Four Ohio legal organizations have launched a collaborative initiative to address the shortage of attorneys in rural areas, where 78 of the state's 88 counties are classified as legal deserts. The new program, called Lawyers = Justice: A Northwest Ohio Legal Collaborative, will establish two legal clinics and place attorney fellows in underserved communities over the next three years.
The initiative 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. Funding includes 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.
Michelle L. Kranz, founding partner of Zoll & Kranz and former president of the Ohio State Bar Association, is supporting the launch. Kranz, who also serves as a trustee of the Ohio State Bar Foundation, said the program addresses both immediate legal needs and the long-term challenge of attracting lawyers to rural areas. "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. "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 collaborative will operate clinics in Bowling Green and Lima. The University of Toledo will oversee the Bowling Green clinic, which is expected to serve 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 structured to extend beyond short-term legal assistance. Each year, it 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 working alongside rural clients. Organizers project that the combined efforts of the clinics and fellows could expand legal access for approximately 720 people annually.
Residents are expected to receive assistance with matters that affect daily life, including family law, estate planning, real estate, consumer protection, small-business concerns, criminal law, and agriculture-related issues. Fellows will also provide representation to individuals who earn too much to qualify for legal aid but face difficulty covering traditional legal fees.
Kranz brings personal experience to the issue. As a Wood County resident whose family raises beef cattle, she has direct familiarity with the people, businesses, and land-use concerns that define rural Northwest Ohio. She noted that the shortage reaches beyond courtroom access, delaying estate planning, complicating property transfers, and limiting guidance in guardianship or custody matters. It also affects farmers and landowners navigating development, zoning, and environmental questions.
"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," Kranz said. "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."
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.
Zoll & Kranz, a Northwest Ohio injury law firm, has served clients for more than 26 years. The firm, which practices personal injury, mass tort, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, wrongful death, and agricultural litigation, is based in Toledo. More information is available at https://toledolaw.com.
