The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation has launched a new, statewide pro bono opportunity website, Pro Bono Ohio, in partnership with justice technology company Paladin. Pro Bono Ohio will help connect volunteer lawyers with legal service organizations (LSOs) across Ohio to expand access to critical legal assistance.
The Foundation, the largest funder of civil legal services in Ohio, first conceived of Pro Bono Ohio during its Pro Bono Summit, a gathering of statewide pro bono leaders in 2024.
“There was a lot of excitement around a single site that centralizes pro bono opportunities for both volunteers and providers,” said Sophia Chang, the Foundation’s pro bono director. “Pro Bono Ohio is a game changer in that it’s pro bono made easy.”
Pro Bono Ohio centralizes and streamlines pro bono opportunities in a real-time, statewide database that the legal community can access for free. Volunteers can search for matters that align with their interests, location, skill sets, and availability, plus connect directly with LSOs to get started.
LSOs across Ohio can use their free Paladin accounts to post pro bono opportunities to the portal and seamlessly track and manage volunteer activity.
“The Ohio Access to Justice Foundation is a champion for low-income Ohioans. We’re so pleased to partner with them to scale their impact and help even more individuals in need,” said Kristen Sonday, Paladin’s Co-Founder and CEO.
Kristen Sonday
Kristen is the Co-Founder and CEO at Paladin. As a first generation-college Princeton graduate, Kristen first witnessed how complicated our judicial system is to navigate while at the U.S. Department of Justice conducting international criminal work in Mexico and Central America. As one of the few Latinos on the team, she saw the immense value of having an advocate with you throughout the legal process, which inspired her to want to build something to increase access for those in diverse communities. After DOJ, she joined the Founding Team of YC-backed Grouper, where she learned how to build a startup from the ground up. In addition to Paladin, Kristen Co-Chairs the Legal Services Corporation’s Emerging Leaders Council and is a partner at LongJump, investing in overlooked founders in the Chicago area.
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