Posted October 17, 20249:00 am
Congratulations to Legal Aid’s 2024 Staff Award Recipients!
The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland will recognize the following staff award recipients at the 2024 Annual Meeting, to be held on Monday, November 25 at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. Learn more and purchase tickets.
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.
A full list of past award recipients is available on our website: Staff Awards
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.
- Maria A. Smith, Esq., Supervising Attorney, Housing
Maria Smith has worked at Legal Aid for almost 30 years. Colleagues describe her as a passionate, knowledgeable, creative attorney who embodies Legal Aid’s mission. Known for exploring every possible legal solution, Maria’s commitment to justice and dedication to securing the best outcome for her clients is evident in all she does. A substance matter expert, Maria is a leader in the Housing Practice Group, and at Legal Aid. She enjoys mentoring summer law students, new lawyers and paralegals, and even high school students seeking exposure to law. Maria's impact is felt beyond her individual casework, as she provides thoughtful support for her colleagues and encourages them to be creative and persistent in their advocacy and legal work.
Maria’s tenacity, superior litigation skills, and creative problem-solving are most apparent when advocating for clients who risk both housing loss and lead poisoning. A fierce housing advocate, Maria has helped hundreds of clients during her tenure at Legal Aid. However, when asked in how many cases she has prevented an eviction, Maria’s humble reply is simply, “Not enough.”
Leadership Award… to acknowledge outstanding staff leadership, tireless efforts for Legal Aid clients and vision for Legal Aid’s work. The Leadership Award is presented to an individual who makes Legal Aid a better organization, helps others around them achieve more for Legal Aid clients, and creates a team for social justice.
- Katherine Hollingsworth, Esq., Managing Attorney, Economic Justice
As Managing Attorney of the Economic Justice Practice Group since 2015, Katherine has helped the group transform. Her vision led the Economic Justice Practice Group to broaden its scope and increase its impact. Under her leadership, the group has developed expertise to serve low-income entrepreneurs and individuals faced with employment discrimination. Her creativity and leadership help clients navigate consumer debt, contend debt-related license suspensions, and build pathways to prosperity.
Katherine has managed the growth of the Economic Justice Practice Group by maintaining a deep sense of connectivity within the team and building collaboration and trust. She is a champion for the members of the practice group, supporting them to become stronger advocates and leaders. Above all, Katherine is an intelligent, kind, understanding, and thoughtful leader who is genuinely committed to the mission of Legal Aid.
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.
- Kimberly Barnett-Mills, Esq., Managing Attorney, Community Engagement
Recently promoted to the role of Managing Attorney for Community Engagement, Kim previously served as Supervising Attorney in Intake & VLP, and prior to that as a Senior Attorney in the Family Law Practice Group. But this is not her first stint with Legal Aid; she was initially hired as an attorney in Legal Aid’s then-Municipal Defense division. Since returning to Legal Aid in 2017 she has been a leader – serving on various internal committees, engaging with bar associations, and working closely with volunteers to develop creative new ways to serve clients. As part of the Intake & VLP team, Kim frequently attended clinics and served as a mentor to volunteers. She worked closely with new Intake Specialists to provide coaching and supervision, and she led the effort to create an intake process to ensure that Legal Aid is able to identify and serve group clients, including non-profits and entrepreneurs.
- Julia Lauritzen, Esq., Staff Attorney, Health & Opportunity
Julia first came to Legal Aid in 2015 as a paralegal working on tax, employment, and immigration cases. While all these areas of law were new to her, she quickly developed a substantive understanding of these complicated legal issues. After law school, Julia was selected for an Ohio Access to Justice Foundation Fellowship and returned to Legal Aid as an attorney in 2020. For her fellowship project, she developed a partnership with the Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office, providing civil legal services to their clients. Julia continues to provide consultation to the PD’s office and has become a trusted and respected partner in their work. In addition to carrying on this connection, Julia now handles a high volume of incredibly complex immigration cases. She is particularly diligent in her analysis of the potential immigration remedies available to her clients. Julia practices law in a trauma-informed manner and is especially adept at ensuring her clients feel respected, supported, and uplifted.
- Olivia Pollack, Paralegal, Health & Opportunity
Oliva joined Legal Aid as a paralegal in 2022. Since then, her demonstrated enthusiasm, reliability, curiosity, Spanish language fluency, and strong research and writing skills have proven to be an asset. As part of Legal Aid's Immigration Team, Olivia supports three different attorneys with large caseloads, and enthusiastically works with a diverse array of clients. She is organized, diligent, and shows an eagerness to learn. Her nominator praised her exceptional writing and research skills – most notably her persuasive U visa certification letters and assistance with complex research and analysis for asylum cases. Olivia has also demonstrated leadership in launching Legal Aid's Asylum Clinics – assisting with designing the clinic model; completing initial drafts of asylum applications; following up with clients to gather additional facts; and scheduling clinic appointments and interpreters. She treats everyone with respect, inclusion, and dignity, and clients and colleagues alike appreciate her friendly demeanor, responsiveness, and empathy.
- Anna Seballos, Paralegal, Housing
Anna joined Legal Aid’s Housing Practice Group as a paralegal in 2022. She is the primary litigation paralegal for two affirmative group housing cases, and she also supports litigation for two other complex housing matters. In each case, Anna has demonstrated excellence. From building rapport with tenants and offering practical solutions, to tailoring discovery requests and thinking on her feet, to using her Spanish language fluency to build bridges –Anna exhibits her deep commitment to Legal Aid's values and clients. She provides impeccable litigation support and is a creative problem solver. To prepare for an upcoming case, Anna proactively scheduled a courtroom visit to familiarize herself with the court technology and learn the court staff’s preferences. In addition to her standing responsibilities, Anna volunteers for Know Your Rights Presentations, Client Outreach Clinics, and the CMBA’s 3Rs civics program for high school students. Her colleagues are inspired by the character, drive, and intellect that define Anna’s brand of professional excellence.