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Members of the Cincinnati Bar Association are committed to serving Greater Cincinnati not just through their professional role as attorneys, but also through volunteer service in the community. The CBA sponsors a variety of programs that help to serve our community. From sponsoring a major mentoring/tutoring initiative that is helping at-risk youth in our city, to operating a lawyer referral service that helps citizens find an attorney in a specific practice area, these programs are making a difference in our community.
Each year on or around May 1, the Cincinnati Bar Association (CBA), Cincinnati Bar Foundation (CBF) and Cincinnati Bar Association Auxiliary (CBAA) co-sponsor a variety of programs for the public to celebrate the legal profession. Past programs have included: a live TV program produced by students at the High School for the Communication Professions at Hughes Center, focusing on the role of the law in our diverse society; “A Brush with the Law,” a program where high school students go on a jail tour, attend a naturalization ceremony and enjoy a luncheon with a guest speaker; and a legal rights forum for area senior citizens, sponsored in conjunction with ProSeniors.
The CBA has operated its Lawyer Referral Service since 1943. The LRS maintains a panel of more than 325 attorneys and makes referrals to the public in most areas of the law. There is no fee for using the service and the referred attorney will not charge more than $30 for the first half hour of consultation. The LRS number is (513) 381-8359.
The Young Lawyers Section (YLS) has partnered with the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative (CYC) with the hope of improving the lives of a select group of high school students in Cincinnati's public schools. For more information on mentoring opportunities, please contact the CYC at (513) 475-4959.Read more
Each year, the CBA's Young Lawyers Section, through funding from the Cincinnati Bar Foundation (CBF), hosts a mock trial competition for area high schools. Approximately 40 teams from 26 schools prepare a case for trial. Volunteer attorneys coach the students and serve as judges on the competition nights at the Hamilton County Courthouse. The Ohio Center for Law-Related Education (OCLRE) sponsors the statewide competition. Cash prizes are awarded to the schools that advance to regionals in Columbus.
The CBA typically administers notary public examinations on the first Wednesday of every month for residents of Hamilton County interested in becoming a notary public. Exams are administered by a notary chair with the assistance of the CBA notary administrator. The short essay exams are graded by volunteer attorneys who are members of the Judges Committee on Notaries Public. The CBA also processes notary applications for attorneys whose commissions are lifetime once their applications have been completely processed. From time to time, notary seminars are offered to the public at a nominal fee compared to outside agencies. Volunteer attorneys serve as speakers for the seminar and discuss a wide range of notary topics.
To equip high school students in Greater Cincinnati with knowledge of their legal responsibilities and rights once they turn 18 years of age, the Cincinnati Bar Association supports the Ohio Bar AssocationŐs effort with the Now You're 18 guidebook. It explains laws regarding driving, drinking, contracts, credit, voting, consumer protection, marriage and divorce, employment and discrimination. It also covers procedures when criminal charges are made, military service requirements applying to the draft, and selection and duties of jurors. Access this valuable information anytime here.
Launched by the CBA's Lawyer Referral Service, this program is geared toward educating high school students, especially seniors, on issues relating to turning 18. Topics addressed include DUI, drug charges, alcohol consumption, date rape, student loan application, credit cards, consumer credit, credit reports, leases and more. LRS panel attorneys conduct the program in a group or assembly format.
The CBA's Young Lawyers Section organizes an annual “Run For Kids,” a 5K run and fitness walk which benefits ProKids, a local organization that advocates on behalf of abused and neglected children in the legal system. The race has proven highly successful in past years and the event continues to grow. Read more
Sponsored by the Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati-Cincinnati Bar Association Round Table, SWEL offers area minority high school and college students the opportunity to gain a hands-on introduction to the legal profession. The students range in age from 16 to 20 and are placed in various law-related agencies and companies. They work an average of 20-25 hours per week for eight to 12 weeks during the summer months. Approximately 40 students participate each year.
The CBA has partnered with the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative (CYC) to provide tutors to students at area schools. Attorneys have the opportunity to volunteer as their schedule permits.
Through the Volunteer Lawyers Project, private attorneys help clients with adoption, divorce, visitation, housing, consumer debt, probate matters, wills and representation in lawsuits. This program, established in 1982 by the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Bar Association, provides critical legal services to the community through the support of many private lawyers and corporate law offices. Our community depends on these volunteers who donate their time to help Legal Aid clients.
The CBA's Young Lawyers Section plans a series of community service activities each year. Programs have included serving meals at an Over-the-Rhine soup kitchen, spring mulching at Boys Hope/Girls Hope, organizing a legal community blood drive through Hoxworth Blood Center and providing volunteers during WCET-Channel 48's annual Action Auction public television fund-raiser.
For more information on community service projects of the Cincinnati Bar Association, please contact us at (513) 381-8213.
