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The OLAF Challenge - Access to Justice

All Americans - including the poor - must have access to justice. Without this access, America's pledge of "justice for all" has no meaning.

Providing access to justice for the poor helps resolve real and traumatic problems that often affect the very core areas of people's lives - safety, shelter, and medical care. Those most affected by a lack of legal services include: domestic violence victims, families wrongfully forced into homelessness, children caught in custody battles and senior citizens whose medical benefits may be mistakenly terminated.

The Scope of the Problem
The tragedy of unmet civil legal needs of the poor was clearly documented in the 1991 Spangenberg Report. The report, a statewide assessment of the legal needs of the poor, revealed that 83 percent of these needs receive no attention. The startling results of that report prompted the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio State Bar Association, metropolitan bar leaders and others throughout the state to take action.

The Ohio Response
The statewide implementation committee, created after the release of the Spangenberg Report, was successful in its efforts to create the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation. OLAF is a statutorily-created non-profit organization committed to equal access to justice. Among the 35-plus Foundation board members are appointees from the Governor, the Attorney General, the Chief Justice, the State Treasurer, the State Public Defender, the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate President. Other bar leaders and citizens concerned about equal justice serve as trustees and are appointed by the OLAF board to three-year terms.

OLAF is charged with administering state funds for Ohio's legal aid societies. Thanks to the support of the Ohio General assembly, OLAF maintains responsibility for disbursing proceeds from a civil filing fee surcharge and revenues from the "Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts" (IOLTA) and "Interest on Trust Accounts" (IOTA) programs.

State funds for civil legal services to the poor are distributed to legal aid societies throughout the state. Every county is served by a legal aid society. The state funds are distributed by a statutory formula based on the poverty population in each county. This ensures that the money goes where the poor people and the legal problems are located.

OLAF Actions -- Striving to Meet the Challenge
Since the need is massive, the Foundation board, staff and volunteers work to improve access to justice through multiple approaches.

  • The Foundation conducts educational programs to inform all segments of Ohio - the legal community, state and national legislators and the general public - about the importance of civil legal services for the poor.

  • The Foundation works with financial institutions, lawyers and title agents to enhance revenues from the IOLTA and IOTA programs.

  • A statewide, on-going fund development campaign, "Justice for All," is used to augment funding resources for civil legal services. This private fundraising campaign is directed toward the legal community and other potential revenue sources.

OLAF explores other funding resources and has received funds for new programs aimed at improving access to justice.

  • A statewide pro bono initiative allows OLAF to work with local bar leaders to enhance the quality and quantity of pro bono legal services provided to those in need.

  • OLAF constantly explores innovative methods of delivering legal services to those in need and supplies technical support in the development of these programs.

The Solution -- An All-Inclusive Approach
Access to justice is not just a problem for lawyers, but is a concern for all of society. Our country was built on the foundation of equal justice. If an entire portion of the American public believes it has been shut out of the justice system, our system of laws will have little or no meaning for those Americans.

There are ways everyone can help. Whether it is through a financial contribution, providing volunteer services or talking to legislators or reporters about the importance of access to justice - everyone can get involved and make a difference.

Please contact the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation at 1-800-877-9772 for more information or to volunteer to become part of the solution

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