COLUMBUS — The Ohio State Bar Foundation has announced awards totalling $325,458 to 11 projects across Ohio.
Each project fulfills the OSBF mission of promoting the pursuit of justice and public understanding of the rule of law. Grants were awarded to the following:
• $100,000 to the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education to support its student-led programs including Ohio Mock Trial, Ohio Moot Court, We the People and professional development programs for participating teachers.
• $60,000 to the Ohio State Bar Association for its Electronic Interactive Trial Advocacy Training program, which uses skill-based training techniques and is designed to assist new lawyers in developing fundamental practice skills and necessary trial skills to become competent trial advocates.
• $40,000 to the Ohio State Bar Association for its Non-Metro Practice Clerkship Pilot program, which aims to attract new lawyers to non-metro practice by connecting them with experienced practitioners. This program will provide training and mentoring for lawyers to help with the transition from an academic environment to practice and prepare them for legal services in small and non-metro communities.
• $40,000 to the Ohio Poverty Law Center, an affiliate of Ohio State Legal Services Association, to raise awareness about Ohio’s Certificate of Qualifications for Employment. OPLC will develop a toolkit to use in statewide presentations and while working with local reentry coalitions, law schools, business leaders and employer associations.
• $39,410 to Ohio Family Care Association for its “Resourcing Vulnerable Families” Project, which aims to provide information, education, resources and service referrals to Ohio families caring for children of child welfare systems.
• $15,000 to Health Policy Institute of Ohio for Phase 3 of its Addiction Evidence Project, specifically the creation of a resource page, policy inventory and policy scorecard regarding criminal justice reform, law enforcement and children services. In its entirety, this project will work to address addiction through policy and practice.
• $10,000 to Homes on the Hill to support the expansion of its Landlord Engagement Action Network program to incorporate affordable housing organizations across the state.
• $8,500 to Operation Legal Help Ohio for its initiative to expand Veterans’ Treatment Courts (VTCs) in every county and large municipality in the state, providing judiciary training on the benefits of VTCs, implementation and management of them.
• $5,348 to Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio to support expansion of “Know Your Rights” presentations by Immigration Legal Services to clients during English as a second language and cultural orientation classes. Topics will include information about interacting with law enforcement and civic and citizenship information.
• $5,000 to Scranton Road Ministries C.D.C. to support Scranton Legal Clinic’s CLE Project, which will provide courses for prospective volunteer attorneys about best practices for pro bono assistance to underserved populations. Topics will address legal concerns including elder law, custody/visitation, and creditor/debtor law.
• $2,200 to Dominican Literacy Center, a ministry of the Dominican Sisters of Peace, to support bi-lingual legal education for Hispanic/Latino immigrants about their legal rights in a variety of situations and promote the pursuit of citizenship among undocumented immigrants.
Proposals are considered by the foundation’s trustees twice each year. The deadline for submitting grant applications for 2018 fall consideration is Aug. 15 at 5:00 p.m. For information, visit www.osbf.org.
