Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO) attorney Lanese Layne began her legal career knowing she wanted to make a difference. When applying for law school, she picked the University of Dayton School of Law in part for its emphasis on service.
“Those were values instilled in me by my parents, and so I was really fortunate to have the opportunity to attend a law school that embodied those same values,” she said.
After law school, Layne joined LAWO as a staff attorney and began working through a community-based project called Neighborhoods B.U.I.L.D (Bringing Urban Initiatives Through Legal Development) Dayton. The project provided technical assistance and legal representation to resident-led advocacy initiatives in disinvested neighborhoods and communities.
Through Neighborhoods B.U.I.L.D, Layne began to develop relationships with veterans and organizations serving veterans, leading to her role today as the supervising attorney of the veterans project at LAWO. With the support of the revamped Legal Services for Veterans Grant Program, launched by the Foundation in 2024, LAWO has expanded its capacity for legal services for the veteran community.
“The grant has allowed us to increase the volume of legal representation provided to veterans,” Layne said. “We’ve been able to centralize expertise and efficacy to provide services at the highest level possible.”
Layne leads a robust initiative that collaborates with veteran agencies across LAWO’s 32-county service area to conduct community outreach and legal education. In partnership with veteran service commissions, LAWO attorneys attend events like veteran empowerment fairs, vet talks, and dinners to conduct informal legal information sessions. LAWO partners with Supportive Services for Veterans Family Programs to host legal clinics for veterans facing homelessness and assist with landlord-tenant issues. At area VA Medical Centers, legal aid provides legal clinics and bi-weekly office hours to help veterans with their civil legal problems.
“These targeted efforts allow us to place lawyers in the community,” she said. “We’re going to where veterans are already receiving services to increase access and visibility rather than waiting for them to come to us.”
The outreach is working. In 2024, 105 more veterans received legal services in LAWO’s service area than in 2023.
If there’s one thing Layne feels proud of in her work, it’s doing every day what drove her to a legal career in the first place: using her talent and skills to help others. Serving veterans brings a particular sense of satisfaction.
“I always keep in mind that these men and women have sacrificed their lives and well-being to serve our country and that they’ve earned our respect and gratitude,” she said. “And so, I am proud to serve them.”
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.