B. Janelle Butler Phifer, staff attorney at Legal Aid of Western Ohio, is the 2022 recipient of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Denis J. Murphy Award. The Foundation presents the Murphy Award annually to an Ohio legal aid staff member to recognize outstanding leadership and advocacy. At a reception at Legal Aid of Western [...]
Most people would agree that it benefits kids to have both parents involved in their lives. Yet too often, fathers, particularly non-custodial Black fathers, encounter barriers to accessing visitation with their children. Community Legal Aid’s Parenthood Project, led by Managing Attorney John Petit, is on a mission to change this. The Parenthood Project reframes the [...]
On Veterans Day, the United States honors its nation’s heroes for their service and sacrifice. For veterans transitioning to civilian life, common civil legal problems can create barriers to achieving stability at home. Through funding from the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, Ohio’s legal aid organizations help veterans resolve civil legal challenges to help ensure [...]
Vanetta Jamison is a former legal aid client turned Board President of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, a passionate advocate for Ohio’s veterans, a fierce champion for disadvantaged children, and an extraordinary person. In short, just the type of committee member the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation sought when forming its Diversity, Equity, and [...]
Jordan Miller knows about challenges. From his service in the Air Force as a young man to his incredibly successful career as a banking executive, Miller has tackled every challenge and turned it into an opportunity for excellence. Now, he is embarking on his biggest challenge yet: founding and opening the only Black-owned bank in [...]
Today’s financial institutions go far beyond deposits and lending. Ohio’s modern financial institutions are innovators, business drivers, and neighborhood champions that invest in communities to make Ohio a better place to work and live. Through its new Prime Partner Program, the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation is a natural partner to financial institutions that seek [...]
The Ohio Justice Bus joined a prestigious group last week when it received the American Bar Association Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division Difference Maker Award in the Pro Bono category. The ABA GPSolo committee selected the Ohio Justice Bus for its work traveling the state to deliver civil legal services to low-income and [...]
Mercedes Thompson and Lucinda Weller have a long history of working with domestic violence survivors. Thompson, a domestic violence advocate and paralegal with Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO), and Weller, the managing attorney of LAWO’s Stability and Independence for Survivors Practice Group, have dedicated their careers to helping survivors achieve safety and stability through [...]
For the thousands of Afghans evacuated to the U.S. hoping to find a new beginning, the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation is a lifeline.Thanks to a generous grant from the State of Ohio, the Foundation is awarding $2.3 million over two years to support the immigration legal needs of nearly 2,000 Afghan evacuees. In partnership [...]
If there’s anyone who has earned retirement, it’s Henry County Family Court Judge Denise McColley. During her decades of experience as a magistrate and then as a judge, Judge McColley has worked tirelessly to enhance the legal system through programs and services for Ohioans. For Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation [...]
