RICHARD CORDRAY RECOGNIZED FOR OUTSTANDING PRO BONO SERVICE

Franklin County Treasurer Richard A. Cordray is the recipient of the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation’s 2003 Presidential Award for Pro Bono Legal Services. The Award will be presented on Wednesday, May 7, 2003, 1:30 p.m. during the Ohio State Bar Association’s 2003 Convention at the Dayton Convention Center, 22 East Fifth Street, Dayton, Ohio.

“The Foundation presents Cordray with this award in appreciation for his volunteer contributions to promote the values of fairness and justice in Ohio and his leadership in defense of the IOLTA program,” states James R. Sherck, Sandusky County Common Pleas Court Judge and the Foundation’s Board President, in announcing this year’s recipient.

On a pro bono basis and over a period of several years, Cordray, as Counsel of Record submitted a series of amicus briefs defending the constitutionality of the use of interest on lawyers’ trust accounts (IOLTA) revenue to fund legal aid programs. In March 2003, his efforts were rewarded with a U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the IOLTA funding system (Brown v. Legal Foundation of Washington). Ohio’s statutorily created IOLTA program generates $8 to $9 million annually to support the work of ten regionally-based legal aid societies, which serve over 148,000 households annually.

“The value of Cordray’s pro bono contribution on behalf of Ohio’s low-income citizens is enormous. The successful efforts of Cordray and others means people in need will continue to receive help when they have nowhere else to turn,” says Robert M. Clyde, the Foundation’s Executive Director, on Cordray.

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 Foundation coordinates resource development, provides efficient distribution of legal aid funds, and promotes innovative approaches to ensure justice for all.

For more information about efforts to provide equal access to justice for all persons in Ohio, contact OLAF at 614-752-8919 or visit the OLAF Web site at www.olaf.org.

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