Members of the new Access to Justice Initiatives Committee met in March for a kick-off retreat at the Grand Event Center, eager to launch their work to identify and develop systemic changes to access to justice in Ohio.
Facilitated by Anchor Advisors, the committee spent the day planning and discussing the work they will do together to support the Foundation’s mission to ensure that Ohioans who are low-income or who lack access can fully and fairly participate in civil systems that produce just outcomes.
“This group is well positioned to bring innovation and systemic changes that will improve access to, and outcomes in, Ohio’s civil justice system,” said Foundation Board President Mary Amos Augsburger.
The Access to Justice Initiatives Committee includes representatives from legal aid, the Foundation’s board, the judiciary, and various community leaders whose work impacts or is impacted by the civil justice system. Chaired by Ann Bergen, a Foundation board member and solo practitioner from Willoughby, their charge is to coordinate efforts to assess unmet civil legal needs, identify barriers to access, and evaluate and develop proposals to make systemic improvements to better meet or reduce civil legal needs.
The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation is the largest funder of civil legal services in Ohio. A gift to the Foundation supports Ohio’s legal aids.