Poetic Justice - Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
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Poetic Justice
Volume 16 Issue 1 Spring 2019
Stories of Philanthropy and Hope from The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
Legal Aid’s Housing Justice Alliance
“You have the right to an attorney” — everyone is familiar with the
Miranda right thanks to television crime shows. Our constitution
ensures access to no-cost legal counsel when someone is accused
of a serious crime and cannot afford an attorney. Yet many do not
realize there is no such constitutional right to legal counsel in
housing cases — even if the cases lead to homelessness.
The stakes are extremely high in eviction cases. Standing before the
judge, landlords are usually represented by counsel, and tenants
almost always are not. There trials last five minutes. Most tenants lose.
When tenants lose, their families and society often lose. An eviction
can be devastating to a family’s overall well-being. A 2018 Boston
Medical Center study found that unstable housing circumstances are
Some members of the Housing Justice Alliance advisory committee at a recent meeting:
associated with adverse health outcomes for caregivers and young (top) Chris Patno Esq. – Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys; Ian Friedman, Esq. – Cleveland Metropolitan Bar
children. Specifically, the strain of homelessness, multiple moves Association; Councilman Tony Brancatelli; Jennifer Heinert O’Leary, Esq. – Cleveland City Council;
(bottom) Ken Surratt – Cuyahoga County; Abigail Staudt, Esq. – Legal Aid; Council President Kevin Kelley;
and even being behind on rent is linked with maternal depression, Hazel Remesch, Esq. – Legal Aid; Steven Rys – Cleveland City Council (not pictured: Tom Mlakar, Esq. – Legal Aid
Delores Gray – Community Member | Gladys Reed – Community Member)
increased child hospitalizations, and poor overall health for both
children and caregivers. Phase 1 (2019 – 2022): Legal Aid will focus on providing enhanced
legal assistance to residents facing eviction, increasing representation
Legal Aid is working to invest in the community by providing from 2% to 10% of eviction cases.
tenants legal counsel through Legal Aid’s Housing Justice Alliance.
The progression of the Housing Justice Alliance is divided into Evaluation of Phase 1 and support from City of Cleveland leaders
three parts: will help launch Phase 2 by 2023. In Phase 2, the Program will grow
so that all low-income Cleveland residents facing eviction will have
Preliminary Phase (2018 – 2019): thanks to support from the the option of being represented by an attorney for their case.
Sisters of Charity Foundation’s Innovation Mission Fellowship,
Legal Aid attorney Hazel Remesch led the research and planning Cleveland’s Housing Justice Alliance effort is the first of its
for implementation. An advisory committee was created to kind in Ohio. Learn more about this innovative program at
include community, city, and bar leaders. www.HousingJusticeAlliance.org
“
Housing loss is avoidable if legal counsel
is available to tenants.
”
–D
elores Gray
Member of the Housing Justice Alliance advisory committee
Legal Aid’s housing work in the past year was generously supported by designated grants from: First Federal of Lakewood, Ulmer & Berne, United Way, the Sisters of Charity, Saint Luke’s Renaissance Charitable, Nord Family, Murphy Family,
Bruening, and Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundations.
Page 2 Poetic Justice
Applause for Members of Legal Aid Attorney Profile:
our 15-Year Giving Society Dinola Phillips
Providing Access to Education for Children
The following people provided annual support to
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland for 15 years as of
December 31, 2018.
Dinola Phillips, a graduate of
A special reception to honor current and new Case Western Reserve University
members of Legal Aid’s 5-year, 10-year and School of Law, joined Legal Aid
15-year Giving Societies will be held in Spring 2019. last year to help lead Legal Aid’s
Access to Education program –
Thanks to our reception sponsor Cleveland Reporting an effort to provide families with
Partners for helping us recognize these important school-aged children the legal
friends of Legal Aid. support to ensure students can
stay in and be successful
In the meantime, we hold these people in high esteem. in school.
We publicly thank them for the consistent support – our
work is not possible without their partnership. Attorney Phillips sees her
Legal Aid career as an extension
David Goodman and Barbara Hawley of her work with CWRU’s
Harry Haber “Street Law” program where
Michael and Jane Horvitz she provided legal information
William Huffman and resources to incarcerated
Lee and Candace Hutton youth. She used her expertise
Wilbur Leatherberry and to educate young people about
Diane Phillips-Leatherberry Miranda rights, responsibilities
Donald Levy when talking to authorities,
Ivan Otto and other important legal
Charna Sherman topics to empower youth with
Todd Smith information that can keep
Therese Sweeney Drake and James Drake them out of the criminal
Mark Wallach and Karla Bell justice system.
David Weiner
Legal Aid and #ExtendJustice in the Community
3
1 2 4 5
Page 3 Poetic Justice
Board of Directors
Carolyn Butler Ronald V. Johnson, Esq.
Community Representative Key Bank National
nominated by the American Association
Sickle Cell Anemia Association
Jonathan Leiken, Esq.
Leonard Castle Diebold Nixdorf
Community Representative
nominated by the Rita Maimbourg, Esq.
Malachi Center Tucker Ellis LLP
Today, Attorney Phillips focuses on setting-up children for success by removing the civil legal Jillian Charles, Esq. Hugh McKay, Esq.
barriers that interfere with a child’s ability to succeed in school. The Access to Education Eaton Corporation Porter Wright Morris &
Arthur LLP
program hosts free legal advice clinics at CMSD’s George Washington Carver School and the Quo Vadis Cobb, Esq.
Rockwell Automation Edward W. Moore, Esq.
Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland. With Cleveland now a “Say Yes to Education” city, Legal Aid RPM International, Inc.
will continue to work to be where and when caregivers of school-aged children need Steven Dettelbach, Esq.
