The Ohio Justice Bus stopped at Highland County Community Action in Hillsboro on Tuesday and plans an additional stop at Highland County Community Action in Greenfield next Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 9 a.m to 3:30 p.m.
According to its website, “The Ohio Justice Bus is a mobile legal aid office and technology hot spot that allows legal aid and pro bono attorneys to travel and provide legal services at no cost to clients.”
The Justice Bus operates under the auspices of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, an organization comprised of “dedicated professionals whose intent is improving access to justice.”
“Ensuring that legal aid societies and other resources, programs and services address the civil legal needs of low income and underserved,” demographics, including those in rural areas with minimal access to such, is an overriding stated purpose of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, which organized the recent and upcoming stops in Highland County.
The Justice Bus stopped at Highland County Community Action, which hosted the event, staffed with attorneys from the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati. Through this professional collaboration the attorneys were able to network with prospective clients, providing gratuitous legal advice pertaining to “taxes, public benefits or kinship care.”
According to its website, the purview of legal aid and its staff of volunteer attorney services is strictly limited to civil matters. Its statement of purpose includes the following attestation: “We resolve serious legal problems for low income people, promote economic and family stability and reduce poverty brought effective legal assistance.”
With a population that includes 14.9% of people in poverty, according to the latest Census data, and scant access to legal services, Highland County residents who qualify are encouraged to do so.
For more information about Legal Aid of Greater Cincinnati call 513-241-9400.
Juliane Cartaino is a stringer for The Times-Gazette.
