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EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FELLOW, CLASS OF 2009
Name of Host Organization: Ohio State Legal Services Association
City, State: Columbus, Ohio
Issue area: Prisoners
Sponsor: Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation
THE INSPIRATION
As a criminal defense clerk, I became painfully aware of the reasons for the high recidivism rate. I saw countless indigent clients who were in desperate need of housing, a job and medication, among other things. Because these individuals had prior felony convictions, they could not attain any of these necessities and instead ended up back in the criminal justice system. These experiences showed me how much of a need there is for reform in the area of prisoner re-entry.
THE PROJECT
My project is targeted to help post-release individuals in Ohio. My project has two components: community outreach and policy work. The first component will consist of developing seminars and materials to inform indigent defenders and social and legal services professionals of the post-release civil ramifications of criminal pleas, and assist them in educating their clients. The second component of my project will entail working with Ohio legislature lobbyists to develop legislative fixes for the problems facing post-release individuals.
BIOGRAPHY
Hometown: | West Chester, Ohio |
Law school: | |
Making the connection: | Growing up in a two-parent, upper middle class suburban household, I came to greatly appreciate the life I had. In doing so, I felt a drive to give back since I had been given so much. I felt that law school was the best way for me to pursue the kind of public interest job I wanted. |
Surviving law school: | I knew I wanted to do public interest law before beginning law school, and after my first year classes that desire was solidified for me. I never felt a connection to any area of the law like I did to public interest. I took courses after my first year - including a juvenile law clinical program - that were geared to my interests, and never had a problem maintaining my focus on or passion for using my legal career to help others. |