The Foundation is pleased to welcome Robby Southers as policy and justice initiatives counsel. In this newly created role, Southers will lead and support legal and policy initiatives that drive systemic change. Through advocacy and broad coalition-building, Southers will work to improve opportunities for low-income Ohioans to fully and fairly participate in civil systems that produce just outcomes.
Before joining the Foundation, Southers served as the director of the Franklin County Municipal Court Self-Help Center and Dispute Resolution Department, where he helped self-represented litigants access critical legal information and worked to develop and improve access to justice services throughout the Court. Under his leadership, the Self-Help Center grew from serving 300 people when he started in 2017 to over 34,000 people annually.
Southers currently serves as co-chair for the Access to Justice Network’s Court-Based Assistance Working Group, where he has helped courts around the country launch new and innovative self-help centers and navigator programs. He also serves as an adjunct professor for The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law’s Program on Dispute Resolution.
“I’m excited to carry forward and build on the Foundation’s crucial role in expanding access to justice,” Southers said. “I look forward to working with partners throughout Ohio to collaborate on new initiatives that support justice for all.”
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.