[OPLINLIST] For those with a significant Somali patron group - Ohio State Bar Foundation Program Helps Somalis with Ohio Judicial Process

[Frank Atkinson]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2007
For additional information, contact Linda Thompson Kohli, executive
director, Ohio State Bar Foundation, 614-487-2050.


Ohio State Bar Foundation Program Helps Somalis with Ohio Judicial Process


COLUMBUS - Bridging the culture gap between the Ohio judicial system and the
legal processes of Somalia is becoming easier for the 50,000-plus Somalis
who now make their home in Central Ohio.

Somali refugees can learn more about their basic legal rights and
responsibilities as Ohio citizens thanks to a computer program introduced
today by the Ohio State Bar Foundation Fellows Class of 2005 at a press
conference held at the Ohio Judicial Center in downtown Columbus.

"We took on this project to help a vulnerable group of new Ohio residents
avoid simple legal misunderstandings and problems that could have drastic
consequences for their legal status as refugees," said Linda Thompson Kohli,
executive director of OSBF.

She added that Central Ohio has the second largest concentration of Somalis
in the U.S., many of whom do not speak English.  Since few resources exist
that directly address the Somali community, particularly interactive
resources spoken in Somali, OSBF created this project.

The program, entitled "With Liberty and Justice for All...Somalis in Ohio,"
is available on a compact disk and is designed to be used in guided learning
sessions led by an English-speaking instructor. Information is delivered in
Somali with English captioning, including topics covering going to court,
health care, working, driving, banking, housing and marriage.  The program
does not offer legal advice.
 
"It was a privilege to be part of an extremely talented 2005 Fellows class,
and I commend the efforts of so many people with the Ohio State Bar
Foundation who made this project possible," Ohio Supreme Court Justice
Terrence O'Donnell said. "This project is designed around the concept of
providing better access to courts to individuals, particularly Somali
immigrants, who may have difficulty either because of language or
unfamiliarity. We desired to reach out to this population and get them
better acquainted with the court system."
 
Primary funding for this project came from the Franklin County Department of
Jobs and Family Services (DJFS). Additional funding and in-kind donations of
time and research were provided by the Ohio State Bar Foundation and the 42
lawyer and judge volunteers in the 2005 Fellows Class. Evideo Productions of
Columbus produced the program.

"This compact disc can have a huge impact on our community, making our legal
system more understandable to the more than 45,000 Somali refugees in this
area," said Franklin County Commission President Mary Jo Kilroy. "Simple
things that we take for granted as common knowledge - such as requirements
for working, driving, marriage and divorce - can create huge obstacles in
life for those who may not understand how our government and way of life
work."

"With Liberty and Justice for All...Somalis in Ohio" is being distributed in
the Somali community through the leadership of Somali Link newspaper,
community service providers, family and religious groups. Franklin County
DJFS will be the first to use the program, providing information on the
project to the network of JFS offices statewide. To order copies of the
compact disk, see www.osbf.net.

Since 1998, the Ohio State Bar Foundation has sponsored an annual Fellows
Class for lawyers and judges across Ohio.  Approximately 40 new volunteer
members - called Fellows - comprise each year's Fellows Class, which meets
periodically for about 18 months to create a Fellows Class project that
advances the Foundation's mission of promoting public understanding of the
law and improvements in the justice system throughout Ohio.

The Ohio State Bar Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity and a membership
organization of attorneys and judges, affiliated with the Ohio State Bar
Association.  For more information about the OSBF, visit www.osbf.net. 

###

EDITOR'S NOTE:  Accompanying this release is a roster of 2005 Fellows Class
members and list of past OSBF Fellows Class projects.		



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