Ohio State Legal Services Association

Ohio State Legal Services Association (OSLSA), founded in 1966 by the Ohio State Bar Association, is committed to searching out the patterns, causes of, and solutions to the repetitive and fundamental legal problems facing low income Ohioans and pursuing the legal recourse needed to address those problems through its three components: Southeastern Ohio Legal Services (SEOLS) and the Legal Aid Society of Columbus (LASC), which represent and advocate for low-income Ohioans in 36 Ohio counties, and the Ohio Poverty Law Center (OPLC) which assists all Ohio legal services programs through legislative and administrative policy research, analysis and advocacy. In 2015, SEOLS and LASC closed more than 20,000 cases, in state and federal administrative, trial and appellate proceedings, helping low-income families in Southeast and Central Ohio resolve a broad range of civil legal issues. OSLSA has a long history of successful community partnerships with and grants from a variety of sources: • More than $3,000,000 annually from the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation (OLAF). • Since 2005, $2,975,000 in Violence Against Women and Victims of Crime funds from the U.S. Department of Justice to support our work with the Ohio Domestic Violence Network and local domestic violence shelters to provide holistic legal assistance to domestic violence victims to get safe and chart a path toward economic stability for themselves and their families. • For over 10 years, more than $100,000 annually in federal funding to help protect seniors from challenges to their independence, choice, and financial security. • Collaboration with local housing providers to assist homeless and near homeless veterans and their families through funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. • A $125,000 grant in 2015 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop education and outreach initiatives to improve the public and housing providers’ understanding of fair housing. • More than 400 volunteer attorneys have given their time to help OSLSA provide critical legal aid services to economically disadvantaged Ohioans throughout our service area. Moving forward, OSLSA will remain focused on obtaining equal justice for all low income Ohioans through high-quality advocacy at the local and state levels with strategic partnerships that enhance our services, continued work with our Board members to connect with potential supporters, increased visibility in the community, and finding untapped resources to supporting the work of our advocates.