Page 8 - MarchApril26 Report

The Help Center:
Hamilton County’s Civil Legal “Urgent Care”
By Pavan Parikh
People are faced with serious civil legal issues
every day. These include tenants facing eviction,
swindled consumers, single mothers suffering
from intimate partner violence, and grandparents
who want to help their neglected grandchildren. The
Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Help Center can
assist each of these people with the serious legal issues
that make a meaningful difference in their lives.
Founded in September of 2017, the Help Center
is a partnership between the Clerk of Courts and the
University of Cincinnati College of Law. The goal
of this unique endeavor is to increase access to civil
justice for people who are not constitutionally entitled
to an attorney and are otherwise unable to access an
attorney. The reality is that there will never be enough
attorneys to provide full representation to those in
By Nicha Zingarelli
need. The Help Center provides visitors with infor-
mation and limited legal advice (by appointment) as
to how they can be their own best advocate. In 2025,
the Help Center assisted 24,783 people!
8 | march/april 2026 cba report
How It Started
Initially, the Help Center was staffed by a director
(who was also the sole attorney), and one paralegal.
At that time the Help Center focused exclusively on
municipal civil matters. These included small claims,
landlord/tenant issues (including eviction and rent
escrow), and debt collection. The Help Center iden-
tified some common recurring issues where people
were seeking information, which led to staff and law
student volunteers developing forms and guides that
spoke directly to these needs.
The guides and forms address commonly faced
matters, such as how a small claims case proceeds
and how to complete a small claims complaint. They
also focus upon more specialized matters, like how
a small claims plaintiff can file for a garnishment
order, or the criteria considered by the court when
evaluating a motion to remove a case from electronic
access. As the guides and forms have increased, so too
have the people who are served with general informa-