Staff Profile: Madonna Lebling, Esq.
Madonna Lebling joined PBRC as Staff Attorney with the Home Preservation Project in 2022. She is responsible for coordinating community outreach for the Home Preservation Project’s clinics in Baltimore City and Prince George’s County. She also assists with recruiting, training, and mentoring volunteer attorneys who participate in estate planning, tax sale prevention, and utility bill clinics.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in Montgomery County, Maryland, then moved to Anne Arundel County when I was eight years old. Aside from a few out of state ventures, I have lived in or near Annapolis most of my life.
What brought you to Maryland/Baltimore?
After working in Washington DC most of my adult life, I came to Baltimore for law school and have been working in Baltimore since.
Where did you go to school and what was your major/focus?
I received a BA in History from University of Iowa, a Master of Library Science from University of Maryland and a JD from University of Baltimore
What are your interests/hobbies outside of PBRC?
I enjoy reading, watching movies and documentaries, binge-watching good series. I like to travel and visit new and different cultures. I love anything having to do with animals.
How did get involved with PBRC?
I started volunteering with PBRC after I was licensed in Maryland. My experience with PBRC directly led to my previous job as an attorney with a partner organization that works regularly with the HPP team at PBRC.
What were you doing prior to working here?
I worked as a news researcher for almost 20 years before deciding to go to law school. For the last several years, I was an attorney with a legal services organization serving Baltimore City seniors.
What do you do at PBRC?
I am a staff attorney for the Home Preservation Project. We recruit and train volunteer attorneys to staff clinics for estate planning, foreclosure prevention and tax sale prevention.
Who is a hero or someone who inspires you to do the work you do?
My mother, who worked her way through college while raising 6 children as a single parent, to become a clinical social worker. She taught by example compassion, empathy, hard work and perseverance.
What has been your most meaningful experience with PBRC?
Serving clients at our clinics is always rewarding. It makes me happy to see clients visibly relieved and unburdened after receiving counseling and/or estate planning documents.
What do you appreciate about PBRC’s mission?
I appreciate that PBRC seeks to provide underserved communities with a variety of legal services, and they encourage volunteers to give back to the community by providing excellent training and a variety of opportunities to provide legal services.
What message would you give to people thinking about volunteering with PBRC?
Do it! PBRC offers a wealth of training and hands on legal practice opportunities that benefit both the attorney and the community they serve.
