The Ohio Supreme Court’s Civil Justice Program has issued more than $725,000 to improve access to justice for low-income, underserved, and disadvantaged Ohioans.

The Ohio Supreme Court’s Civil Justice Program has issued more than $725,000 to improve access to justice for low-income, underserved, and disadvantaged Ohioans.

The Ohio Supreme Court has issued $725,088 in civil justice grants for 19 courts and court-related associations to help low-income, underserved, and disadvantaged Ohioans who need legal assistance.

The Civil Justice Program Fund seeks to provide direct civil legal assistance and increased access to assistance for Ohioans’ civil legal needs, such as housing, health care, and economic security, among other areas.

Grants included:

• $80,000 to the Equality Ohio Education Fund to assist its legal clinic
• $80,000 to the Ohio State Bar Association to fund its Rural Practice Clerkship Program
• $50,000 to the Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio to fund forensic psychological evaluation for vulnerable immigrant clients
• $55,888 to the Catholic Social Services, Our Lady of Guadalupe Center in Columbus to fund its civil justice program
• $50,000 to the Cincinnati Bar Foundation to fund its legal help for kinship caregivers in Hamilton and Butler counties

The fund was created through Supreme Court rule changes that increased pro hac vice registration fees – which out-of-state attorneys pay to appear in an Ohio court proceeding from $150 to $300. A $50 voluntary “add on” fee to the biennial attorney registration for Ohio attorneys also helps fund the program.

The rule changes were recommended by a 2015 Court task force charged with identifying obstacles to accessing the civil justice system in Ohio.

Applicants must be a non-profit organization, a public entity or an agency whose purpose is to provide direct services or access to direct civil legal services.

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