As formerly incarcerated citizens begin to reintegrate themselves into society, the challenges they face can be overwhelming. LAWO has taken the lead in helping these returning citizens navigate some of the legal barriers they face when reentering the community. While child support arrearages and lapsed licenses are common obstacles for returning citizens, perhaps the most prevalent concern is how to seal a criminal record, a process also known as "expungement."
Advocates with the Dayton LAWO office, in cooperation with the Montgomery County Community-Wide Ex-Offender Reentry Task Force and the Montgomery County Commissioner's Office, and advocates from the Toledo office, working with the Prisoner Reentry Project, have been conducting a series of reentry clinics. These clinics provide the opportunity to match recently released prisoners with volunteer attorneys trained to help resolve problems with housing, child support, driver's license reinstatements, and other civil legal problems that may increase their risk of returning to prison.
Marathon Petroleum Company Attorney Volunteers Help the Community
Every day, lawyers, paralegals, and support personnel are making a difference in their communities. Companies like the Marathon Petroleum Company in Findlay recognize the need for pro bono legal professionals and have come forward to answer the call.
"Marathon's legal staff has given hundreds of hours in support of pro bono litigation and counseling matters," says Kristi L. Clark, senior attorney with Marathon and a co-chair of Marathon's Joe Simmons Pro Bono Legal Program. By generously volunteering their time, the attorneys and paralegals of Marathon have helped LAWO meet an enormous client need that is growing everyday. According to studies conducted by the American Bar Association, there are only enough legal aid attorneys to meet 20 percent of the civil legal needs of the poor.
Legal Aid Line, LAWO and ABLE's telephone and online application system, averages 30,000 applications per year; LAWO and ABLE are only able to directly serve a small fraction of that amount. Marathon's work in the community helps to fill the gap.
"You don't need to be an expert in family law or consumer law," explains Clark. "In so many instances, it just takes some practical advice to assist someone. Those basic skills can make an enormous difference in helping a person manage his or her legal issues."
The 2010 Access to Justice Awards Dinner was held Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza in Toledo. More than 600 guests came together to honor the awards recipients for their contributions to furthering equal access to justice in Northwest Ohio. Receiving the Public Interest Law Award was Vincent M. Nathan. The Community Advocacy Award was presented to Betty Amison Lewis. Distinguished Service Awards were given to R. Jeffrey Bixler, the Honorable James C. Carr, and Thomas L. Young. Ray Suarez, senior correspondent for PBS' The NewsHour, was the keynote speaker.
Photographs featuring award recipients and dinner guests are available by visiting the following section on www.ablelaw.org:
ABLE Mobile Benefit Bank Secures $1 Million in Benefits for Residents of Lucas County The Mobile Benefit Bank (MBB) of Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) reports securing close to $1 million in food stamps and other benefits for residents of Lucas County since April 2009. >> Read full story.
HEAP Summer Crisis Program begins July 1. Up to $175 available for eligible households. Ohio Department of Development Director Lisa Patt-McDaniel today announced that funding to assist eligible households with summer cooling costs through the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Summer Crisis Program is available July 1, 2010 through August 31, 2010. >> Read full story.
"Legal Aid Made a Difference in Our Lives."
Sabrina had lived in her home for more than 10 years and had a land contract agreement to purchase the home. When the seller of the home filed for bankruptcy, the city water department immediately cut off the water to her property. Although she tried to discuss the situation with a number of employees at the water department, they refused to recognize her as the owner of the property. No one was concerned that her family lacked water – they were mostly concerned that the property was listed in a bankruptcy action, and that she was not the owner of record. For 17 days in January, Sabrina, three of her children, and the three grandchildren she cares for daily had to drink bottled water and use a neighbor's bathroom.
Not knowing what to do, she contacted Legal Aid. Her legal aid attorney petitioned the court and argued that because Sabrina had a land contract and had been making payments for more than a decade, she should be recognized as the owner. The court ruled on Sabrina's behalf and her water was restored that afternoon, providing Sabrina and her family with a basic human need.
"Without Legal Aid, I would have no where to turn."
Alicia is a single mom from Mexico with three young sons. Her three year old son suffered several incidents of sexual assault and Alicia came to Legal Aid for help. Because Alicia and her son assisted law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of the crime, they were entitled to immigration relief.
