Jesse Moses, the first recipient of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Rising Star Award, credits much of his success in helping clients resolve civil legal challenges to his ability to build relationships.
“I’m the type of person that if I talk to you once, I want to build a genuine connection so that in the future if something comes up, we both feel comfortable reaching out to work together,” Moses said. “Having those connections really improves outcomes for our clients, both in efficiency and in a holistic way.”
Since joining the Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio (LASCO) and moving to New Philadelphia in 2018, Moses has worked steadily to build relationships with all types of groups and people. From the Social Security Administration to the Coshocton Metropolitan Housing Authority, Moses is a “go-to person” for legal aid’s partners, said LASCO’s Executive Director Kate McGarvey, who nominated Moses for the Rising Star Award.
“When there is an issue for clients or within the community, he is very responsive to their requests,” McGarvey said. “He’s always eager to listen and lend a hand.”
When the Foundation first conceived of the Rising Star Award in 2024, it sought to recognize attorneys with seven years or less professional experience in nonprofit civil legal services and whose career accomplishments reflect exceptional growth, leadership, innovation, and professionalism. Moses fits the bill and then some, going above and beyond his regular job duties to strengthen community partnerships. He’s helped coordinate legal clinics, developed presentations on estate planning for senior citizens at the local library, and is on the board of the local homeless shelter.
Calvin White, executive director of the Friends of the Homeless of Tuscarawas County, values Moses’ contributions to his board, which include helping the shelter find a new location and leading a search for a new development director.
“I am highly impressed by his character and concern for underserved and underrepresented populations,” White said. “He has genuine compassion for our guests, for their rights and wellbeing.”
Back at LASCO’s office, Moses co-leads the public benefits team and serves on the Summer Clerk Committee, where he works to recruit new lawyers to legal aid. Moses says his work ethic comes from his parents, who both worked at a nonprofit that advocated for adults with disabilities when he was growing up.
“My parents were always willing to lend a hand and to look out for underserved people in the community,” he said. “I try to embody that and to do the same thing. I get a lot of satisfaction from taking the weight off our client’s shoulders.”
The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation presented the Rising Star Award to Jesse Moses on March 8. Learn more about the Foundation’s awards.