In This Issue: Volunteer Spotlight; OSLSA's Draft 2023 PAI Plan; CLE & Volunteer Opportunities; November Happy Hour; Special CBJ Ticket Deal for Volunteers; OSLSA in the News; Employment Opportunities
Pro Bono Spotlight—Attorney’s Pro Bono Work Driven by Compassion and Client Empowerment
OSLSA's Draft 2023 PAI Plan
Ohio State Legal Services Association (OSLSA) is committed to engaging volunteers to help us in our mission to provide civil legal aid and advocacy to combat unfairness and injustice and to help people rise out of poverty. Each year, OSLSA must assemble a “Private Attorney Involvement” (PAI) Plan, which summarizes its priorities and methods that focus on the engagement of volunteers.
Read the draft plan to learn more about how OSLSA will pursue justice and change lives in 2023. To leave feedback on the proposed draft,
click here.
Upcoming CLEs and Trainings
Planning for the Future: Preparing Simple Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Advanced Directives
Wednesday, November 9, 2022, 1 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Join us for a live interactive online webinar designed to help volunteer attorneys and paralegals participating in the Paralegal Association of Central Ohio/Legal Aid Society of Columbus Pro Bono Wills Clinics. This training is free to any attorney or paralegal participating—or committed to participating—in the clinics clinics or other wills-focused pro bono programming sponsored by LASC/SEOLS.
For more on the program, including agenda and presenters, check out the flyer. To get registered,
click here.
Volunteer Opportunities
Looking to get your firm or group re-engaged? Interested in a Pro Bono Lunch & Learn? Reach out to Dianna Parker
to schedule a visit!
Opportunity Port
Remote
Opportunity Port is an exciting new platform that allows us to connect applicants for criminal record sealing in Franklin County Municipal Court with volunteers who can screen them for eligibility and prepare their applications. This online portal also will enable volunteer attorneys to schedule appointments and allow clients to file their applications with the court electronically. Training will be provided for anyone who joins.
Sign up now!
Family Law Attorneys Needed for Virtual Brief Advice Clinics
Remote
Phone consultations take 15-30 minutes on average, and attorneys can volunteer as little or as much as they wish. Current volunteers can simply
email Dianna Parker if they wish to reengage and do not have preferences for specific clinic dates.
Attorneys Needed for Seniors Referral Project
Remote
We are asking for help from lawyers willing to draft and execute wills and advance directives for low-income seniors. Services for rural seniors are provided remotely.
Sign up to volunteer today.
Fairfield County and Franklin County Tenant Advocacy Project
In Person
Fairfield County Tenant Advocacy Project (TAP): The TAP clinic provides free legal information, advice, and representation to tenants who are being evicted. Clinics take place on Tuesday afternoons.
Sign up now if you’d like to volunteer.
Franklin County Tenant Advocacy Project: LASC offers a daily clinic for tenants with eviction hearings each morning in Franklin County. Attorneys handle eviction hearings or negotiate resolutions, including drafting agreed entries.
Sign up now if you’d like to volunteer.
Legal Aid Reduced Fee Referral Project (LARP)
In Person/Remote Hybrid
The Legal Aid Reduced Fee Referral Project (LARP) at LASC is a panel of attorneys who accept reduced-fee referrals for uncontested divorces and Chapter 7 bankruptcies. LARP clients are low-income and generally unable to pay the market rate, and these referrals let them access much needed services. Clients agree to pay a reduced rate and Legal Aid matches the clients with interested attorneys. If you would like to be added to either the divorce or Chapter 7 bankruptcy referral list, please
fill out an attorney application, or
email Dianna Parker. We generally ask LARP attorneys to take two pro bono cases a year but there is no limit on the number of reduced-fee referrals.
Attorney Help Needed at Columbus Adult Shelter Clinics
In Person
Volunteer attorneys will provide brief advice to clients in a few areas of law, especially family, landlord-tenant, public benefits, and consumer issues. To get involved,
sign up today.
We have two planned in-person Adult Shelter Assistance clinics through the end of November:
- November 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m.—Faith on 8th: 599 E. 8th Ave.
- November 14, 5:30-7:30 p.m.—Van Buren Center: 595 Van Buren Dr.
Chapter 7 Pro Bono Attorneys Needed!
LASC works with qualifying clients to collect all the paperwork necessary to file a bankruptcy and once the client is ready to file, we refer the case to you. LASC prioritizes clients who are very low-income with an emergency need to file such as a wage garnishment or utility shut-off for representation. If you have not taken a bankruptcy case in the past, but are interested in learning, we can also match you with a mentor pro bono volunteer.
Apply to volunteer.
November OSLSA Happy Hour
Heading into the holidays, our November OSLSA Happy Hour will be on Thursday, November 17 at the
Dry Mill, located at 79 S 4th St, Columbus, OH 43215.
We hope to see you there!
Special Deal for Volunteers!
As a thank you to volunteers, the Columbus Blue Jackets are offering a buy one, get one deal for tickets to their November 23 game against the Montreal Canadiens! Additional tickets can be purchased at the discounted group rate so you can enjoy the game with friends and family! For details, check out their Volunteer Appreciation Offer flyer or check out bluejackets.com/Volunteers.
OSLSA in the News
Here’s a roundup of recent media coverage of our work:
OPLC Director
Susan Jagers was quoted on Ohio’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds, prioritizing human services needs, and the joint OPLC-Advocates for Ohio project, Ohio ARPA Tracker, in this Columbus Dispatch article, “Ohio is sitting on a mountain of COVID-19 relief cash. How will the state spend it?” (October 17, 2022), this Public News Service story, “Where's the Money Going? New Tool Tracks Ohio's ARPA Dollars” (October 19, 2022), this Cleveland Scene article, “Groups Create New Tool to Track Ohio's Billions of Remaining ARPA Dollars” (October 19, 2022), and
Susan Jagers and OPLC Legislative Specialist
Carson Tucker were quoted in this Ohio Star article, “New Tool Tracks Ohio’s American Rescue Plan Funds” (October 23, 2022). In other coverage, the Marietta Times Editorial Board praised the Ohio ARPA Tracker in this editorial, “Ohioans can keep an eye on spending” (October 22, 2022).
LASC Staff Attorney
Graham Bowman was quoted on ongoing conditions issues at Columbus apartment complex Latitude Five25 in this Columbus Dispatch article, “No power or hot water, bedbugs and other issues at Latitude Five25 towers, residents say” (October 23, 2022).
LASC Supervising Attorney
Kaci Philpot was quoted on the impact of rising rents and stagnating wages in this Public News Service story, “Ohioans Cope with Rising Rents” (October 24, 2022).
SEOLS Senior Staff Attorney
Peggy Lee was quoted on how contract language used by alternative home-financing tech startup Divvy is worded to give the company leeway to extract as much as they can from residents in this Fast Company article, “Inside the rent-to-own startup that’s putting aspiring homeowners in financial jeopardy” (October 24, 2022).
OPLC Senior Policy Advocate
Tim Johnson was quoted on the importance of investing in lead abatement in this Toledo Blade article, “Coalition, advocacy groups highlight work to combat lead exposure” (October 26, 2022).
