The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation’s New Admittee Pro Bono Challenge came at a perfect time for attorney Elizabeth Haavisto. A recent University of Akron School of Law graduate, Haavisto had a three-month break between passing the bar and starting her new position as a legal fellow at Goodyear. Rather than kick back and enjoy [...]
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 [...]
Over 60 legal aid attorneys, board members, and staff gathered at the Ohio Statehouse on May 9 for Legal Aid Day, an event hosted by the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation that helps educate legislators about legal aid’s impact. Since the first Legal Aid Day in 2013, legal aid and the Foundation have strengthened relationships [...]
The International Institute of Akron (IIA) is a lifeline for immigrants and refugees resettling in the Akron area. IIA, a nonprofit organization that helps immigrants achieve an empowered life with dignity, connection, and belonging, is an Ohio Access to Justice Foundation grantee and a valued partner in helping new Americans achieve safety and security in [...]
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 [...]
Each year, the Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation partner to ask Ohio attorneys to report pro bono hours and financial contributions to charitable legal organizations. The Foundation is pleased to share that the survey to report 2022 hours is now live. Reporting your hours is critical to our ability [...]
The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, the largest funder of civil legal services in Ohio, has announced funding awards for 19 nonprofit legal service providers totaling $2.79 million. The Foundation is granting more than $1.64 million to nonprofits to shore up funding diminished by the pandemic and to support new special projects to address the [...]
The Foundation is proud to celebrate Women’s History Month in March. Women’s History Month celebrates the rich legacy and contribution of the countless women who have fought for equality and justice nationwide. The Foundation is pleased to acknowledge the many women across the state of Ohio who are leaders, advocates, and change agents committed to [...]
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 [...]
Equality Ohio is a statewide nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure lived and legal equality for LGBTQ+ Ohioans. Through advocacy, community outreach, and civil legal services, Equality Ohio works to create an Ohio where LGBTQ+ people are thriving. The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation supports Equality Ohio through funding for their civil legal services [...]
