The Legal Aid Society of Columbus Legal Aid Referral Project (LARP)

The Legal Aid Society of Columbus is a private, non-profit corporation that was created by the Columbus Bar Association in 1954 and represents low-income and elderly persons in civil legal matters. At one time joined with the Public Defender, LASC has received funding over the years from the Office of Economic Opportunity under President Johnson's War on Poverty, the Legal Services Corporation, the State of Ohio (through Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts, Interest on Title Agent Trust Accounts, civil filing fee surcharge programs, and the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation), the United Way, private foundations and individuals. Legal Aid’s service area includes Franklin, Delaware, Marion, Morrow, Madison, and Union counties.

Volunteer attorneys may receive referrals of low-income clients in a field of their choice through the Legal Aid Society of Columbus Legal Aid Referral Project (LARP). The areas of law in which LARP needs help include:

• Family law (the client may need a divorce or have child support issues, for example).
• Housing (defending claims for damages)
• Bankruptcy (the client may have been ill or unemployed and now has debts s/he cannot pay)
• Tort defense (i.e., auto accidents)
• Consumer problems (can range from auto repair problems, to rent-to-own or credit card, or home improvement issues)
• Probate (estate work)
• License suspensions (not on points)

The basic intake and referral work is performed by the Legal Aid Society of Columbus before a case is referred to a LARP volunteer attorney. Volunteer attorneys are asked to take at least two pro bono cases a year and comply with reporting requirements required by Legal Aid funding sources.

The Legal Aid Society of Columbus carries malpractice insurance which provides excess or secondary coverage of a LARP volunteer attorney's own primary coverage when handling pro bono cases. If a LARP attorney has no malpractice insurance of his/her own, Legal Aid’s malpractice insurance provides primary coverage when handling a LARP pro bono case. If you collect any attorney's fee from the client, the insurance does not cover that case.

Interested volunteer attorneys should call Legal Aid’s Coordinator, Joyce Behn, 614/224.8374 at extension 123.