Working with her Legal Aid attorney, Alicia provided school records, letters of support from counselors, and a statement from the detective involved in the case, proving that the child suffered severe mental and physical consequences stemming from the assaults. Based on their cooperation with the authorities, Legal Aid successfully secured visas for the family as well as an employment authorization for Alicia.
Welcome to the online edition of Justice Matters from Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) and Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (LAWO). Our purpose is to keep you up to date and connected to your investment in the important work of Legal Aid.
As legal aid providers, our work reaches well beyond the traditional court room. Thousands of poor and low-income people turn to us when they need help with a crisis that threatens their basic needs – safety, shelter, health, and their livelihood. At LAWO and ABLE, we know you want to learn more about the risks and rewards of your investment in our work. Justice Matters will provide you with an inside view of our clients, our work, our advocates, and our supporters.
You will receive regular electronic updates, as well as other select special announcements from us. We assure you that under our privacy policy, your e-mail address will never be shared with anyone. To change or update the address at which you would like to receive Justice Matters, please submit this information to: .
Save a Home, Save a Family
LAWO and ABLE have joined with others in statewide efforts to address the foreclosure crisis affecting thousands of Ohioans. In order to keep people in their homes, we increased our capacity to process foreclosure intake applications; provide counsel, advice, and brief service; provide full representation in court; and make referrals to a growing number of pro bono attorneys.
We have taken a leadership role among a number of housing programs and private bar associations within our 32-county service area to identify areas for collaboration and cooperation. In 2009, ABLE and Legal Aid received 1,671 foreclosure-related calls for assistance – a 63.6 percent increase over 2008. Of those calls, we handled 1,089 cases through our Save a Home, Save a Family project, providing either brief service and resource information or full litigation representation.
Legal Aid Helped Save my Family Home from Foreclosure
As a nurse, Carrie fully understood the importance of good medical care. When her 79-year-old father became seriously ill, he moved in with Carrie and her son. Her father's limited veteran's benefits barely covered his prescriptions, so Carrie found herself helping him with payment of his medical costs. As a single Mom working two jobs, she had always been careful with her bills; however, as a result of helping her father, Carrie fell behind on her mortgage.
On her own, Carrie tried to contact the mortgage company to work out payment, but had to start over with a different person every time she called. The mortgage company began to pressure Carrie for large payments; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t catch up. A friend suggested she contact Legal Aid.
By the time Carrie contacted legal aid, her house was scheduled for auction by the sheriff. Her LAWO attorney took over calling the mortgage company. He represented Carrie at a mediation proceeding and was able to negotiate a loan modification that stopped the sheriff's sale and reduced her original mortgage payments, allowing Carrie and her son to keep their home.
With support from the Montgomery County Human Services Levy, LAWO addresses the legal needs of the frail elderly, enabling them to remain independent and prevent further decline. Through home visits, referrals, and collaborations with senior programs in the Dayton area, LAWO advocates assisted 159 frail elderly clients with legal issues relating to domestic violence, elder abuse (including financial exploitation), housing problems, Medicare Part D (prescription drugs), Medicaid, Guardianships, and Powers of Attorney. More than $325,000 in monetary benefits were secured for our frail elderly clients in 2009 through this program.
Legal Aid freed me from worry.
Shirley, a sixty-seven year-old Dayton resident, was being sued for $5,900 after her son’s car was repossessed and sold. Shirley, who is legally blind, co-signed a loan for her son’s car not knowing she had been misled by the car dealer regarding the terms of the loan. When she received the court summons, she became frightened. Shirley did not know what to do. Luckily, a friend who brings Shirley meals told her about legal aid. She called Legal Aid Line and was referred to an LAWO attorney who filed a request with the court asserting that sufficient documentation of the debt had not been provided.
The court ruled against Shirley and entered a judgment against her. Shirley’s legal aid attorney filed an appeal and a request that the judgment be set aside. During the course of the appeal, the matter was settled in Shirley's favor. The judgment was set aside and Shirley will no longer be held responsible for the debt on the car loan.
Welcome to the online edition of Justice Matters from Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) and Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (LAWO). Our purpose is to keep you up to date and connected to your investment in the important work of Legal Aid.
As legal aid providers, our work reaches well beyond the traditional court room. Thousands of poor and low-income people turn to us when they need help with a crisis that threatens their basic needs – safety, shelter, health, and their livelihood. At LAWO and ABLE, we know you want to learn more about the risks and rewards of your investment in our work. Justice Matters will provide you with an inside view of our clients, our work, our advocates, and our supporters.
