Ohio State Bar Foundation

It’s a milestone year for the OSBF—75 years—and we’re looking to refresh our brand during this exciting period in our history. Want to be our partner in branding, messaging, or web design? We are accepting responses to our RFQ through July 17.

For a copy of the RFQ, please contact Danika Stahl at [email protected]

Good news! The OSBF's Board of Trustees approved grants for 12 nonprofits and organizations making justice more accessible in your backyard.

This round of funding includes 👉
Asian Services In Action - ASIA
The Positivity Spectrum
Scranton Road Ministries Community Development Corporation
Association of Bhutanese in Ohio
Cristo Rey Columbus High School
Franklin County Municipal Court
Center for Law, Justice & Culture at Ohio University
Hamilton County Clerk of Courts
Ohio Alliance of YMCAs Foundation
Ohio Center for Law Related Education
Ohio Legal Help
University of Cincinnati Foundation

See how they'll use their grants at https://www.osbf.org/about/news-events/over-609k-awarded-to-ohio-nonprofits-organizations-in-ohio-state-bar-foundation-s-2026-spring-grant-cycle

We’re pleased to announce the 17 attorneys and judges and one outstanding organization who will be honored at the 💎 OSBF 75th Anniversary Gala 💎 in the fall. They represent the best of legal profession and true excellence in their dedication to building a better justice system for all Ohioans.

Join us in congratulating…
🌟 Alphonse Gerhardstein, Cincinnati
🌟 Kent Wellington, Cincinnati
🌟 Sarah Perez, Columbus
🌟 Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS), Columbus
🌟 Jillian Von Gunten, Zanesville
🌟 Ashley Warwar, Dayton
🌟 Lucas Ruffing, Delaware
🌟 Carol Rieger-Taylor, Marysville
🌟 Hayley Kick, Columbus
🌟 Angela Hirsch, Chillicothe
🌟 Kelly Bratton, Coshocton
🌟 Lauren Zidones, Akron
🌟 Khalida Sims Jackson, Cleveland Heights
🌟 Maureen Stoneman, Carrollton
🌟 Patricia Norris, Cambridge
🌟 Kari White, Coldwater
🌟 Caroline Crum, Marietta
🌟 Natalie Ray, Chardon

Learn more about this year’s celebration at osbf.org/awards/2026annualawards/

DID YOU KNOW 👉 Citizens returning to the workforce upon release from prison face a 70% unemployment rate. Prospera Reentry—which received a $15,000 Foundation grant in the fall—is addressing that figure through a pre-release workforce empowerment program.

The OSBF team had a chance to visit the Grafton Reintegration Center for a tour to see firsthand how this program functions, including their screen-printing apprenticeship and more.

The program gives incarcerated individuals the chance to participate in an externship with private companies during their last three years in prison, equipping participants with new skills and job experience, ultimately reducing barriers to employment.

Thank you to Prospera Reentry and the Grafton Reintegration Center for sharing more about this important program!

The Foundation’s Fellows are being recognized across Ohio for their dedication to justice and service. Congratulations to those who were recently honored with awards, including:

⭐ Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Patrick F. Fischer, Class of 2006 – Cincinnati Bar Foundation's Themis Award for extraordinary service by an attorney to the legal professional and broader community.
⭐ Vallie T. Bowman-English, Class of 2025 – Ohio State Bar Association Nettie Cronise Lutes Award, which recognizes a woman lawyer who has improved the legal profession through her own high level of professionalism and who has opened doors for other women and girls.
⭐ Susan Choe, Class of 2016 – Ohio Access to Justice Foundation’s inaugural Dick Pogue Access to Justice Award for leveraging technology and innovation to improve justice and fairness for all Ohioans, was awarded to Ohio Legal Help, led by Executive Director Susan Choe.
⭐ Larry S. Hayman, Class of 2018 – Pre-Law Advisor National Council’s Gerald Wilson Award for Leadership, Service in Pre-Law Advising, recognizing his exceptional service, leadership, and commitment to the pre-law advising profession.
⭐ Caitlyn McDaniel, Class of 2026 – The Department of Sociology & Anthropology at Ohio University’s 2025 Outstanding Community Partner Award for their impact on the Athens community and mentorship of students.

Know a Fellow who was recently honored with an award who isn’t mentioned? Send an email to [email protected] with details.

The 2026 Fellows Class recently had the opportunity to visit Pickaway Correctional Institution through the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice’s Prison Visitation Program. During their visit, they shared conversations with incarcerated individuals in small groups, creating new, human connections.

Afterward, everyone gathered in a large group to share what they discovered: a shared love of Star Wars, the importance of grace and empathy, but most of all, that those from inside the facility and those from outside were not so different.

The goal of the Frederick Douglass Project, which received a grant from OSBF most recently in 2025, is to enable these meaningful conversations and humanize incarcerated participants with a focus on a more successful reentry into society.

So now we ask you: How might a conversation like this change the way you think, act, and show up in your own community?

Thank you to the Frederick Douglass Project for coordinating this visit.

The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education provides Ohio’s students and teachers with academic programs and resources, designed to engage students in grades 5-12 in hands-on learning about government, law, and the importance of active citizenship.

The Foundation has been a proud supporter of OCLRE through our grantmaking program for over a decade, funding programs like We The People, Moot Court, Mock Trial, and more.

Most recently, the OSBF awarded OCLRE with $123,000 for its "Civics Education Programs, Teacher Training & Outreach" project to expand its civics education programming by increasing teacher training and student engagement in underserved communities, which serves all 88 counties statewide.

Projects like this help expand knowledge and understanding of the law from an early age and can even inspire the next generation of legal professionals who will promote justice across the state of Ohio.

"With generous support from funders like the OSBF, as well as our sponsors, OCLRE is able to provide programs and authentic opportunities that give young Ohioans a chance to acquire knowledge and skills required for active participation, understanding, advocacy, and leadership," said Kate Strickland, Executive Director of OCLRE.

The OSBF has granted $19M since 1992. To learn more about our grants program, visit osbf.org/grants.

Please join us in congratulating our 2025 Regional Community Service Award for Newer Attorneys recipients:
🌟 Maggie Muething, Southwest Region
🌟 Raina Dawson, Northwest Region (pictured center right)
🌟 Jasmin Hurley, Central Region
🌟 Caitlyn McDaniel, South Region
🌟 Jillian Von Gunten, Southeast Region (pictured center left)
🌟 Brandon Wojtasik, Northeast Region

These exemplary attorneys were recognized at the Ohio State Bar Association's Annual Awards & Recognition Luncheon for making a difference in each region of the state. Their time, energy, and leadership outside of their daily practice is deeply appreciated by their communities and inspires us all. Congratulations!

LAST CALL! If your organization intends to apply for a Racial Justice Initiative (RJI) grant, don't miss today's deadline of 5 p.m.

Since launching in 2020, the RJI has provided $1.3M+ in grant funding to support projects focused on long-lasting impact and institutional change for racial justice.

Apply now at osbf.org/grants

This May, a group of OSBF Fellows made their way to Nelsonville to support the Re-Entry Services Pro Bono Legal Clinic via the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation's Ohio Justice Bus, organized by Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio - LASCO.

Alongside pre-law students and local attorneys, they worked together to assist the community in record‑sealing, expungement, and driver’s license reinstatement at no cost.

It was our pleasure to participate and help expand access to justice in rural Ohio, which will ultimately help improve the security, health, and safety of those in need.

Thank you to the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation for continuing to provide these services to communities across Ohio! This opportunity was one of several planned service days for OSBF Fellows this year. If you’d like more information on dates and how to participate, contact [email protected].