TOLEDO, Ohio — A new three-year initiative, Lawyers = Justice: A Northwest Ohio Legal Collaborative, has been launched to address the critical shortage of attorneys in rural areas, where 78 of Ohio's 88 counties are classified as legal deserts—defined as having fewer than one attorney per 1,000 residents. The collaborative brings together the Ohio State Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Foundation, University of Toledo College of Law, and Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law, with funding from a $1.465 million grant from the Ohio State Bar Foundation and in-kind contributions from the participating institutions.
Michelle L. Kranz, founding partner of Zoll & Kranz and former president of the Ohio State Bar Association, is a key supporter of the initiative. Kranz, who resides in Wood County and raises beef cattle, has firsthand knowledge of the challenges facing rural communities. "A legal problem can threaten a family's stability, a farm's future or a small business's survival, and those consequences do not become less serious because the nearest attorney is an hour away. This initiative addresses today's need for counsel while creating a real reason for young lawyers to put down roots in the communities they serve," she said.
The collaborative will operate two clinics: one in Bowling Green, overseen by the University of Toledo, serving residents in Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Ottawa, and Wood counties; and an expanded clinic in Lima, managed by Ohio Northern, reaching income-eligible residents in Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, Putnam, and Van Wert counties. Each year, the program plans to support four newly licensed attorney fellows as they build sustainable private practices in the region, while providing up to 40 law students with supervised, hands-on experience. Organizers project that the combined efforts could expand legal access for approximately 720 people annually.
Residents will receive assistance with matters affecting daily life, including family law, estate planning, real estate, consumer protection, small-business concerns, criminal law, and agriculture-related issues. Fellows will also represent individuals who earn too much to qualify for legal aid but struggle to afford traditional legal fees. "Rural communities need lawyers who understand that a land-use decision, an estate plan and the future of a family operation may all be connected. Building that kind of trust takes time. By pairing practical service with training and mentorship, Lawyers = Justice gives new attorneys the opportunity to become part of the community rather than simply pass through it," Kranz added.
Recruitment of attorney fellows and law students is expected to begin in September 2026, with both clinics targeted to be fully staffed and operational later in the fall. The participating organizations have identified the initiative as a potential model for other Ohio regions facing comparable attorney shortages.
