A new initiative to make legal services more accessible to people who do not qualify for free assistance.
Applications Are Now Open! - Deadline to apply is March 29
CLEVELAND LEGAL COLLABORATIVE - FELLOW APPLICATION
THE CLEVELAND LEGAL COLLABORATIVE CURRICULUM
CLEVELAND LEGAL COLLABORATIVE FELLOW DESCRIPTION
WHY WE NEED THE COLLABORATIVE:
Even with the sustained efforts of Legal Aid and CMBA volunteers, a justice gap remains. Our extensive experience in leveraging CMBA members to serve the underserved leads us to the development of a new effort: the Cleveland Legal Collaborative (The Collaborative). The Collaborative will aid those caught in the justice gap who are unable to access or qualify for free legal services.
According to a 2022 Legal Services Corporation report, three out of four low-income Americans had at least one civil legal problem last year – 40% had five or more issues. Of those with legal challenges, 92% received inadequate or no legal help.
Through the Collaborative, newer lawyers will be eligible for an 18-month paid fellowship with an in-depth curriculum exploring the nuances of representing underserved community members. Newer lawyers will learn to balance their practice, manage clients, and develop new businesses while focusing their efforts on those who are caught in the justice gap.
With one-on-one mentoring and ongoing, practical instruction, this partnership will provide high-quality, fixed-fee/low-fee/no-fee legal services to those individuals who do not qualify for Legal Aid or who have issues Legal Aid cannot address.
The Collaborative Fellows will be partnered with seasoned lawyers to serve as mentors and teachers to help advance the next generation of lawyers.
By engaging Cleveland’s next generation of law professionals and tapping into the expertise and civility of our most experienced lawyers, the CMBA will be able to provide significantly expanded access to justice community-wide.
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