The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law presents an Access to Justice Conference Feb. 22, 2013.
In early 2012, the Ohio Supreme Court commissioned the ABA to investigate and propose resolutions to the current budget shortfall that public interest bar and citizens in need of free and reduced cost legal services are suffering from. Public interest foundations, like OLAF, are experiencing an overwhelming amount of demand for thier services but have also been forced to operate with a reduced staff due to a lack of funding. The ABA’s recommendations are expected to be presented to the Ohio Supreme Court at the end of 2012. This conference will be comprised of panel and roundtable discussions concerning the Ohio Supreme Court’s recent efforts to establish a State Access to Justice Commission, the public bar’s struggle to serve those in need of free or reduced cost legal aid due to funding shortages, and the extent of the private bar’s responsibility to aid the public bar. It will provide an opportunity to discuss and react to the ABA’s recommendations, which could effect not only practitioners but also law students and law schools across Ohio.
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