Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Teresa Liston will present the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation’s Presidential Award for Pro Bono Legal Services to the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Volunteer Lawyers for the Poor Foundation and to Magistrate Stephanie Clark of the Licking County Court of Common Pleas. The Award will be presented Wednesday, May 15, 2002, 2:30 p.m. during the Ohio State Bar Association’s 2002 Convention at the Columbus Convention Center.

The Presidential Award is presented annually in recognition of outstanding leadership in the delivery of pro bono legal services in the state of Ohio and in appreciation for the volunteer contributions of private lawyers who promote the values of fairness and justice in Ohio

“The efforts of Magistrate Clark and Volunteer Lawyers Project for the Poor Foundation represent the very best in our state and nationally in ensuring that every person has equal access to justice,” Judge Liston said in announcing this year’s recipients.

Drawing from a seemingly infinite reserve of energy, Magistrate Clark has helped transform Interfaith Legal Services (ILS) into a nationally recognized model of collaboration, which has provided free legal services to more than 600 low-income clients in three Ohio counties.   “Her hands-on involvement with ILS demonstrates how the bench can and should lead by example in the effort to expand pro bono in Ohio,” said Judge Liston.

Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Volunteer Lawyers for the Poor Foundation represents a dynamic partnership in which thirty-four law firms contribute financial support while eleven law firms and some 600 attorneys from individual practices, small partnerships, corporate legal departments, the government sector, and area law schools contribute in excess of 5000 hours of pro bono representation to more than 1200 clients annually in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, including Hamilton, Clermont, Warren and Butler counties. Judge Liston concluded, “This partnership among urban and rural bar associations and large and small law firms exemplifies how a community can meet the civil legal needs of its most vulnerable.”

 The Ohio Legislature created the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation in 1994 as a response to the serious deficiencies in meeting the civil legal needs of all Ohioans.  In partnership with the state and local bar associations, elected officials, and local legal aid providers, the OLAF coordinates resource development, provides efficient distribution of legal aid funds, and promotes innovative approaches to ensure that every person is treated fairly and is able to obtain his or her rights, regardless of income.

 For more information about efforts to provide equal access to justice for all persons in Ohio, contact OLAF at 614-752-8919.