Though it’s been six years since he retired from the Cleveland Municipal Court, Judge Ron Adrine hasn’t slowed down. After an impressive 36 years of service on the bench, Judge Adrine continues his advocacy for Ohio’s most vulnerable as a member of the Foundation’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Standing Committee. Judge Adrine first became [...]
When Foundation Board Member Vallie Bowman-English was the assistant prosecutor for Lucas County, she thought she had found her dream job. She had always been a natural public servant, and the role suited her. As time went on, however, Bowman-English couldn’t help but suggest improvements to the Court’s record-keeping process. "I kept saying that we [...]
As the Administrator and Counsel for the Supreme Court of Ohio Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection, Janet Green Marbley is an advocate and attorney for client rights and protections against unfair treatment. A former member of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation’s Board of Directors and a current member of the Foundation’s Diversity, Equity, and [...]
Ibrahima Sow is a servant-leader and an advocate passionate about creating opportunities to improve equity among marginalized groups. As a network director with United Way of Central Ohio’s Success by Third Grade movement, he collaborates with regional school districts and community partners to eliminate barriers to learning and implement systems-level change, ensuring that every child [...]
When Kim Shumate was a young attorney serving as co-chair of the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Task Force on Pro Se and Indigent Litigants, she had the opportunity to get to know the late Chief Justice Thomas Moyer. The Chief Justice, impressed by Shumate’s dedication to access to justice, appointed her in 2005 to the [...]
Judge Carla Baldwin has a metaphor she likes to use when she talks about the Youngstown Municipal Court, where she presides as the first Black female judge elected to serve in the court’s history. “We are the ER of the judicial system,” she said. “We get everything first, and then we have to triage it [...]
Tenille Kaus is only four months into her new role at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, where she leads diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and advancement for the nonprofit, but already she has a full plate. Charged with implementing legal aid’s DEI plan and designing strategies to ensure that the nonprofit considers DEI principles across [...]
Crystal Bryant-Agyemang is a fierce advocate, leader, attorney, and public servant with a drive to serve her community. With a background in social work and the law, Bryant-Agyemang is an effective collaborator and organizer, a sought-after leader, and a staunch advocate for Ohioans impacted by the criminal justice system. As Executive Director of the Cleveland [...]
B. Janelle Butler Phifer, staff attorney at Legal Aid of Western Ohio, is the 2022 recipient of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Denis J. Murphy Award. The Foundation presents the Murphy Award annually to an Ohio legal aid staff member to recognize outstanding leadership and advocacy. At a reception at Legal Aid of Western [...]
Vanetta Jamison is a former legal aid client turned Board President of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, a passionate advocate for Ohio’s veterans, a fierce champion for disadvantaged children, and an extraordinary person. In short, just the type of committee member the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation sought when forming its Diversity, Equity, and [...]
