COLUMBUS, Ohio (Sept. 18, 2025) – Attorney Maria A. Smith is the 2025 recipient of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Denis J. Murphy Award. The Foundation presents the Murphy Award annually to recognize outstanding leadership and advocacy within Ohio’s legal aids. Throughout her 40-year career at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Smith has [...]
Effective April 12, 2021, Ohio law created Attorney Unclaimed Funds, beginning an innovative new partnership with the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of Unclaimed Funds. The law authorizes the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation to use Attorney Unclaimed Funds to support civil legal aid and access to justice. Thanks to this resource, the Foundation is [...]
Photo by Bryant Billing, courtesy Dayton Daily News Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) attorney Matt Currie was recently honored by the Dayton Daily News as a “Community Gem.” Currie, a long-time legal aid attorney and community advocate who played an instrumental role in providing legal support for community projects funded through the [...]
The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of new officers and trustees. The Board of Directors supports the Foundation’s mission of ensuring that Ohioans who are low-income or who lack access can fully and fairly participate in civil systems that produce just outcomes. Mary Amos Augsburger, executive [...]
Behind every legal aid attorney is a fascinating story of what brought them to a career in civil legal services. Maria A. Smith, housing attorney at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, is no exception. The recipient of the Foundation’s 2025 Denis J. Murphy Award for outstanding leadership and advocacy at Ohio’s legal aids, Smith [...]
A new housing development in Greene County will give low and moderate-income seniors access to safe, affordable housing. The Cascades, a senior-focused housing project, is being developed by Yellow Springs Home, Inc., a community land trust. Thanks to the Foundation’s Neighborhood Stabilization Grant Program, funded through Attorney Unclaimed Funds, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) [...]
There is no one more qualified to step into the role of Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Board President than Mary Amos Augsburger. A Foundation board member since 2009, and Chief Executive Officer of the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) beginning in 2013, Augsburger has spent her career dedicated to public service. “I think being [...]
The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of new legislators to serve on the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors supports the Foundation’s mission of ensuring that indigent Ohioans can fully and fairly participate in civil systems that produce just outcomes. Sen. Nathan Manning was appointed to the Foundation’s [...]
This summer, the Foundation continued its popular Legislative Lunch and Learn series with events for Ohio House staff on Aug. 6 and Ohio Senate staff on Aug. 14. Presented by Foundation Executive Director Angie Lloyd, the sessions provided an opportunity for legislative staff to learn how Ohio’s legal aids can benefit constituents. Lloyd highlighted resources [...]
For people carrying criminal convictions from minor offenses, a clean record is often the key to new pathways to employment and a second chance. Foundation grantee LegalWorks, a nonprofit based in Cleveland, Ohio, helps low-income clients overcome the barriers of past convictions through record sealing and expungement, giving them the chance to start fresh. The [...]
