Page 10 - MarchApril26 Report

for visitation and emergency custody by
relatives. The Help Center attorney, Juve-
nile Court staff, and law student externs
have worked diligently to create guides
and forms that speak to these needs
as well as hosting limited legal advice
appointments. In 2024, the Help Center
further expanded to serve the Common
Pleas Court and the First District Court
of Appeals. Eligible issues in these courts
include homeowners defending them-
selves from foreclosure and those facing
challenges with their initial appeals
filings.
Most recently in late 2025, the Help
Center launched a Domestic Relations
Court Help Center. This Help Center
assists those with the greatest needs that
appear in the DR Court. To that end, the
Help Center prioritizes assisting unrepre-
sented people in their pursuit of domestic
violence protection orders while helping
the public with DR trial preparation.
Eviction Limited
Representation
In late 2023, the Help Center part-
nered with Cincinnati City Council to
2026
Access to Justice Network Conference
October 20-22, 2026
The A2J Network’s biennial conference brings together
300+ leaders from various justice professions across the
world to collaborate, learn, and drive innovation forward.
The upcoming A2J Network Conference is planned for
October 20-22, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the newly
renovated Cincinnati Convention Center.
https://a2jnetwork.org/conference/
host its first eviction docket observation.
This event allowed interested members of
the public to see how the eviction court
operates and to get a general under-
standing of how cases get into eviction
court. This has since become a recurring
monthly event attended by a wide range
of people that includes local leadership,
students, physicians, and non-profit part-
ners. The common refrain from attendees
was that nearly all landlords were repre-
sented by an attorney while nearly all
tenants went unrepresented. Seeing a need
to be filled, the City of Cincinnati and the
Help Center partnered to create a mecha-
nism for same day tenant representation.
Eligible tenants can now access an
attorney to represent their interests in
the hearing that determines whether
the tenant may become unhoused. The
program launched as a pilot on September
10, 2024 and was originally available to
tenants residing within the City of Cincin-
nati who had a hearing scheduled on
Tuesdays and Thursdays. The success of
the program led to philanthropic invest-
ments by Interact for Health and the
Greater Cincinnati Foundation. This is in
addition to increased financial commit-
ments by the Clerk of
Courts, the Hamilton
County Board of
County Commis-
sioners, and the City
of Cincinnati. Because
of these invest-
ments, this service is
now available to any
income-eligible tenant
in Hamilton County
with a hearing sched-
uled Tuesday through
Friday. It is anticipated
that this service will
be available five days
a week sometime in
Spring 2026.
The statistics
prove the success of
this program. In 2025,
the Help Center filed
929 notices of appear-
ance for tenants in
need. Over 94% of
tenants represented
obtained a positive
outcome as a result
10 | march/april 2026 cba report
of the appearance (with success defined
as either a continuance obtained or
dismissal of the case). Of the cases liti-
gated to completion, over 87% of the
appearances resulted in a dismissal.
This success is due in significant part
to investment by the City of Cincinnati
in rental assistance that is available for
tenants provided with limited represen-
tation by the Help Center. In 2025, over
$294,000 in city rent assistance admin-
istered by the United Way was provided
for 129 households. Not only does this
program keep families housed, it helps to
make housing providers whole.
Community and Professional
Education
The Help Center also promotes
education to the community and profes-
sionals with an interest in access to
justice. In 2025, the Help Center partic-
ipated in 43 community events, which
included tabling at 513 Relief Bus stops,
City of Cincinnati Social Services days,
and library branches throughout the
county. In addition, the Help Center has
presented an annual Access to Justice
Symposium for four years, which has
brought noted scholars, judges, and
advocates from around the country
to present access to justice innova-
tions. This year, the symposium will
run concurrently within the National
Access to Justice Network Conference on
October 20-22 at the Cincinnati Conven-
tion Center. This conference will convene
hundreds of attorneys, legal scholars,
and other stakeholders in the field of
access to justice from across the nation.
All are invited to join this event! Please
link through the QR code on the sidebar
to this article for more information.
Pavan Parikh is the Hamilton County Clerk of
Courts, focused on increasing access to justice,
modernizing the office, and improving customer
service. His extensive legal background includes 11
years as a judge advocate in the US Army Reserve,
roles with the Ohio Senate and Hamilton County
Court of Common Pleas, teaching, private practice,
and corporate counsel work.
Nicha Zingarelli (she/her) is the Director and Chief
Attorney of the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts
Help Center. Nicha is a graduate of the UC College of
Arts & Sciences and the Salmon P. Chase College of
Law at NKU.