. She was eager to continue Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service’s important work providing access to justice to clients in need with a focus on the vulnerable, often overlooked older adult population.

Fellowship Plans

During her Fellowship, Andrea designed and implemented a screening tool to be used at her organization and shared with other service providers to detect potential victims of elder abuse. She also collaborated with volunteer attorneys and allied professionals to host trainings on elder justice topics, such as capacity and working with marginalized communities. In addition to this work, Andrea directly represented clients in civil legal matters, preserving older adults’ dignity and autonomy while enabling them to recover from exploitation and abuse.

Media