The Ohio Poverty Law Center's Work

Using the Law to Fight Poverty in Ohio

The Ohio Poverty Law Center (OPLC) is the legal services state support center in Ohio. OPLC attorneys are experienced poverty law advocates who advocate on systemic impact issues and provide assistance to the six legal services regions in the Ohio legal services community.

Below is a summary of the areas in which OPLC focuses its work. Click on each area to learn more about our specific work in each area.

Policy Advocacy - OPLC engages in statewide legislative and administrative advocacy, issue identification and development, and community outreach and education.
Litigation Support - OPLC provides support and coordination of litigation efforts statewide and also provides co-counseling, resource development, and other litigation assistance to legal aid programs in Ohio.
Specialty Assistance and Consulting - OPLC provides Ohio legal aid programs with case consultation and assistance, strategic issue analysis, identification, and development, legal resource development, and other substantive legal assistance.
Trainings - OPLC plans, coordinates, and hosts skills and substantive poverty law trainings, local, state and regional events, webinars, training development and design, trainings of trainers, and has developed a recommended curriculum of trainings for legal services staff.
Task Forces - OPLC develops and facilitates statewide substantive law task forces and issue-based work groups in, among others, consumer law, education law, family law, foreclosure, health law, housing law, immigration law, public benefits law, and statewide legal aid intake systems.
Publications - OPLC edits and publishes OSLSA Reports, a compilation of Ohio legal aid cases, including summaries and links to decisions and other court documents. OPLC also publishes the OSLSA Desk Reference, a directory of resources and legal services programs and staff in Ohio, as well as various poverty law practice manuals, resources, and community education pamphlets.
Strategic Communications - OPLC seeks to use the media as an advocacy tool to address legal issues facing low-income Ohioans and to increase the public awareness and understanding of the services legal services programs provide and the issues facing low-income Ohioans.
Technology - OPLC manages the substantive public and advocate content on the statewide legal services website. OPLC also coordinates the use of technology to improve services provided by and the capacities of the legal services community and promotes the use of technology for more efficient trainings, meetings, and communication.