Across the country, the smooth operation of courts has been impacted by the crush of litigants who are representing themselves because they can't afford to hire a lawyer. One way to deal with the problem is to encourage more lawyers to accept pro bono cases, according to an Associated Press story.
A recent survey by the federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC) revealed that LSC-funded legal aid societies across the country expected to reduce staff in 2012 because of funding cuts. Legal aid societies reported anticipated staff cuts in 2012 of more than 700 employees, including 325 attorneys. The reductions represent a loss of eight percent of [...]
The Legal Aid Society of Columbus faces increasing requests for help from low income central Ohioans while funding for its operations has been drastically reduced. To read more, clickhere.
Proposed continuing legal education (CLE) changes announced by the Ohio Supreme Court would double the number of online credit hours attorneys could earn, allow attorneys to earn a portion of their CLE hours by engaging in approved pro bono activities, and eliminate the requirement to file final reporting transcripts. Under one of the proposed changes, [...]
New York's state funding for its civil legal aid delivery system has doubled, to $25 million. The funding increase was in response to a request by Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, who in 2010 created a task force to study the crisis in access to civil legal services and funding to support civil legal services for [...]
The Ohio Veterans and Military Legal Assistance Project begins work today in central Ohio. Funded by grants from the Ohio State Bar Foundation and the Walmart Foundation, the project will develop a statewide system of volunteer attorneys willing to represent service members and veterans on civil legal matters free of charge. Service members and veterans [...]
Ohio's Appalachian counties lack modern and affordable rental options, according to a study funded by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and the Ohio Department of Development. About 20 percent of Ohio's population lives in the Appalachian region, and among the study's conclusions was that in the next five years senior renter households will increase by [...]
Tiney McComb, former Foundation board member and founder of Heartland Bank, was interested in much more than his customers' money. To read more, click here.
The Foundation notes with sadness the passing of former board member Tiney M. McComb of New Albany, Ohio. Mr. McComb, the founder of Heartland Bank, retired from the Foundation board in 2009. To read more, click here.
The Ohio State Bar Association has been named the 2012 Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation Presidential Award winner. The award is given annually to recognize outstanding leadership in improving the delivery of pro bono legal services throughout Ohio. It will be presented to the Association at its annual convention in Cincinnati, May 2-4.
