In any given month, we receive a multitude of inquiries from individuals who have been denied unemployment insurance benefits and wish to file an appeal. As a result, we handle many unemployment appeals, we have developed a very strong track record where we win the majority of our hearings, and we have established ourselves as one of the preeminent law firms in Baltimore and Maryland for unemployment appeals.
When individuals call to ask how we can help them, we urge them to make sure they are represented by counsel at the first hearing, the lower appeal, since that is each party’s final guaranteed opportunity to fully tell their story. It is also the step where we have the highest success. Unfortunately, not everyone heeds our advice or finds us until after the first hearing has concluded. Appeals beyond the lower appeals hearing take months to resolve, cost more, and the higher the appeal goes the more difficult it gets. Despite the high level of difficulty, we often represent individuals with appeals to the DLLR Board of Appeals as well as with petitions for review to the circuit court. Most firms will not handle these matters because, by many attorneys’ calculations, they are not worth their time, and appeals at the circuit court level are by many considered to be nearly impossible to win.
Our philosophy is different. Optimally, we wish everyone retained counsel for the lower appeal, but we will not turn away individuals in need simply because we have not represented them at the first hearing — if we believe we have a chance to win in court. As a result, we are happy to report that we have recently scored a string of victories at both the DLLR board level as well as with the circuit court. These successful appeals have had a profound impact on our clients, many reporting that the win was the difference between being able to pay their bills, keeping their automobiles, or even their homes.