Posted June 12, 20193:59 pm
Published by Anne Nickoloff in cleveland.com on 6/12/2019
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Every year for 11 years, the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland has hosted a fundraiser in the form of a concert, called “Jam For Justice.” And every year, each performance includes at least one lawyer or judge performing music onstage.
“It’s a hidden talent among the legal community for sure,” said Melanie A. Shakarian, the director of development and communications at Legal Aid. “There’s a lot of folks who like to perform.”
The event takes place on Wednesday, June 19, at Cleveland’s House of Blues, 308 Euclid Ave. Doors open at 5 p.m., and the concert begins at 6 p.m. Jam For Justice’s lineup includes bands with courtroom themes like Out Of Order, First Offenders and Rule 11 & the Sanctions. There’s also Faith & Whiskey, a band which features Ohio Supreme Court Justice Mike Donnelly.
DJ Brad Wolfe, who is a criminal defense attorney by day, will host Jam For Justice between sets.
Shakarian said she expects about 900 to 1,000 attendees at the House of Blues. General admission tickets to the event cost $50, and include food samples and a drink ticket.
Money raised at Jam For Justice will directly support Legal Aid, a nonprofit organization that provides free attorneys to people who face legal issues. According to Shakarian, Legal Aid Cleveland helps about 20,000 people a year. This year, the organization hopes to raise $100,000.
Jam For Justice has been a big part of Legal Aid’s fundraising since it started at the Blind Pig, a former Warehouse District bar, in 2008. The event moved to the House of Blues in 2013, and the lineup continued to expand as Shakarian discovered more local bands that featured legal professionals.
“Suddenly I began hearing about all these other musical acts, garage bands where people were attorneys and judges by day and by night got together and jammed,” she said.n
However, the lineup of Jam For Justice ultimately depends on which musicians are available on the date of the show.
“Our selection process is that we want to be as inclusive as possible, but then [it’s] also based on peoples’ trial schedules and their busy life as an attorney.”
Tickets to Jam For Justice and raffle tickets are on sale now through Legal Aid’s website.