TOLEDO, Ohio — A new three-year initiative, Lawyers = Justice: A Northwest Ohio Legal Collaborative, launched this month to combat the scarcity of attorneys in rural Ohio, where 78 of 88 counties are classified as legal deserts. The collaborative, supported by a $1.465 million grant from the Ohio State Bar Foundation, 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. In-kind contributions from the law schools and the bar supplement the grant.
Michelle L. Kranz, founding partner of Zoll & Kranz and former president of the Ohio State Bar Association, is championing the effort. "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," she said. The initiative aims to address immediate legal needs while creating pathways for young lawyers to establish practices in these communities.
The program 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 another in Lima, overseen by Ohio Northern University, expanding to reach income-eligible residents in Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, Putnam, and Van Wert counties. Each year, the program will support four newly licensed attorney fellows as they build sustainable private practices in the region, while providing up to 40 law students with supervised experience. Organizers project that the clinics and fellows 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. The fellows will also represent individuals who earn too much to qualify for legal aid but struggle to afford traditional legal fees.
Kranz's involvement stems from her deep roots in the region. As a Wood County resident whose family raises beef cattle, she understands the interconnected nature of land-use decisions, estate plans, and family operations. "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," she said. The initiative pairs practical service with training and mentorship, giving new attorneys the opportunity to become part of the community.
Recruitment of attorney fellows and law students is expected to begin in September 2026, with both clinics fully staffed and operational later in the fall. The participating organizations see this as a potential model for other Ohio regions facing similar attorney shortages. For more information about the initiative, visit the Ohio State Bar Foundation's website at ohiobarfoundation.org.
