Who We Are
Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, formerly Ohio State Legal Services Association (OSLSA), was founded in 1966 by the Ohio State Bar Association. On January 1, 2024, OSLSA, which operated
Southeastern Ohio Legal Services, merged with the
Legal Aid Society of Columbus. The merged program now provides civil legal services in 36 Ohio counties. Working in conjunction with our sister organization, the Ohio Poverty Law Center, we are 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.
Since 1966, our organizations have helped thousands of Ohio’s poor obtain and keep housing, secure public benefits, worked with families to gain and maintain economic stability, and helped domestic violence survivors to live free of fear and abuse and to obtain the resources needed to sustain themselves and their children. Our advocates also serve in leadership roles in community groups, boards, and task forces working to improve the lives of low-income residents at the local and state level.