Voluntary reporting of pro bono activities for 2013 ends in five days, on April 15. Attorneys holding an active Ohio registration received an email from The Supreme Court of Ohio in early January, which contained a link to the reporting website. The reporting process is brief and will take an attorney less than 10 minutes [...]
Mike Smalz, an attorney for the Ohio Poverty Law Center, considers a proposal to regulate submeter companies that resell electricity or natural gas "a significant improvement over the status quo." Read more here.
Youngstown Daily Legal News reports that Ohio's legal aids need increased financial support now more than ever in order to ensure "justice for all." Jane Taylor, Foundation Director for Pro Bono and Communications, states that "[h]aving lawyers for everyone, even those who can't afford to hire a lawyer" affects "access to justice for everyone." Read [...]
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality and Legal Aid of Western Ohio will sponsor an event, "Give Hope a Hand: Turning Victims into Survivors," as part of National Crime Victims' Rights Week. Open to the public, the resource fair is aimed at people who are first-line responders - emergency room personnel, teachers, Block Watch captains, church [...]
Legal options for families of bullied children have dwindled. The Legal Aid Society of Columbus (LASC) once had a children's team that dealt with bullying and other issues, but it was eliminated because of lack of funding, said Marcia Palof, managing attorney of intake at LASC. Sarah Biehl, policy director at the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio [...]
The Toledo chapter of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Inc. honored Legal Aid of Western Ohio attorney, B. Janelle Butler Phifer, at its 50th annual Founder's Day Women's History Celebration. Attorney Butler Phifer was honored for giving back to her community. Read more here.
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) joined with other organizations to bring together to Toledo Ruby Payne, co-author of "Bridges Out of Poverty," for a workshop and forum on poverty. Read more here.
Community Legal Aid’s HelpLine announces new hours for its toll-free HelpLine. The new hours are Monday and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The HelpLine number, 1-800-998-9454, remains the same. Legal Aid’s online application system remains open around the clock. To apply online, visit www.communitylegalaid.org "Although [...]
Building Responsibility, Equality, and Dignity (BREAD), an interdenominational group in Columbus, has been pushing local leaders to recognize matricula consulares, ID cards for Mexican nationals that are issued by their consulate. Jessica Ramos, an attorney with Advocates for Legal Equality (ABLE) in Dayton, states that a number of cities across the country, including Chicago and [...]
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) and Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (LAWO) have established a Meaningful and Appropriate Education Practice Group to address racial disparities in school disciplinary policies. Denise Zanni, an attorney with LAWO, states that "[m]ore than 70 percent of the students involved in school-related arrests" [are] Hispanic or African [...]
