Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative

05/01/2026

The kickoff of the Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative was a success! Thank you to the sixteen volunteer private practice attorneys, as well as many others from Community Legal Aid Services and The University of Akron School of Law, who volunteered from 9-11 am to assist more than fifty people in need of legal advice and other community resources. We had a special appearance from Judge Joan Synenberg, founder of the Cuyahoga County Pro Bono Collaborative who helped Judge Jennifer Towell and Judge Joy Malek Oldfield to bring it here. Special thanks to CLAS, Summit Legal Defenders, Elliot Kolkovich, Summit County Prosecutor, Tavia Galonski, Summit County Clerk of Courts, Summit County Fiscal Office, and Fiscal Officer Kristen Scalise, Summit County Executive's Office Department of Job & Family Services, Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, United Way of Summit & Medina, Summit County Children Services, Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Fair Housing Contact Service, Summit County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Kandy Fatheree, and METRO Regional Transit Authority. We have enormous gratitude for this group effort. See you on June 5 for the next one! Let’s keep working to help those in need.

04/30/2026

We're going to pause on our partner spotlights to make another push for attorney volunteers. Tomorrow is our kickoff! We are always looking for more attorneys to provide assistance to those community members who seek legal counsel. Don't forget you earn CLE credit for your time, and your malpractice insurance is covered for this engagement. If you haven't signed up, please go to the link in the bio for Attorney Volunteers and register. Thank you to all those who are participating in providing this service. See you tomorrow!

04/28/2026

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT!!

The Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative is proud to partner with Summit County Clerk of Courts Tavia Galonski. The mission of the Clerk's Office is to PRESERVE a complete record of the court that is directly and remotely accessible to the residents of Summit County; PROTECT the confidentiality of private information and ensure the accuracy and security of all funds, title records, and documents filed under seal; and, PROVIDE outstanding customer service in a friendly and professional manner. Clerk Galonski is the first black person to lead a countywide charter office.

The Clerk's Office will be on-site monthly at our Pro Bono Collaborative to provide access to cost, fee, and fine balances, and share final disposition information. They will also be able to help you see how to navigate their website to get the information you need; and, will have people there to direct you to their office to access additional forms and to file on-site.

Click the link in the bio to register to join us on May 1, 2026 at our kickoff volunteer legal clinic to receive free legal advice and resources about other helpful services in our community.

04/27/2026

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT!!

The Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative is proud to partner with the Summit County Fiscal Office, and Fiscal Officer Kristen Scalise. The Summit County Fiscal Office is made up of the divisions of Auditor, Recorder, and Treasurer. This office is responsible for the issuance of various licenses (including dog licenses), handles real estate tax bills and does fuel quality testing, just to name a few responsibilities. This office also issues veteran ids to our community members with military service. For the fee of $1, veterans can apply to have their DD-214 recorded and a veteran identification card issued as a convenient way to prove military service. For our May 1 Pro Bono Collaborative kickoff, those veteran ids will be provided free of charge.

Click the link in the bio to register to join us on May 1, 2026 at our kickoff volunteer legal clinic to receive free legal advice and resources about other helpful services in our community.

04/23/2026

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT!

The Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative is proud to partner with the Department of Job & Family Services of the Summit County Executive's Office.

When you appear for legal advice at our monthly Pro Bono Collaborative clinics, you will also find a DJFS representative available on site to talk to you. DJFS helps residents meet basic needs, including food, shelter, health care, and other essential services like child care and job support. DJFS also helps people build skills for the future. Through job training and education, DJFS supports individuals in finding employment and becoming more financially stable. And to ensure you have no obstacle to your appearance, Executive Ilene Shapiro has authorized parking validation for all who attend.

Click the link in the bio to register to join us on May 1, 2026 at our kickoff volunteer legal clinic to receive free legal advice and resources about other helpful services in our community.

04/16/2026

Partner Spotlight!

