January 2024 Pursuing Justice Newsletter

Justin Spicer

In this issue: Inside Look from the Executive Director; Development Digest: A Look Ahead; Opportunities to Help Out; CLE Opportunities; Legal Aid in the News

Inside Look from the Executive Director

I am excited to share that as of Jan. 1, 2024, we have officially merged the Legal Aid Society of Columbus (LASC), Southeastern Ohio Legal Services (SEOLS), and Ohio State Legal Services Association (OSLSA) into one nonprofit. Our new name is Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio.

The full journey started 16 years ago when OSLSA and LASC affiliated and began sharing an executive director. Since that time, we have consistently reviewed and adjusted our internal functions to make the most of that affiliation. In some matters this has meant consolidating efforts and in others intentionally keeping positions and functions localized. Throughout that time, we continued to have two separate legal nonprofits with two separate boards.

The recent interest in a complete merger started in 2022 as we were working through our combined needs assessment and strategic planning. As we collected feedback from a wide range of stakeholders, it was clear that our structure was not serving us as well as it once did and that merging entities would increase efficiencies and understanding of our organization. We spent 2023 working with an Organizational Excellence Committee, comprised of members of both boards, who reviewed the feedback, looked at options, and determined that a full merger by year end would be best for OSLSA, SEOLS, and LASC, as well as our clients and partners. With all parts of the organization financially healthy and stable, both boards were fully supportive of the change.

While our name and logo are different, our shared mission of providing civil legal aid and advocacy to overcome unfairness and injustice to reduce poverty and increase opportunity remains unwavering. Our continued dedication to providing quality legal aid through our eight offices serving 36 counties, tailored to the needs of the communities we serve, also remains unchanged. This organizational change will allow us to better serve clients by improving our ability to recruit staff and pro bono attorneys, expanding development opportunities, and increasing efficiencies.

We are excited to begin this chapter in our history and look forward to partnering with all of you as we move forward.

Development Digest

Year in Review and a Look Ahead at 2024

As a nonprofit law firm with the largest service area in the state, we rely not only on volunteers and community partners, but also financial support from philanthropic organizations and the generosity of Legal Aid allies like you.

In 2023, our organization raised over $359,000 from donations. Thank you! We hosted our first-ever Partners in Justice Luncheon inviting law firm partners and corporations to learn more about our work and saw the long-awaited return of the Fresh Start Gala which raised over $48,000 to support our bankruptcy program. We sent more than 14,000 letters to lawyers across our 36 counties asking for their support. Our organization had 77 active grants in 2023 and submitted successful grant applications for seven new grants.

It has been our pleasure to share our work with you in this redesigned newsletter, and we look forward to learning more about you in 2024. Our team is working on more small-scale events to share our work more broadly, and we hope to visit more law firms and increase engagement from lawyers in our communities.

We step into 2024 as Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, excited for our future and the opportunities the new year brings.

Connecting with Pro Bono

Opportunities to Help Out

Jackson County Driver’s License Clinic – February 2

We are partnering with Jackson Municipal Court and Clerk to offer a Driver’s License Reinstatement Event on Friday, February 2 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to have their BMV record reviewed and receive advice and assistance on steps to get reinstated. Court and clerk representatives will be on hand to waive costs, fines, and fees, remove blocks, and grant driving privileges. Volunteer attorneys will receive training on license suspensions, and other professionals and students will help with Legal Aid intake and pulling BMV information. No prior experience is necessary! To express interest, please complete this short form.

Asylum Clinics – February 5 and 7

We are sponsoring two asylum clinics in February on the 5th and the 27th. No prior experience necessary! To sign-up and to receive additional details on training, please click here.

Seniors Referral Project – Ongoing

We are looking for pro bono attorneys, paralegals, and law students to assist seniors with basic estate planning. Volunteers speak with clients either in person or virtually and help by drafting simple wills and advanced directives. Training and a Volunteer Toolkit are provided. If you’re interested in volunteering, please fill out our volunteer interest form.

Columbus Advice Clinics – Ongoing

We are seeking help at a number of in-person advice clinics this year. Please consider lending your time and talent to one of the clinics listed below:

Jewish Family Services

1st Monday of each month, 5:30-8 p.m.

1070 College Avenue

Van Buren Shelter

2nd Monday of each month, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

575 Van Buren Drive

YWCA Family Center

2nd Tuesday of each month, 6-8 p.m.

900 Harvey Court

Faith Mission on 8th Avenue

2nd Wednesday of each month, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

599 East 8th Avenue

VA Ambulatory Care Center

2nd Thursday of each month, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

420 N. James Road

Mt. Olivet Church

3rd Wednesday of each month, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

425 E. Main Street

Faith Mission/Nancy’s Place Downtown

4th Wednesday of each month, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

217 N. Grant Ave

Save the Date: Columbus Expungement Clinic – March 23

We are excited to be partnering with Ohio Means Jobs, Franklin County Municipal Court Self Help Center, Court, and Clerk’s offices, Franklin County Common Pleas, and volunteers to host this Expungement Clinic on Saturday, March 23. To sign up, please click here.

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

CLE Opportunities

Save the Date for 2024 Clinic Curriculum Series

Legal Aid’s “2024 Clinic Curriculum” Series will kick off in January with a Weekly 1-Hour Training Series created specifically for lawyers who volunteer at our brief advice clinics. Attendees will receive CLE credit, practical tips, and digestible substantive legal knowledge in the areas we encounter most frequently at our advice clinics.

This 5-Part Series will take place on zoom on Thursdays from 12-1:00 on the following dates:

Thursday January 18th - Probate
Thursday January 25th - Consumer Debt
Thursday February 1st - Divorce and Dissolution
Thursday February 8th - Custody and Support
Thursday February 15th - Landlord-Tenant

LASC and SEOLS in the News

Chauncey council considers tenants’ rights proposals

Athens County Independent (Dec. 21, 2023)

No-cost clinic for seniors on estate planning and wills scheduled

The Logan Daily News (Jan. 4, 2024)

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