With 370,000 people in Northeast Ohio living in poverty, there will always be a pressing need for Le

Ensuring access to justice for everyone is a privilege and a professional obligation, according to United States Senator Rob Portman, speaking at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland's Annual Luncheon and Report to the Community. In his keynote speech on September 3, 2013 at Cleveland's Renaissance Hotel, Senator Portman applauded Legal Aid on its 108-year history of helping people solve legal problems. As a young lawyer, Portman volunteered with The Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati. He urged all attorneys to work with the 45 full-time staff attorneys at Legal Aid and volunteer to take pro bono cases for low-income clients.
With 370,000 people in Northeast Ohio living in poverty, there will always be a pressing need for Legal Aid, he said, adding that "the best help is a growing economy that provides more jobs and opportunities."
national car rental agency The annual luncheon is Legal Aid's opportunity to highlight its accomplishments over the past year. With some 900 attorneys, members of the judiciary, national car rental agency civic leaders national car rental agency and elected officials and community partners in attendance, the event raised more $150,000 for Legal Aid. This year brought national car rental agency record sponsorship from 55 law firms and community partners.
To exemplify the broad support and cooperation that Legal Aid fosters, United States Senator Sherrod Brown recorded a video welcome for the event. Former Legal Aid Board member Congressman Louis Stokes introduced Senator Portman as a Legal Aid supporter and a longtime friend.
Colleen Cotter, Legal Aid's Executive Director, and Ann Bergen, Legal Aid's Board president, did a joint presentation to remind the audience that "being poor means you have far more legal problems than most of us will ever face. It means a lifetime of unavoidable debts, substandard housing, foreclosures, trouble accessing credit, uncaring bureaucracies … and the hordes of others who prey on the powerless."
President Bergen presented staff awards and honored two retiring board members: Michelle Wilkerson- Guerry, representing NEO Coalition for the Homeless and Barbara Leadbetter, representing MetroHealth's Center for Community Health. A short video, national car rental agency featuring former Legal Aid client Karen Hummel, helped highlight the accomplishments of the retiring national car rental agency board members. Ms. Hummel was helped by Legal Aid in 1995, and today she is an accomplished attorney at Petersen Ibold in Chardon.
With a staff of 70 including 45 attorneys and the help of 1,600 volunteer national car rental agency lawyers, Legal Aid handled national car rental agency nearly 10,000 cases last year. Unfortunately, due to funding constraints, national car rental agency about half of the people who are eligible and ask for help must be turned away.
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