By funding civil legal services, fostering innovative programs and partnerships, and convening access to justice partners, the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation is building brighter, financially stable futures for Ohioans. Here is a look back at some of our biggest stories of the year.
The Foundation kicked the year off with the launch of the second round of We Care, a professional development opportunity to support civil legal services attorneys and staff in navigating the stressors of work demands. In February, the Foundation hosted a continuing legal education (CLE) course in collaboration with the National Immigration Project to help Ohio nonprofit lawyers expand their skills and improve services to Ukrainian arrivals. Additionally, the Foundation launched its expanded grant program for veterans to ensure our nation’s heroes can access the critical legal services they need.
In the spring, the Foundation hosted the 2024 Pro Bono Summit in Columbus, convening leaders and pro bono advocates from around the state to engage and generate new ideas to grow pro bono efforts in Ohio. We also joined the Ohio State Bar Association at the Ohio Statehouse in May to honor Rep. Kevin Miller with the Voice of Justice Award and Robin Bozian with the Presidential Award.
Over the summer, the Foundation hosted two legislative lunch and learn sessions for Ohio House and Senate staffers to learn more about the Foundation and how legal aid benefits constituents. Law students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds enjoyed clerkships at civil legal service providers through the Foundation’s Justice for All Summer Clerkship Program.
Throughout the year, we spotlighted justice leaders across the state who are working to build a better Ohio, including Advocates for Basic Legal Equality Executive Director Makiedah Messam; Ohio Supreme Court Justice Eve Stratton, Retired; and Foundation Board Members Bill Dowling and Judge Ron Adrine.
In the fall, we honored Mike Walters, managing attorney of the Legal Helpline at Pro Seniors, with the Denis J. Murphy Award. We welcomed four new attorneys to the Justice for All Fellowship Program, designed for recent law graduates to address urgent civil legal problems facing Ohioans. In addition, Foundation grantee Ohio Legal Help established its second virtual self-help center with the Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court for self-represented litigants.
In 2025, the Foundation looks forward to completing its strategic planning process, which will inform the organization’s goals for the next three years. The Foundation is excited to expand its role as a funder, statewide convener, and collaborator in improving access to justice for all Ohioans.
The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation is the largest funder of civil legal services in Ohio. A gift to the Foundation supports Ohio’s legal aids.