Foundation Releases 2021 Annual Report
When justice is in focus, extraordinary transformation occurs. In 2021, civil legal services took center stage as an integral solution to moving Ohio forward, an effort led by the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation and its grantees. The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation’s 2021 Annual Report explores how Ohio’s legal aid organizations, Ohio Legal Help, [...]
Miriam Sheline receives Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Denis J. Murphy Award
Miriam Sheline, managing attorney at Pro Seniors, is the 2021 recipient of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Denis J. Murphy Award. Each year, the Foundation presents the Denis J. Murphy Award to an attorney who displays outstanding leadership and advocacy within Ohio’s legal aids. “This is a well-deserved recognition for Miriam’s 25 years of [...]
Supreme Court of Ohio and Foundation Launch 2021 Pro Bono Survey
The Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation are pleased to launch the 2021 pro bono reporting survey. The Court and the Foundation ask attorneys to report hours of pro bono legal services completed and the amount of contributions to charitable legal organizations in Ohio during 2021. Attorneys can complete the [...]
New Admittee Pro Bono Challenge Encourages Pro Bono Service
Lawyers have unique skills that make a real difference in the lives of Ohioans. The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation’s New Admittee Pro Bono Challenge puts those skills to the test. The Challenge – a new initiative from the Foundation to bolster interest in pro bono service – encourages fall 2021 admittees to the Ohio Bar [...]
Foundation Seeks Nominations for 2021 Presidential Award
The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Presidential Award is presented annually to individuals, law firms, or organizations that have made outstanding efforts in improving access to justice in Ohio. Past recipients include: Janica Pierce Tucker (2021) for her service on the board of the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, and her work creating and volunteering [...]
Lauren Gilbride Uses Technology to Connect Volunteers and Clients
Lauren Gilbride, managing attorney of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s Intake Department and Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP), had a lightbulb moment while interning during high school and college for the Visiting Nurse Association. Her beloved aunt headed the mental health unit at the association and connected Gilbride with a job there. “It gave me [...]
Dianna Parker Grows Pro Bono at OSLSA, Even During a Pandemic
Dianna Parker, director of pro bono and community engagement for the Ohio State Legal Services Association (OSLSA), has always held Central Ohio’s legal community in high esteem. Her volunteers are the lawyers who have a track record of stepping up to the plate, providing pro bono service, and supporting legal aid’s mission through various volunteer [...]
Kelly Henrici and Dayton’s Volunteer Attorneys Step Up to a Challenge
Managing a pro bono program has its challenges in the best of times, but for Kelly Henrici, executive director of the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project (GDVLP), there have been an extraordinary number of obstacles in recent years. In 2019, multiple tornados ripped through the Dayton area, causing severe damage and devastating the community. Shortly [...]
From Volunteer to Pro Bono Leader: Ken Mirkin Comes Full Circle
Ken Mirkin, managing attorney of Community Legal Aid’s Volunteer Legal Services Program (VLSP), understands the pro bono experience because he’s been there. In 2010, Mirkin started his legal aid career as a volunteer, helping low-income northeast Ohioans navigate the foreclosure crisis. “I was really drawn to helping people stay in their homes,” he said. “It [...]