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OLAF's Denis Murphy Fellowship Program

The opportunity to sponsor newly admitted attorneys as fellows in a legal aid program has proven to be an effective tool to recruit recent law school graduates interested in public interest law. The two-year, competitive fellowships bring some of the most talented law school graduates into the legal aid delivery system to focus on specific and urgent issues facing low-income individuals and families.

The endowed Denis J. Murphy Fellowships were established in 2007 by OLAF in honor of Murphy, who died in 2005. Murphy was a founder of OLAF and served as the Foundation's first board president. Institutionally, OLAF owes much to Murphy's vision and commitment to the concept of equal access to justice in Ohio. The fellowship program is a fitting legacy.

The foundation has a partnership with Equal Justice Works, which provides recruiting, training and matching funds to support the fellows.

Profiles of recent fellows are below.

Class of 2010
(The Class of 2010 will begin projects in the fall of 2010.)

Fellow

Organization

Issue Area

Sponsor

Anneliese Gryta
University of Akron School of Law

Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc.
Toledo, OH

Community Economic Development/Microfinance and Related Transactional Legal Projects

Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation

Brian Howe
University of Cincinnati College of Law

Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio
Cincinnati, OH

Other Area

Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation

Class of 2009

Fellow

Organization

Issue Area

Sponsor(s)

Melissa Capossela
The Ohio State University College of Law

Ohio State Legal Services Association
Columbus, OH

Prisoners

Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation

Joshua Murnen
University of Pittsburgh School of Law

Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc.
Toledo, OH

Housing - Affordable Housing/Microfinance, Community Economic Development/Microfinance and Related Transactional Legal Projects

Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation

Virginia Tallent
University of Cincinnati College of Law

Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio
Cincinnati, OH

Health Care/Medical-Legal Collaborative, Housing/Homelessness, Education/Special Education

Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation

Kari White
Case Western Reserve University Law School

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
Cleveland, OH

Domestic Violence, Immigrant Populations

Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation

 

Class of 2008

Fellow

Organization

Issue Area

Sponsor(s)

Leah Jensen
University of Akron School of Law

Community Legal Aid Services
Akron, OH

Health Care/Medical-Legal Collaborative

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation;
Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation

Katherine Rogers
The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law

Legal Aid Society of Columbus
Columbus, OH

Children/Youth

Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation

Laura Sminchak
The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law

Ohio State Legal Services Association
Columbus, OH

Health Care/Medical-Legal Collaborative

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation;
Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation