The Court has adopted amendments to the Rules for the Government of the Bar of Ohio that will increase attorney fees to help fund civil legal services for low-income Ohioans. The Court's Task Force on Access to Justice which included, among others, Foundation board members Richard W. Pogue, William Weisenberg, and Timothy Young; and Foundation [...]
The Ohio Supreme Court approved changes to the Rules for the Government Bar of Ohio that will allow attorneys who have at least 15 years experience continue to practice pro bono. The Court's Task Force on Access to Justice which included, among others, Foundation board members Richard W. Pogue, William Weisenberg, and Timothy Young; and [...]
Southeastern Ohio Legal Services partners with the Chillicothe Municipal Court's drug court to provide legal services to graduates of the program. Read more here.
Ohio Senator Larry Obhof (R-Medina) has been elected senate president pro tempore, the second highest Ohio Senate leadership position. Obhof, who represents Ashland, Medina, Richland and a part of Holmes counties, has served on the Foundation board since 2013. Read more here.
The Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation Presidential Award is presented annually to law firms or individuals who have made outstanding efforts in improving access to justice through pro bono or volunteer service. Past recipients include Hon. Colleen Falkowski (2015); GE Aviation Legal Department (2014); and Bricker & Eckler LLP (2013). Nominations for the award are now [...]
Columbus Legal Aid housing attorney Ben Horne is assisting a group of low-income, elderly tenants who were unexpectedly evicted from their apartments with little time to find other housing. Read more here.
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has announced expansion of a federal anti-poverty program into 11 Ohio counties, including Meigs County in Southeastern Ohio. Federal statistics show that one out of every four American children lives in poverty, which increases the risk for poor health, failure to graduate and lower income as an adult. Read more here.
2015 was a banner year for the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation as it worked to advance its mission of ensuring equal access to justice and the availability of civil legal help statewide for low-income and vulnerable Ohioans. Here are some highlights: 1) The Ohio Supreme Court's Access to Justice Task Force issues its report and [...]
The quarter-point increase in the Federal Reserve Bank's benchmark lending rate is good news for legal aids. The interest rate on lawyer trust accounts, a major source of funding for legal aid, is closely related to the Federal Reserve Bank rate. Read more here.
Active registration status Ohio attorneys and, for the first time, corporate practice attorneys will soon receive an email from the Ohio Supreme Court requesting that pro bono work performed in 2015 be reported to the Court voluntarily and anonymously. In 2015, a Supreme Court rule change allowed attorneys registered as corporate practice attorneys to also [...]