BakerHostetler Matthew Nakon, Esq.
legal help. Wickens, Herzer, Panza,
Andre Dowdy Cook & Batista
Community Representative
When asked why her work is important to her, Dinola said, “people don’t realize the stress nominated by the
VA Medical Center
Gladys B. Reed
Community Representative
students have in their lives. I have seen personally how kids haven’t had full opportunities nominated by Cleveland
Philip S. Fastenau, Ph.D. Tenants Organization
because of civil issues. If families knew about and had access to support resources, their University Hospitals
Barbara Roman, Esq.
children would have greater chances to succeed in and out of school.” Stephen M. Fazio, Esq. Meyers, Roman,
Squire Patton Boggs Friedberg & Lewis
Recently, Dinola received a referral from a community partner regarding a family with Nathan Genovese, Esq. Michael N. Ungar, Esq.
Community Representative Ulmer & Berne LLP
guardianship issues. Without a resolution to the issue, the school would dismiss the student. nominated by the
“Through our work, we were able to determine the status of guardianship for the child, explain Arc of Greater Cleveland Brenda Wells
Community Representative
the guardianship to the family, and provide the household with proper documentation to Karen L. Giffen, Esq. nominated by the
Giffen & Kaminski LLC American Sickle Cell
submit to the school,” Dinola explained. “The school accepted the documentation and the Anemia Association
child was not removed from class.” Delores Gray
Community Representative
nominated by
Promise Neighborhood
When families don’t have to worry about fundamental issues related to their housing, safety,
benefits, and health, they can instead direct their energy toward ensuring that their child
succeeds. With the skills and passion of attorneys like Ms. Phillips at Legal Aid, vulnerable Administration &
families in Northeast Ohio have a capable ally.
Newsletter Staff
Legal Aid’s Access to Education program is generously funded by the Callahan Foundation,
Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation, Eaton Charitable Fund, Fox Foundation,
Administration Newsletter
Ginn Foundation, Thatcher Fund, and other generous individual donors. staff
Colleen M. Cotter, Esq.
Executive Director Editor
Melanie Shakarian, Esq.
Tom Mlakar, Esq.
Deputy Director for Staff
Advocacy Alexandra De León
Danilo Powell-Lima
Bettina Kaplan Erik Meinhardt
1. Demo Solaru (Case Western Reserve Director of Finance &
University School of Law) Administrative Operations
2. Attorneys from Vorys and other groups
gather at the East Cleveland Public Library for
Melanie A. Shakarian, Esq.
a free legal advice clinic.
3. Barbara Roman, Esq. (Meyers Roman) with
Director of Development &
Susan Stauffer, Esq. (Legal Aid) Communications
4. Alicia Graves, Esq.
5. Kyle Hutnick, Esq. (Kohrman Jackson & Krantz)
6. Carolyn Broering-Jacobs, Esq.
6 8 (Cleveland-Marshall College of Law)
7. Mike Garvey, Esq. (ACT 2/Pearne & Gordon)
8. From left: Do Yeon Kim (CWRU School of
Law), Evan Neidig (CWRU School of Law),
Lillian Blageff, Esq. (Rockwell Automation),
and Christina Pochemsaniy, Esq. study a
case at the CPL Carnegie West Branch Library.
9. Members of the Norman S. Minor Bar
Association volunteer at the CPL Union
Branch Library.
7 9 10 10. Lisa Gold Scott, Esq.
DAVID PER SE
ST. VINC ENT C HARITY TO M Z E N T Y AK RAM BO UT RO S
M E D I C AL C ENTER UN I VER SI TY H O SP I TALS TH E METR O H EALT H SYST E M
WE’RE WORKING We support The Campaign for Legal Aid
and see it in action every day.
TO G E T H E R TO Legal Aid lawyers now work inside each of our
EXTEND JUSTICE
health care systems to help patients when civil legal
issues threaten their health, safety and well-being.
O N AV E R AG E 1 8 ,0 0 0 P E O P L E 44% OF ALL HOUSEHOLDS SERVED
A R E I M P A C T E D A N N U A L LY INCLUDED CHILDREN
T H R O U G H 7, 7 0 0 C A S E S
“Legal Aid helped my child be able to
“With Legal Aid’s help, I was able to get the continue receiving Social Security benefits,
counseling and medications I needed to maintain which greatly assists in his care.”
my mental health. I have been able to hold a job,
have friends, and enjoy my family.”
JOIN US, AND LET’S EXTEND THE REACH OF JUSTICE EVEN FURTHER.
ExtendJustice.org #ExtendJustice
M A R GOT COPE L A ND SEAN RIC H ARD SO N PATRIC IA R A M SE Y
K E YBANK FOUN DAT I O N HUNT INGTON B A NK FIFT H T HIRD BA N K
Legal Aid is collaborating with residents of Hough, Central,
WE’RE WORKING Kinsman and Slavic Village to identify legal solutions that
break down barriers to community wealth and opportunity.
TO G E T H E R TO With access to justice, families have greater stability in the
face of threats to their quality of life or livelihoods.
EXTEND JUSTICE We support The Campaign for Legal Aid as it brings new,
important initiatives to Northeast Ohio.
M O R E T H A N 1 1 , 0 0 0 P E O P L E A N N U A L LY INCREASED ASSETS AND INCOME, AND
I M P A C T E D B Y L E G A L A S S I S TA N C E T H AT R E D U C E D D E B T, B Y $ 7 0 M I L L I O N F O R
REMOVED BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT C L I E N TS OV E R T H E PAST F I V E Y E A R S
“Legal Aid kept my family together “Because of Legal Aid, I have a fresh
and let me continue my education start to build my credit.”
to get my degree.”
JOIN US, AND LET’S EXTEND THE REACH OF JUSTICE EVEN FURTHER.
ExtendJustice.org #ExtendJustice
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