In a state where 78 of 88 counties are classified as legal deserts, a new collaborative effort seeks to bridge the justice gap in rural Northwest Ohio. Lawyers = Justice: A Northwest Ohio Legal Collaborative, announced on August 3, 2026, 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. The initiative is funded by a $1.465 million grant from the Ohio State Bar Foundation, supplemented by in-kind contributions from the participating law schools and the Ohio Bar.
The collaborative will operate two clinic locations in Bowling Green and Lima. The University of Toledo will oversee the Bowling Green clinic, serving residents across Fulton, Hancock, Henry, Ottawa, and Wood counties. Ohio Northern will expand its existing Lima clinic to reach income-eligible residents of Allen, Auglaize, Hardin, Putnam, and Van Wert counties. The program is designed to provide immediate legal assistance while building a long-term pipeline of attorneys for rural communities.
Each year, the program plans to support four newly licensed attorney fellows as they develop 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 daily-life matters such as 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.
Michelle L. Kranz, founding partner of Zoll & Kranz, a Toledo-based injury law firm, is a key supporter of the initiative. Kranz, who served as president of the Ohio State Bar Association from 2023 to 2024 and currently holds a trustee position with the Ohio State Bar Foundation, has direct familiarity with rural issues as a Wood County resident and beef cattle producer. She emphasized the importance of the program: "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."
The attorney shortage in Ohio is severe, with 78 of 88 counties having fewer than one attorney per 1,000 residents. This lack of legal access has far-reaching implications, delaying estate planning, complicating property transfers, leaving families without guidance in guardianship or custody matters, and limiting the ability of farmers and landowners to navigate development, zoning, and environmental questions. Kranz noted, "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."
The 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. This collaborative effort represents a proactive approach to addressing the legal desert crisis, aiming to ensure that rural residents have access to the legal counsel they need to protect their families, farms, and businesses.
