Announcing Lawyers = Justice, Lima clinic to be operated by ONU Law

MEDIA RELEASE__The Ohio State Bar Association (Ohio Bar), Ohio State Bar Foundation (OSBF), Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law (ONU Law) and the University of Toledo College of Law (Toledo Law) are launching Lawyers = Justice: A Northwest Ohio Legal Collaborative, a new initiative designed to bring more legal help directly to rural communities and build a stronger pipeline of attorneys committed to serving them.

For many rural Ohioans, a legal problem can quickly become a family, housing, financial, farming or small business crisis — especially when affordable legal help is difficult to find close to home. Across Ohio, 78 of 88 counties are considered legal deserts, with fewer than one lawyer per 1,000 residents. In several Northwest Ohio counties, the shortage is even more pronounced as many current attorneys are near retirement, and too few new lawyers are entering the profession.

Lawyers = Justice is designed to respond to that challenge in a practical and community-centered way. By supporting new lawyers, training law students and expanding local legal clinics, the initiative will help residents address legal problems earlier, closer to home and before those problems become more disruptive and costly.

Bringing Legal Help Closer to Home

The Lawyers = Justice initiative will create a hybrid fellowship–clinic model that will:

• Support four newly licensed lawyer fellows each year as they build sustainable private practices in underserved Northwest Ohio communities.
• Provide up to 40 law students annually with hands-on, clinical experience serving rural clients under the supervision of experienced lawyers and law school faculty.
• Expand access to legal services for an estimated 720 people each year, through the fellows’ private practices and new or enhanced satellite legal clinics.
• Build a long-term path from law school to rural practice through mentoring, skills training and community-based experience.

The clinics will operate in Lima, managed by ONU Law, and in Bowling Green, managed by Toledo Law. The ONU Law clinic will initially serve income-eligible residents in Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, Putnam and Van Wert counties. The Toledo Law clinic will initially serve residents in Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Ottawa and Wood counties.

The clinics are expected to help residents with essential legal needs, including family law, estate planning, real estate, consumer protection, small business issues, criminal law and other matters that affect daily life and community stability.

Attorney fellows will also build private practices in the region and provide affordable representation to individuals, families, farmers and small businesses, including those who may not qualify for legal aid but still cannot easily afford traditional legal services.

Recruitment of fellows and law students begins in September, with a goal of having the clinics fully staffed and operational later this fall.  

Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law | Bryan Ward, Interim Dean

“This initiative is a natural fit for us. ONU Law is one of the few law schools in the country located in a rural region, so we understand firsthand the vital role lawyers play in supporting underserved rural communities. For decades, our Legal Clinic has connected people with the legal help they need while giving our students meaningful, hands-on experience serving real clients. This initiative builds on that commitment by expanding access to legal services beyond Allen and Hardin counties and preparing the next generation of lawyers to make a difference where they are needed most.”

Building on Statewide Momentum

Lawyers = Justice aligns with Ohio’s newly established Northwest Regional Hub Pilot for indigent defense and the recently expanded Rural Practice Incentive Program, which provides loan repayment for newer attorneys who agree to practice in underserved communities for at least three years. Both were funded as part of HB96, the state budget bill for FY2026-27 at the urging of the Ohio Bar.

A Long-Term Investment in Rural Justice

Lawyers = Justice is funded through a $1.465 million grant from the Ohio State Bar Foundation. Together, with in-kind support from the law schools and the Ohio Bar, the grant will support fellow stipends, clinic operations, staffing, office space, technology infrastructure, outreach and travel across the region for an initial three-year term.

The partners hope to expand the program beyond the first three years and explore whether the model can be replicated in other parts of Ohio facing similar attorney shortages.