2025 Staff Awards

Congratulations to Legal Aid’s 2025 Staff Award Recipients!

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland will recognize the following staff award recipients at the 2025 Annual Meeting, to be held on Monday, November 24 at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. Learn more and purchase tickets.

A full list of past award recipients is available on our website: Staff Awards

C. Lyonel Jones Lifetime Achievement Award... for a career dedicated to The Legal Aid Society and its clients; named in honor of C. Lyonel Jones (1932 – 2006) who himself dedicated his entire legal career to Legal Aid.

Philip Althouse, Esq., Senior Attorney, Economic Justice Practice Group 

Throughout his 18 years at Legal Aid, Phil’s work ethic and values have consistently exemplified the organization’s commitment to pursuing equity and prioritizing the needs of our client communities. He is always willing to assist his colleagues while working hard to resolve his client’s issues. His high-quality legal work and advocacy have achieved impressive results. Most notably, Phil’s representation of a client led to a fraudulent organization being indicted for targeting veterans and defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Phil has also helped obtain justice for many other clients. In one such case, he represented a 94-year-old client that was defrauded by her power of attorney, who had transferred the client’s home to herself. Phil worked for weeks with the prosecutor’s office and investigators, providing details as they investigated possible criminal charges. After Phil filed a civil case, the defendant agreed to transfer the home back to the client.

Phil’s commitment to economic justice goes beyond his work for his clients and extends to helping colleagues throughout the legal sector. He has authored chapters of the Ohio Consumer Law Handbook, helped create a Consumer Law Sub-Committee at the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and presented at numerous continuing legal education seminars.

The Claude E. Clarke Award… recognizes staff members for outstanding service through professional performance and commitment to Legal Aid and its clients, and is named for Claude E. Clarke (1890 – 1975), who directed Legal Aid’s work for nearly four decades.

Emily Adams, Esq., Senior Attorney, Health & Opportunity Practice Group
Emily first came to Legal Aid in 2021 as a Staff Attorney in the Housing Practice Group. In 2022, she moved to the Health & Opportunity Practice Group when Legal Aid began its Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) with Cleveland Clinic. She quickly picked up two new areas of law – education and public benefits. Her dedication resulted in an impressive number of case victories, including obtaining a favorable settlement in a special education case against a school district that refused to pay for a specialized school placement. Emily played a key role in getting the Cleveland Clinic MLP off the ground. She trains medical providers on how to identify the legal issues of their patients and how to refer them to Legal Aid. She also trains pediatric residents, giving them key insights into special education law. Emily pulls it all off with her incredible work ethic, enthusiasm, and organizational skills.

Russell Hauser, Esq., Staff Attorney, Health & Opportunity Practice Group
Russell started working at Legal Aid in 2015 as a Paralegal. He then left Legal Aid to attend law school and returned, first as a Summer Associate, then as an Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Justice for All Fellow, and now as a Staff Attorney. Through his fellowship, he partnered with the Cuyahoga Juvenile Public Defender’s Office to advocate for students having trouble in school. When his fellowship ended, Russell moved to serving as an attorney with Legal Aid’s Medical Legal Partnership with University Hospitals, where he continues to advocate for students. Russell has developed expertise in representing students proposed for expulsion. He continues his partnership with the Public Defender’s Office, serving as a resource for that partnership. Russell jumps into these difficult cases without hesitation, keeping many children in school. Russell is recognized by his colleagues as the consummate team player with a dedication to the organization, its
mission, and its clients.

Laurie Hughes, Paralegal II, Family Practice Group
Since starting at Legal Aid in 2021, Laurie has proven to be an invaluable asset to the Family Practice Group, consistently demonstrating outstanding performance, empathetic and trauma-informed client interaction, and a deep commitment to Legal Aid and the paralegal profession. Laurie is always looking for ways to improve the efficacy of the team. She became an electronic notary, which allows for quick and efficient filing of pleadings, and she also manages an electronic signature system. In her work, she often engages with individuals who have experienced profound trauma. Laurie approaches these interactions with sincere compassion and empathy. She goes above and beyond to ensure clients feel supported, heard, and respected during some of the most challenging periods of their lives. Laurie has also fostered a partnership with Cuyahoga Community College's Paralegal Program. She supervises student paralegals and introduces them to the paralegal profession. Laurie is dedicated to improving the lives of our clients, one case at a time.

Joseph Tomino, Esq., Supervising Attorney, Housing Practice Group
Joe worked at Legal Aid as a Summer Associate and extern in 2014 before joining as an attorney in 2017. Initially working as part of the Intake and Volunteer Lawyers Program, Joe established and managed the pro se Debt Collection Clinic early in his Legal Aid career. He later joined the Housing Practice Group and has proven himself to be a diligent and passionate advocate for his clients, a creative litigator, and a respected leader. Joe’s knowledge of the law, and rules in particular, ensures that he secures the best possible outcomes for his clients. Joe is also a member of Legal Aid’s Lead Team, working to eliminate lead poisoning by advocating for lead safe housing. In addition, Joe coauthored an amicus brief which resulted in the 10th District Court of Appeals determining that tenants were entitled to a thirty-day notice under the CARES Act, even after the expiration of the federal eviction moratorium. Joe’s excellent work reflects his commitment to justice.

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland annually recognizes staff through this awards program funded by Legal Aid’s Leadership Fund for Organizational Development. The fund is supported by the Allen Madorsky Memorial Fund and the Alan Gressel Memorial Fund at Legal Aid and numerous other individual gifts. If you are interested in making a gift to support Legal Aid’s Leadership Fund, please call 216-861-5217.