For Ohioans representing themselves in court, attempting to navigate the justice system can be a daunting task. That’s why Robby Southers, director of the Franklin County Municipal Court Self Help Center and Dispute Resolution Department, is laser-focused on increasing accessibility to the legal system.
At the Franklin County Municipal Court Self Help Center, Southers leads a team of attorneys who provide legal information to self-represented litigants with active civil cases, ensuring they have the resources to make informed decisions and achieve fair outcomes. The Self Help Center has an in-person office and an online web chat tool where people can speak to a live attorney. Under Southers’ leadership, the Center has grown from serving 300 people when he first started in 2017 to over 34,000 people annually.
The Self Help Center has an extensive collaborative network, partnering with Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio and other organizations to refer clients with more complex legal needs.
“Having that full spectrum of services that includes legal aid attorneys, our Self Help Center, and online resources is crucial in ensuring that everyone gets the exact level of help they need,” Southers said.
Southers credits his success to building positive relationships and trust with the community. Events like the Self Help Center’s semi-annual record sealing clinic with legal aid and the Ohio Justice Bus help Ohioans seal their records and access jobs. Southers is especially proud of how the event has grown into a community celebration — part job fair, part block party — with employers actively hiring individuals with records, barbers providing free haircuts for interviews, and family-friendly activities like face painting and free book giveaways.
“It’s such a fun event,” Southers said. “The goal is to show the community that the court and the Self Help Center are here and that we want people reentering from the justice system to succeed.”
Southers’ innovative leadership of the Self Help Center has had a nationwide impact, inspiring the creation of similar centers across the country and around the world. This spring, Southers will be honored with the 2025 Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award, which recognizes early-career attorneys who have significantly contributed to advancing access to justice nationwide.
“There’s such a need for access to legal assistance no matter where they fall on the spectrum,” Southers said. “I feel very honored to be able to use the opportunities and privileges I have to give back and hopefully make things a little better for other people.”
The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation is the largest funder of civil legal services in Ohio. A gift to the Foundation supports legal aid’s work.