You will receive regular electronic updates, as well as other select special announcements from us. We assure you that under our privacy policy, your e-mail address will never be shared with anyone. To change or update the address at which you would like to receive Justice Matters, please submit this information to: .
Save a Home, Save a Family
LAWO and ABLE have joined with others in statewide efforts to address the foreclosure crisis affecting thousands of Ohioans. In order to keep people in their homes, we increased our capacity to process foreclosure intake applications; provide counsel, advice, and brief service; provide full representation in court; and make referrals to a growing number of pro bono attorneys.
We have taken a leadership role among a number of housing programs and private bar associations within our 32-county service area to identify areas for collaboration and cooperation. In 2009, ABLE and Legal Aid received 1,671 foreclosure-related calls for assistance – a 63.6 percent increase over 2008. Of those calls, we handled 1,089 cases through our Save a Home, Save a Family project, providing either brief service and resource information or full litigation representation.
Legal Aid Helped Save my Family Home from Foreclosure
As a nurse, Carrie fully understood the importance of good medical care. When her 79-year-old father became seriously ill, he moved in with Carrie and her son. Her father's limited veteran's benefits barely covered his prescriptions, so Carrie found herself helping him with payment of his medical costs. As a single Mom working two jobs, she had always been careful with her bills; however, as a result of helping her father, Carrie fell behind on her mortgage.
On her own, Carrie tried to contact the mortgage company to work out payment, but had to start over with a different person every time she called. The mortgage company began to pressure Carrie for large payments; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t catch up. A friend suggested she contact Legal Aid.
By the time Carrie contacted legal aid, her house was scheduled for auction by the sheriff. Her LAWO attorney took over calling the mortgage company. He represented Carrie at a mediation proceeding and was able to negotiate a loan modification that stopped the sheriff's sale and reduced her original mortgage payments, allowing Carrie and her son to keep their home.
The Medical Legal Partnership for Children (MLPC) is a unique program in which doctors and lawyers work together to provide legal services to pediatric patients and their families on a broad range of issues that affect a child’s health and wellbeing. Patients served by the MLPC are the most vulnerable in our community – children living in poverty. With more than 800 referrals since its inception in 2007, the MLPC has allowed medical personnel to witness firsthand the benefits that onsite legal assistance can provide to patients. By providing access to legal services through a trusted environment, such as a medical clinic, the MLPC reaches families who often do not realize they have legal rights or know how to access an attorney.
"The MLPC’s holistic approach allows families to receive assistance with a wide variety of issues affect the health outcomes and quality of life for children," says legal aid attorney Kate Mitchell.
"Having an attorney available to help navigate through complicated legal procedures makes a tremendous difference for the entire family."
The MLPC is a collaborative partnership among LAWO, ABLE, Mercy Children’s Hospital and Mercy Family Care center, and University Pediatrics at the University of Toledo Medical Center.
My Legal Aid attorney helped change my son's future.
Melissa was referred to the Medical Legal Partnership for Children (MLPC) for assistance with getting her son Richie back in school. Richie has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and spondylitis. At the time of referral, Richie had been out of school for weeks because he was no longer able to climb the three flights of stairs necessary to reach his classroom.
Melissa's MLPC attorney obtained documentation regarding necessary accommodations for Richie from his doctors and advocated for proper accommodations and services at an Individualized Education Plan meeting. Richie was placed at an accessible school and is now receiving physical therapy and accommodations, including home schooling when he is physically unable to attend school.
Northwest Ohio Access to Justice Awards Dinner
"Legal Aid Made a Difference in Our Lives."
"Without Legal Aid, I would have no where to turn."
Shirley, a sixty-seven year-old Dayton resident, was being sued for $5,900 after her son’s car was repossessed and sold. Shirley, who is legally blind, co-signed a loan for her son’s car not knowing she had been misled by the car dealer regarding the terms of the loan. When she received the court summons, she became frightened. Shirley did not know what to do. Luckily, a friend who brings Shirley meals told her about legal aid. She called Legal Aid Line and was referred to an LAWO attorney who filed a request with the court asserting that sufficient documentation of the debt had not been provided. 
Melissa was referred to the Medical Legal Partnership for Children (MLPC) for assistance with getting her son Richie back in school. Richie has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and spondylitis. At the time of referral, Richie had been out of school for weeks because he was no longer able to climb the three flights of stairs necessary to reach his classroom. 