The Summit Legal Defenders and Attorney Andrea Whitaker, Director, are proud founding partners for our Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative. Serving the people of Summit County since 1973, their attorneys and staff work hard to provide high-quality legal service and to help clients get the resources and assistance they need both inside and outside of the courtroom. Join them on May 1 at our kickoff and talk to Attorney Whitaker and members of her team for assistance navigating common legal concerns. Register in advance to have a volunteer attorney available to meet with you as well. The Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative is committed to removing obstacles in the path of your stability.

04/10/2026

This morning Judge Joy Malek Oldfield, Judge Jennifer Towell and Community Legal Aid Services hosted a training and CLE at the Summit County Court of Common Pleas for lawyers who want to volunteer at the upcoming legal clinics. It was a great session that identified common obstacles people have, and how to address them. Thank you to Attorneys Elsa Reale-Gottfried and Patrick McCarthy for taking time to educate our bar. We will offer another via zoom before our May 1 kickoff. Please (1) spread the word of our May 1 kickoff to people you serve who may need legal advice and (2) encourage attorneys to register to volunteer (at the link in the bio).

04/07/2026

Partner Spotlight!

Elliot Kolkovich, Summit County Prosecutor is a proud founding partner for our Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative. Making the justice system as accessible as possible to the residents of Summit County is key to the fair and efficient administration of justice. Join us on May 1 at our kickoff and talk to Prosecutor Kolkovich and members of his team about child support, taxes, victim concerns and more. Register in advance to have a volunteer attorney available to meet with you as well. The Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative is committed to removing obstacles in the path of your stability.

04/03/2026

Partner Spotlight!

The Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative is proud to partner with Community Legal Aid Services. CLAS provides free civil legal services to low income members of the community. It’s team of attorneys and paraprofessionals provide assistance in a wide variety of legal areas including housing, family law, consumer protection and debt, tax, education, public benefits, health access, and criminal records/driver’s license issues. It also has special projects focused on meeting the legal needs of veterans, expectant mothers, those impacted by substance abuse.

Click the link in the bio to register to join us on May 1, 2026 at our kickoff volunteer legal clinic to receive free legal advice and resources about other helpful services in our community.

04/01/2026

Are you struggling with civil legal issues and can't afford an attorney? The Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative is here to help you conquer those legal obstacles. This collaborative, presented by Judge Jennifer Towell, Judge Joy Malek Oldfield, Community Legal Aid Services, Elliot Kolkovich, Summit County Prosecutor and Summit Legal Defenders, kicks off on May 1, 2026 at Summit County Court of Common Pleas and pairs volunteer attorneys every month with community members who need legal advice. While you're here, check out our community partners who will be available on site to assist you with questions about sealing, housing, transportation, child support, driver's license issues and more. Sign up at the link in the flyer to register to have an attorney answer your questions!

03/24/2026

The Summit County Pro Bono Collaborative is a project presented by Judge Joy Malek Oldfield and Judge Jennifer D. Towell in partnership and collaboration with Community Legal Aid Services, Summit Legal Defenders, and Elliot Kolkovich, Summit County Prosecutor. Modeled after the Cuyahoga County Pro Bono Collaborative, this project will pair volunteer attorneys with community members who need legal advice with civil issues. This collaborative will be held every month, with other community partners available on site to assist with questions about sealing, housing, transportation, child support, driver's license issues and more. Our kickoff is May 1, 2026!

If you are interested in serving as a volunteer attorney for a couple hours a month, consider attending our training on April 10, 2026 from 9-11 am in the Summit County Common Pleas Court Ceremonial Courtroom. You can earn 2 hours of CLE credit (submitted for approval with .5 hours of professional conduct) and learn all about the common topics of concern for community members. Register at this link.

SUMMIT COUNTY PRO BONO COLLABORATIVE Civil Legal Advice Clinic CLE Agenda DATE: FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2026 LOCATION: Summit County Court of Common Pleas Ceremonial Courtroom 209 South High St., Akron, Ohio TIME: 9:00 AM TO 11:00 AM (Submitted for Approval for 1.5 hour General & .5 hour Professional CLE)...