With her background in private practice and her time working for another legal aid pro bono program in Florida, Patricia instantly brought a wealth of experience when she joined OSLSA as Pro Bono Coordinator. Her expertise has enhanced OSLSA’s pro bono activities, and her promotion to Pro Bono Manager is sure to advance the program even further. In the new role, Pro Bono and Community Engagement Director Dianna Parker said Patricia will help to chart out the strategic direction of the program and have a voice in developing agency-wide programming.
Amid the upheaval and change of the pandemic, Dianna says she has been consistently impressed not just by Patricia’s ability and willingness to pivot and adapt to take on new challenges, but also by her compassion and empathy.
“She is incredibly responsive and professional, which will make her a wonderful manager,” says Dianna. “But she is also kind and supportive, which makes her a wonderful person.”
Patricia’s enthusiasm for working with pro bono attorneys shines through in everything she does. She is consistently inspired by how passionate volunteers are about helping their clients and how much effort and dedication they put into everything they do for them. In the face of a complicated legal system, Patricia says our volunteers not only help overwhelmed clients resolve their legal issues, but also make them feel valued, heard, and respected. “It is incredibly inspiring to see how our volunteers are willing to put clients’ needs before their own,” Patricia says.
Her commitment to the values of legal aid stems from her belief in the importance of equal access to justice in our communities. Legal aid, she says, has the power to change lives. From helping clients keep stable housing and securing income, to assisting with family issues and advocating for survivors of domestic violence, legal aid provides many of our most vulnerable citizens freedom, peace of mind, and basic dignity.
Patricia advises any potential volunteers who have been hesitant to get involved in pro bono work that volunteering could be one of the most rewarding experiences of their lives. “Their help would not only make a big impact in our clients’ lives,” Patricia said, “but would also contribute to honing their legal and professional skills.”
When asked about what she most looks forward to in her new role, Patricia says she is excited to lead the pro bono team, help her staff grow professionally, and expand OSLSA's pro bono services.
In her free time, Patricia loves spending time with her husband Thomas and their two babies, Santiago and Emiliana. “We sing, we dance and laugh so much together,” she says. “My favorite part of the day is when I get to be with them.”
Congratulations to Patricia on her well-earned promotion! We can’t wait to see what she does in the new role!
You’re invited to the 2022 Public Interest Law Foundation Auction!
This year’s Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF) Auction will be held at Strongwater Food and Spirits on Thursday, March 3rd, at 6pm. All proceeds of the auction will go to fund Public Interest Summer Fellowships for students at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar will be provided.
Location: Strongwater Food and Spirits—401 W Town St, Columbus, OH 43215
Date/time: Thursday, March 3, 6pm
Cost: $10 for students, and $15 for all others
Tickets can be purchased online or at the door
RSVP here
Please note: Masks and COVID-19 vaccinations are required for all attendees.
If you can’t attend, please consider making a donation to support PILF!
In addition to the chance to catch up with colleagues and support PILF, attendees will get to join Moritz in recognizing three outstanding public service attorneys who will be presented with awards!
Award for Public Service—Joe Maskovyak
A longtime PILF supporter and Moritz College of Law alumnus, Joe is currently the Affordable and Fair Housing Coordinator at the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. He has been deeply involved in housing advocacy for decades at both LASC and OPLC and has mentored many Moritz students and graduates.
Award for Public Service—Professor Ruth Colker
Along with her work as a Moritz professor, Ruth has served on the national board of the ACLU and has been engaged in pro bono work related to disability rights and LGBTQ+ issues for years. A dedicated educator, she has inspired many Moritz students to become involved in public interest practice.
Inaugural Award for Recent Moritz Graduates—Emily Dunlap
For the first time, Moritz is presenting a third award, a new category for recent graduates of Moritz who have made significant contributions to public service early in their career. The 2022 recipient is Emily Dunlap, a Senior Staff Attorney at Advocating Opportunity, a non-profit organization that provides free representation and advocacy for human trafficking survivors, where she has helped train Moritz students through their externship program and as PILF Summer Fellows.
Volunteers Needed
Opportunity Port
Remote
Opportunity Port is an exciting new platform that will help us connect applicants for criminal record sealing in Franklin County Municipal Court with volunteers who can screen them for eligibility and prepare their record sealing applications through the platform. This online portal will also enable clients and volunteer attorneys to schedule appointments and for clients to file their applications with the court electronically. Training will be provided for anyone who joins. To get involved, please sign up here.
Remote Clean Slate
Remote
In addition to serving the reentry needs of Franklin County litigants, we also continue to need volunteer attorneys for our remote Clean Slate Clinic, which helps rural clients with remote record sealing and/or those seeking help with Certificates of Qualification for Employment (CQEs). If you are interested in helping out with our remote Clean Slate Clinic, please sign up here.
Family Law Attorneys needed for Virtual Brief Advice Clinics
Remote
LASC and SEOLS continue to see a need for attorneys with family law knowledge for our virtual advice clinics. Phone consultations take between 15-30 minutes on average, and attorneys can volunteer as little or as much as they wish. To sign up for a virtual clinic shift, please sign up here. Current volunteers can simply email Patricia Vargas Vegas if they wish to reengage and do not have preferences for specific clinic dates.
Fairfield County and Franklin County Tenant Advocacy Project
In Person
Fairfield County Tenant Advocacy Project (TAP): The TAP clinic provides free legal information, advice and representation to tenants who are being evicted. SEOLS staff and pro bono attorneys meet with tenants prior to their eviction hearings and provide representation in negotiating settlements and attending court hearings (with support from staff). Clinics take place on Tuesday afternoons. Sign up to volunteer here. We also offer TAP clinics in Washington and Athens counties, so if you would like to learn more, email our TAP Fellow Caitlyn McDaniel.
Franklin County Tenant Advocacy Project: Legal Aid offers a daily clinic for tenants with eviction hearings each morning in Franklin County. Attorneys handle eviction hearings or negotiate resolutions, including drafting agreed entries. Sign up to volunteer here.
Legal Aid Reduced Fee Referral Project (LARP)
In Person/Remote Hybrid
The Legal Aid Reduced Fee Referral Project (LARP) at LASC is comprised of a panel of attorneys who accept reduced fee referrals for uncontested divorces and Chapter 7 bankruptcies. LARP clients are low-income and generally unable to pay the market rate and these referrals allow them to access much needed services. Clients agree to pay a reduced rate and Legal Aid matches the clients with interested attorneys. If you would like to be added to either the divorce or Chapter 7 bankruptcy referral list, please fill out an attorney application online here (for new volunteers) or email Dianna Parker at dparker@oslsa.org (for existing volunteers). We generally ask LARP attorneys to take two pro bono cases a year but there is no limit on the number of reduced-fee referrals.
