The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s Annual Meeting to Celebrate Community Partnerships, Systemic Change

This year, Thanksgiving week will fittingly begin with an event full of gratitude, comradery, and hope: The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland’s 114th Annual Meeting and Report to the Community.

On Monday, Nov. 25, more than 1,000 people will gather at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Cleveland to honor the diverse organizations and individuals who play a role in advancing Legal Aid’s mission across Northeast Ohio.  The Honorable Nathan Hecht, Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, will deliver the keynote address. 

Justice Hecht is known as a dedicated advocate for civil legal aid in Texas. For the past ten years, he has led the Court’s efforts to ensure that poor Texans can access basic legal services by securing strong congressional and legislative support for legal aid. 

During the Annual Meeting program, Legal Aid will present several awards to exceptional supporters of the organization’s mission. These committed partners and volunteers have taken extraordinary measures to provide low-income Northeast Ohioans with civil legal aid in times of crisis.

Legal Aid’s highest honor, The Louis Stokes Paragon Award, is bestowed in memory of Congressman Louis Stokes, who dedicated his life to serving the people of Cleveland. is presented to those who follow in Congressman Stokes’ path. This year’s recipient will be The City of Cleveland, as represented by Mayor Frank G. Jackson and Cleveland City Council, for its legislative achievements that will create ripples of hope for thousands of low-income Clevelanders.

On July 24th, Cleveland passed monumental lead safety legislation that mandates action to address the pervasive lead crisis in Cleveland’s older homes.  Exposure to lead can have a wide range of detrimental effects on the development of young children. The new lead legislation will protect generations of young Clevelanders. On October 1st, Mayor Jackson signed a landmark “right to counsel” law, the first of its kind in the Midwest and only the fourth in the nation. The law guarantees free legal representation to all households with children facing eviction that meet federal poverty guidelines. The United Way of Greater Cleveland will work with Cleveland City Council to lead the program, and United Way will contract with Legal Aid to provide the legal services through its experienced staff, pro bono attorneys, and other subcontracted entities.

The Legacy of Justice Award goes to a volunteer whose efforts have been significant in terms of length and/or impact. This year, Patrick Haggertywill be honoredfor his enduring commitment to pro bono service. Pat served as chairperson for The Legal Aid Society’s Pro bono Committee from 2014-2018 and guided the growth of its ACT 2 Program, which engages late career and retired attorneys. Pat encourages pro bono activity and leads by example at Frantz Ward, where he is a partner. In the last 12 months, Pat committed over 125 hours to pro bono case matters.

The Access to Justice Award recognizes significant contributions to advancing the mission of the Legal Aid Society through pro bono commitment. Law firms McDonald Hopkins and Thompson Hine are this year’s recipients. At both firms, senior attorneys and associates work together as a team to provide pro bono services. This approach creates a robust culture of support for pro bono work, and ensures each firm maintains a continuous pipeline of volunteer attorneys.

The Community Impact Awards honor organizational partners of Legal Aid that have demonstrated outstanding participation, effort, or critical involvement to ensuresuccess for a client, client community, or project.  This year’s honorees are Fatima Family Center, the Geauga County Bar Association, and West Side Catholic Center.

Additional awards will highlight the impact of staff who have gone great lengths to foster fairness, empower individuals, and eliminate barriers that prohibit families living in poverty from realizing financial stability. Today, the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland is supported by 52 staff attorneys and more than 3,000 volunteer lawyers with deep expertise in various areas of civil law.

To purchase your tickets to this year’s Annual Meeting, please visit www.lasclev.org/2019Event or call 216-861-5217. Tickets are $120 per person, and all proceeds benefit Legal Aid. Table sponsorships are also available.

For more information about Legal Aid, including how to volunteer, please visit www.lasclev.org.

Erin Horan

Erin Horan is a Development Associate at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.

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Volume 11, Issue 11, Posted 4:08 PM, 11.11.2019