Page 27 - January 2019 | Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal

By 1968, there were 35 attorneys employed Equity (CASE) Program to assist Legal Aid by across all five counties. New funding has helped
by Legal Aid and C. Lyonel Jones became the providing financial assistance and pro bono Legal Aid grow and diversify: specifically with
Director, following Burt Griffin’s departure services of local attorneys. In 1985, Ohio Legal Aid’s increased focus on philanthropic
to be director of the national OEO legal Governor Richard F. Celeste signed into law giving from foundations and individual donors.
services program. legislation creating the Ohio Legal Assistance In fact, fundraising revenue increased from less
During its expansion, Legal Aid took on a Foundation (OLAF) to finance legal aid services than $10,000 in 2004 to more than half of Legal
proactive approach to advocacy for legal reform statewide. The Interest on Lawyers Trust Aid’s $10 million budget today. Its robust Partners
at the direction of OEO. It created specialized Account (IOLTA) and Filing Fee Surcharge were in Justice Program engages law firms and
units focusing on economic development established to help fund legal services for the corporations to support the mission of providing
and the legal needs of older persons. It also poor. The 1990s saw additional reductions in LSC civil legal services to the poor by volunteering
established a juvenile unit to represent indigent funding by Congress. their attorneys’ time and raising funds.
minors, a hospital unit to represent indigent By 2000, Legal Aid merged with Lorain and Last year, Legal Aid impacted more than
patients in and released from state mental Ashtabula counties’ legal services organizations 18,000 people in 7,700 cases by providing high-
institutions, and a family practice group. and it transferred its Mansfield office to another quality legal services in areas of law that affect
By 1972, Cleveland Legal Aid employed 49 legal aid organization, creating the five-county safety, health, housing, economic security,
attorneys and a total staff of 129 spread across service area which is the focus today. In 2002, education and employment. Legal Aid’s services
11 neighborhood offices. Legal Aid found a Legal Aid established its first medical-legal are provided at no cost to low-income clients,
balance between legislative reform, impact partnership embedded at The MetroHealth helping to ensure fairness for all in the justice
litigation, and individual service cases. System and the next year established its Low system—regardless of wealth. Currently, Legal
In 1974, President Richard M. Nixon signed Income Tax Clinic with funding from the IRS. A Aid has 43 full-time attorneys, 35 other staff and
into law an act establishing the Legal Services formal development and communications effort 3,000 volunteer lawyers to ensure that low income
Corporation (LSC). These additional resources began in 2004 and in the same year the Volunteer people have access to justice.
led to an expansion into offices in Mansfield Lawyers Program launched in partnership with
(serving Richland County) and Painesville the Cleveland Bar Association to provide pro
(serving Lake and Geauga Counties). bono legal services to the poor. Source: Carol Miller’s A Passion for Justice (2006),
However, 1980 marked a turning point for C. Lyonel Jones retired and Colleen Cotter available at your local library.
federally funded legal services with President became executive director of Legal Aid in 2005
Ronald Reagan proposing the abolishment of as the organization celebrated its 100 year
th
LSC. In 1981, Congress cut funding of LSC anniversary. Legal Aid experienced decreased Colleen M. Cotter is Executive
by 25% and imposed new restrictions on legal OLAF funding resulting from the 2008 economic Director of The Legal Aid Society of
services client advocacy. The cuts led to office crash, but did not decrease services to clients Cleveland. Cotter also serves on the
closures and the search for new funding sources thanks to increased philanthropy and good fiscal CMBA Board of Directors and has
and strategies. planning by the Board of Directors. been a proud CMBA member since
In 1983, the Cleveland Bar Association Since 2010, Legal Aid centralized its intake, 2005. She can be reached at (216) 861-5273 or
established the Cleveland Attorneys Seeking and reorganized its structure for integration cmcotter@lasclev.org.

Merle M. Burt W. Griffin, 1966
McCurdy,
1960

January 2019 Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Journal | 27