The Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (CMBA) will start accepting applications later this month as it begins to recruit fellows for its new Cleveland Legal Collaborative- a social justice legal incubator that will be housed at the CMBA.
An information session is happening Monday, Jan. 8 at noon via Zoom. CMBA leaders will explain the implementation of the collaborative, as well as the application process. More information can be found online. Those invited to attend include:
- Legal professionals interested in learning more about this incubator program.
- Newer lawyers and law students interested in learning more and/or applying for program participation.
- Community members, media and leaders who would like to learn more about this innovative program.
In November of 2023, Meredith Shoop, president of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation, appeared on Good Morning Cleveland to talk about the new initiative.
She said, “It will provide substantive training to our region's next generation of legal professionals while helping those caught in the justice gap.”
The Cleveland Legal Collaborative will combine the talents of newer lawyers beginning to practice, and seasoned lawyers giving back as mentors and teachers. The collaborative will deliver high-quality legal services to individuals of modest-income earners who earn too much to qualify for free legal aid but not enough to hire an attorney, which the CMBA said can lead to people not getting help or receiving inadequate assistance.
"This is designed to address the civil legal needs. So that could be an eviction (or) that could be a divorce," Shoop said in November. "There are all sorts of legal issues that arise that have nothing to do with criminal conduct and are issues for which folks of modest income have trouble finding representation."
The CMBA states, “According to a2022 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. Many of these individuals and families have income above Legal Aid's requirement of 200% of the poverty level, but can't afford a lawyer at market rates.”
A fundraising campaign is working to raise $2 million to help support the collaborative. More information can be found here.
