Recent News
City of Baltimore Reaches Settlement in Polymer80
Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced that Baltimore City has reached a settlement in its lawsuit against Polymer80, the leading manufacturer of ghost gun kits in the United States. Ghost guns are unserialized, largely untraceable firearms. By falsely classifying its kits as “non-firearms,” Polymer80 has ensured that many of their products end up in the hands of convicted felons and minors.
From left to right, Assistant Solicitor Derek VanDeWalle, Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice Bradley Pough, Director and Chief Equity Officer of the Mayor’s Office of Equity and Civil Rights Dana P. Moore, University of Baltimore School of Law Professor José F. Anderson, Baltimore City Solicitor Ebony M. Thompson, President of the Bar Association of Baltimore City Jim Motsay, and Asst. Solicitor Kendrick McLeod pose for a photograph at the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse on Wed., Feb. 7, 2024. The Mayor’s Office of Equity and Civil Rights in collaboration with the Baltimore City Law Department sponsored the event Equality: Exploration of Baltimore City’s Past and Present Initiatives with guest speakers Moore, Anderson, and Thompson who shared their knowledge of Baltimore City’s racial past and discussed what the government is doing and can do to address lingering racial disparities.
City Solicitor meets with UMD Law Students
City Solicitor Ebony M. Thompson poses for a photo with law students at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law on Jan. 31, 2024. City Solicitor Thompson presented to the students about career opportunities for young attorneys within the City’s Law Department.
First openly gay woman sworn in as City Solicitor
On January 29, 2024, Ebony M. Thompson was sworn in as the first woman and first openly gay City Solicitor in the 294-year history of the City. View the ceremony here.
BOE Recognizes 2023 Law Fellows
(Pictured from left to right: Interim Director of the Department of Public Works Richard J. Luna, Comptroller Bill Henry, Law Fellow Josie Schafer, Council President Nick J. Mosby, Law Fellow Joshua Faulkner, Mayor Brandon M. Scott, Law Fellow Choki Im, and Acting City Solicitor Ebony M. Thompson. Not pictured: Law Fellow Caroline Alder and Law Fellow Colin Forrest. )
Members of the Board of Estimates recognized the Law Department’s Summer 2023 Law Fellows at Baltimore City Hall on August 2, 2023. The Law Fellows completed more than 55 legal assignments across the Law Department’s many practice groups during the Law Department’s Annual Clerkship Program.
The Summer Clerkship Program partners with the University of Maryland and the University of Baltimore law schools to provide third and fourth-year law students an opportunity to work alongside attorneys for the City doing litigation, transactional, and advice and opinions work. If you are interested in a summer clerkship with the Law Department, please email Onica Barnes at obarnes@baltimorecity.gov.
Acting Solicitor Delivers UB Commencement Address
Acting Solicitor for the City of Baltimore and University of Baltimore School of Law alumna Ebony Thompson, J.D. '13, , delivered the address at the school's Commencement ceremony at Towson University's SECU Arena on May 17. View her full speech beginning at 00:42:30 by clicking here.
City of Baltimore Files Lawsuit Against Hyundai, Kia Over Car Thefts
The City of Baltimore joins Seattle, St. Louis, and several cities nationwide by filing a lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia for failing to equip their vehicles with industry-standard vehicle immobilization technology. Without this feature, vehicles can be started without a key, a flaw that has been the subject of numerous TikTok videos demonstrating the ease with which these cars can be stolen. This has led to a rash of thefts of these vehicles not only in Baltimore City but nationwide. Five hundred seventy-seven Kias and Hyundais have been stolen in Baltimore so far this year, a pace that will likely result in a year-end total that more than doubles that of 2022.
