The Buckeye Institute has submitted a proposed amendment to the Ohio Supreme Court aimed at licensing legal paraprofessionals. The goal is to improve access to legal services for more than 6.5 million Ohio residents who live in areas with too few attorneys.
David C. Tryon, director of litigation at The Buckeye Institute, said, “Chief Justice Kennedy has consistently acknowledged that Ohioans living in small communities and rural areas do not have easy access to qualified legal professionals who can help with basic legal needs. The Buckeye Institute’s proposed amendment takes a crucial step toward addressing Ohio’s legal deserts.”
The proposal would allow licensed legal paraprofessionals to perform certain limited legal tasks without attorney supervision in family, civil, criminal, administrative, and juvenile law cases. It also sets out education, training, and examination requirements for these paraprofessionals. Regulation of the new profession would be similar to that of attorneys in Ohio.
Tryon added, “By licensing legal paraprofessionals, as other states have done, the Supreme Court of Ohio can significantly enhance access to justice for Ohio’s most underserved communities.”
The Buckeye Institute is an independent research and educational organization that promotes free-market public policy through data analysis and policy recommendations. It operates as a non-partisan nonprofit based on Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio and provides support to policymakers on issues related to individual liberty and limited government. The organization relies on private funding from individuals, corporations, and foundations according to its official website. Established in 1989 as a non-partisan think tank under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, it focuses primarily on Ohio while promoting its ideas nationally.
