News

Janica Pierce Tucker receives Presidential Award

COLUMBUS, Ohio (May 14, 2021) — Janica Pierce Tucker is the 2021 recipient of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Presidential Award. The award, presented today during the Ohio State Bar Association Annual Meeting, is given annually to individuals, law firms, or organizations that have made outstanding efforts to improve access to justice in Ohio. [...]

2021-05-14T08:31:58-05:00May 14th, 2021|

Legal Aid Lawyer Profile: John Petit, Community Legal Aid

John Petit is a managing attorney of the housing and consumer team at Community Legal Aid. In the summer of 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, John advocated for and oversaw the launch of the Tenant Assistance Project (TAP). TAP relies on the entire housing team at Community Legal Aid, as well as other CLAS attorneys, [...]

2021-04-22T10:34:01-05:00April 22nd, 2021|

New law directs Attorney Unclaimed Funds to access to justice

Ohio’s legal aid organizations and access to justice initiatives gain a new funding source this spring. A new law effective April 12 creates a category of unclaimed funds called Attorney Unclaimed Funds. The law authorizes the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, the largest funder of civil legal aid in Ohio, to use these funds to [...]

2021-05-27T13:21:59-05:00April 20th, 2021|

Pro Bono Reporting Survey Launches

The Supreme Court of Ohio and the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation are asking for attorneys’ information on both their pro bono legal services and contributions to charitable legal organizations in Ohio. Attorneys can complete the short survey in approximately 10 minutes. The information helps the Court recognize the value that Ohio’s attorneys create by [...]

2021-04-07T07:36:06-05:00April 6th, 2021|

Applicants sought for 2022 Justice for All Fellowship program

Through the Foundation’s Justice for All Fellows program, law school graduates with a passion for public service address urgent legal problems facing Ohioans. Fellows provide a full range of legal services to low-income Ohioans throughout the state, providing fairness and access in the justice system and ensuring justice for all. The application period for 2022 [...]

2021-04-01T07:59:48-05:00April 1st, 2021|

Statement in Support of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” - Desmond Tutu The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, committed to justice, diversity and equity, integrity, respect and collaboration, joins the Asian American Bar Associations of Ohio in condemning the recent deadly violence against Asian Americans in Atlanta. We [...]

2021-03-31T11:57:26-05:00March 31st, 2021|

Ohio Access to Justice Foundation releases 2020 annual report

COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 29, 2021) — The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation’s 2020 annual report Justice Responds highlights its efforts to respond to the civil legal needs of vulnerable Ohioans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report includes graphics and videos that illustrate the Foundation’s impact during an unprecedented year. Justice Responds describes how the Foundation’s [...]

2021-03-29T10:38:37-05:00March 29th, 2021|

Legal Aid Lawyer Profile: Miriam Sheline, Pro Seniors

Miriam Sheline has had a long career in legal services. After graduating from Salmon P. Chase College of Law in 1984, she joined Pro Seniors as a staff attorney in 1997. She has gone on to serve as litigation director, and finally, managing attorney for Pro Seniors.As managing attorney, Miriam oversees the entirety of Pro [...]

2021-03-25T12:48:46-05:00March 25th, 2021|

Meet Rachel Barr, Justice for All Fellow

After participating in a study abroad program in her undergraduate years, Justice for All Fellow Rachel Barr gained a passion for human rights, specifically women’s rights. She went to the London School of Economics, where she earned a master’s degree in human rights, followed by a move to D.C. to consult for a nonprofit. Despite [...]

2021-03-18T10:12:10-05:00March 18th, 2021|

Meet Julia Lauritzen, Justice for All Fellow

Navigating civil legal issues can be a daunting task, especially if an experience with the criminal justice system compounds those issues. Justice for All Fellow Julia Lauritzen helps Ohioans facing criminal misdemeanor charges connect with legal aid to simultaneously address civil legal issues. “There are a lot of civil issues that the criminal justice system [...]

2021-03-11T13:26:37-05:00March 11th, 2021|