January 2023 LASC-SEOLS Pursuing Justice Newsletter

Happy New Year and welcome to our updated newsletter.   

New Year’s is my favorite holiday. I love reflecting on the past twelve months and planning for the upcoming year. As a part of that, I am reminded of my gratitude for everything you have done to help bring vital civil legal aid to Central and Southeastern Ohio individuals and families living in poverty. 

Since January is National Poverty Awareness Month, I wanted to share some statistics – 12.7% of Ohioans live in poverty, a rate higher than the national average. In most of the counties we serve, the rates are even higher. Franklin County’s rate is 15.4% and Athens County is at a staggering 22%. A 2022 report from the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies, found that rising housing costs mean that at minimum wage, a worker would need to work at least 72 hours a week to be able to afford a one-bedroom home in some areas. Further, it found that two-thirds of Ohio’s low-income homeowners are severely cost burdened, spending 67% of their income on housing. As evictions continue to increase in our service area, our representation makes it more likely that tenants can stay housed or have longer to find other housing, reducing the risk of homelessness. Further, as we begin to see foreclosure rates increase, our attorneys improve the likelihood a homeowner can keep their house, avoiding the loss of an important asset and a disruption that can impact a family’s entire support base. 

Although the task may seem daunting, I’m confident that working together we can challenge unfairness and injustice to reduce poverty and increase opportunity. In particular, I’m excited about expanding record sealing services in Tuscarawas County through an expansion of Opportunity Port, our increased fair housing work that will confront housing discrimination practices, and our ongoing efforts to represent individuals who have been wrongly denied or terminated from SNAP, unemployment, and veteran’s benefits. Helping people address their civil legal needs so they can secure good jobs, find safe housing, and care for their children is critical to the fight against poverty. 

You will notice some changes to our newsletter for 2023! In addition to highlighting the work and opportunities around pro bono, we will also spotlight other efforts each month. We hope you like the new format and look forward to a year of peace, joy, and justice. 

Kate McGarvey

Executive Director

For those of you who don’t know her yet, we would like to introduce you to Baylee Butler. She recently stepped into the role of managing attorney of pro bono and community outreach for LASC-SEOLS. In her new position, Baylee works with private attorneys and law firms to provide resources and support for our clients and staff. Baylee first joined the SEOLS Chillicothe Office in 2015 as a staff attorney and served as co-chair of the SEOLS-LASC Education Law Team.

"My experience as a SEOLS staff attorney opened my eyes to how much civil legal services are needed in our low-income rural communities. SEOLS—and Legal Aids in general—cannot meet this need alone. I am excited for my new role because I am now in a position to speak directly to others in the legal community about the work legal aid does and partner with them to offer legal expertise to those who need it most."

A native of Ross County, Baylee says she’s honored to be able to give back to her hometown and the community that made her who she is today. She looks forward to continuing her work to increase access to justice for lower-income clients and work with attorneys and community leaders to address the root causes of poverty.

We are launching a new pro bono project focused on giving landlord-tenant law advice to our rural clients, and we continue to seek lawyers with family law experience who can help with our virtual advice clinics. Click here to sign up to volunteer or email probono@oslsa.org if you are already registered with us and wish to help with these projects.

For a complete listing of ways to get involved check out our Volunteer Resources page.

Legal representation in eviction cases changes lives. It leads to better outcomes for tenants and improves the likelihood that families can maintain their homes. Through our innovative Tenant Advocacy Project, LASC provides daily legal representation at the Franklin County Municipal Court, and SEOLS provides legal representation onsite in courts in Athens, Fairfield, and Washington counties.

We would like to thank the following partners for generously supporting the Tenant Advocacy Project in 2022:

• The City of Columbus - $1.5 million
• The Columbus Foundation - $130,000
• United Way of Central Ohio - $100,000
• Fairfield County Board of Commissioners - $48,000
• American Electric Power - $30,000
• Nationwide Foundation - $25,000
• Ohio State Bar Foundation - $25,000

“SEOLS Attorney Caitlyn McDaniel was wonderful. She put herself in my shoes. She makes you feel comfortable. She always came through for me. It meant a lot to have her by my side. For her, it’s personal. If she can help a client, she’s going to make it happen.”

—Samual, TAP Client

2023 Fresh Start Gala

An event to benefit LASC's Pro Bono Bankruptcy Program

Thursday, May 18, 2023 | 5:30 pm

Rooftop Terrace, Huntington Center