The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation believes there is a significant justice gap in Cuyahoga County. The organization receives about 1,500 calls a month from folks who need legal help. Many of those people find themselves unable to afford an attorney.
The Bar Foundation estimates that 75% of Americans had at least one civil legal need in the last year. 90% of those individuals received inadequate or no legal help because they could not afford to hire a lawyer.
The mission of the Bar Foundation is “Lawyers Giving Back,” supporting impactful programs that provide pro bono legal services, law-related education, and mentoring to those in need. It is unveiling a new program for Clevelanders this summer. The Cleveland Legal Collaborative is a social justice legal incubator designed to serve those caught in the justice gap. Those individuals often make too much to qualify for free legal services but do not make enough to afford a market-rate attorney.
The Collaborative will host 6 fellows, lawyers who are within their first 5 years of practice and who are dedicated to serving those in the justice gap. They will learn how to build a practice while also learning how to practice law. It is an 18-month paid fellowship.