Posted November 1, 20242:00 pm
last updated 2/13/2025
Thank you for being a Partner in Justice! Your role as an ambassador for Legal Aid is invaluable for supporting our work and our clients. This toolkit has resources to help you promote Legal Aid with your colleagues. If you have specific questions, toggle to the bottom of the page for staff contact info.
Confirm Your Partner In Justice Commitment
We are sending out messages to law firm managing partners in February, asking to renew or confirm individuals to be their Partner in Justice representative for 2025. Partners in Justice are our first point of contact, and they help share valuable information, participate in clinics and CLEs, and encourage colleagues to support our work in a variety of ways. Please read our PiJ one-pager and share it with those who are interested in #ExtendingJustice and joining this group.
Become A Legal Aid 2025 Sponsor Today!
For 2025, you can sign-on as an early sponsor. Organizations that commit by February 2025 receive 2024 rates and a full year of sponsorship benefits for all Legal Aid events, including:
Founders' Day - June 2025
Jam for Justice - August 2025
Community Meet-and-Greets - September 2025
National Celebrate Pro Bono Week - October 2025
120th Annual Meeting - November 2025
The earlier you commit, the more exposure your organization receives!
Sign up here: 2025 Event Sponsorship – Legal Aid Society of Cleveland or click here for a fillable PDF Questions? Contact Shauna Mendez at: 216-861-5415.
All sponsors receive:
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- Digital & Print: Program exposure at all events with name and logo display, and ads shared with 25,000+ individuals during our Annual Meeting promotion. Click here to see an example of our Annual Meeting program book. (Logos are due upon confirmation of sponsorship; all 2025 Annual Meeting ads are due by 10/9/25.)
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- Admission: Each sponsorship includes 10 tickets to both Jam for Justice and the Annual Meeting, and unlimited admission for employees interested at the other events.
Corporate Social Responsibility: Legal Aid is the difference between homelessness and home; danger and safety; and poverty and security. Your organization’s sponsorship affiliates you with Legal Aid’s work to #ExtendingJustice.
Sponsor levels/benefits:
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- $17,500 Platinum Sponsorship
Headline sponsor status at events; recognition in all pre-event publicity and highlights in public programs; full page (8.5” x 11”) color advertisement in print and digital Annual Meeting program book
- $17,500 Platinum Sponsorship
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- $12,000 Gold Sponsorship
Recognition in all pre-event publicity and highlights in public programs; full page (8.5” x 11”) color advertisement in print and digital Annual Meeting program book
- $12,000 Gold Sponsorship
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- $10,000 Silver Sponsorship
Recognition in all pre-event publicity and highlights in public programs; half page (8.5” x 5.5”) color advertisement in print and digital Annual Meeting program book
- $10,000 Silver Sponsorship
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- $8,000 Bronze Sponsorship
Recognition in all pre-event publicity and highlights in public programs; quarter page (4.25” x 5.5”) color advertisement in print and digital Annual Meeting program book
- $8,000 Bronze Sponsorship
Legal Aid News
Melanie Shakarian will be retiring from Legal Aid at the end of February, after 21 years as the Director of Development and Communications. She will be missed dearly but will always be a part of our team. She leaves a legacy of growth, partnership, and financial sustainability that will sustain Legal Aid’s work for many years. Please join us in celebrating Melanie’s career and accomplishments at a special reception at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown on February 26, 2025: Honoring Melanie – Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
Marie Magner, staff attorney in the Family Law Practice Group at The Legal Aid Society, published an opinion article on cleveland.com of the realities of human trafficking. She outlines some misconceptions about trafficking and its prevalence in Ohio: “…Another trafficking misconception is that it happens somewhere else, somewhere dark, and wholly separate from where we live and work. The statistics show that this is not the case, however. According to Polaris, in 2023, Ohio ranked as No. 7 in the list of identified cases by state. The reasons Ohio is one of the hardest-hit states are not surprising, such as our vast highway system, easy access to numerous neighboring states and Canada, and large rural areas. These features are exploited by traffickers to allow them to keep operating in our backyard.” Read the full article here: The reality of human trafficking differs greatly from popular portrayals – Marie Magner – Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
Impact Story
Please use these stories of real Legal Aid client experiences to share examples of the impact our work is making on the communities we serve:
As a child, Kevin (all names changed to protect privacy) endured more trauma than anyone should. His mother passed away of a drug overdose, leaving him in the sole care of his father until he passed away from gun violence just a few years later.
Kevin’s aunt, Cassidy, immediately stepped in to bring Kevin into their family, thinking it would be the best option for him, and Kevin agreed. Ashtabula County Child Services assigned a case manager to work with the family prior to his father’s death, and referred Cassidy to Legal Aid for help.
A Legal Aid attorney helped Cassidy through all the steps of filing for custody, and attended court hearings with Cassidy, explaining to the judge why it was best for Kevin to live with her. The judge immediately agreed that this was the best arrangement for Kevin and granted Cassidy full custody. Cassidy was so grateful to have her Legal Aid advocate beside her through this emotional process. Now she can focus on caring for Kevin and the rest of her family.
Cruz (all names changed to protect privacy) was worried when his 80-year-old mother Gracia started having memory problems and struggling to complete household tasks. They decided to apply for Medicaid to hire an in-home care aid. Gracia was shocked when she was denied benefits due to an existing life insurance policy intended to help Cruz with her end-of-life expenses. They called Job and Family Services (JFS) and the representative agreed the policy should not impact Gracia’s benefits. JFS encouraged Gracia to re-apply, but again, she was denied, so Cruz and Gracia reached out to Legal Aid.
A Legal Aid attorney contacted JFS for clarification on the denial, and was advised to reapply, with proof that she was not the beneficiary of the life insurance policy. The attorney helped Gracia complete another application, but it was again denied. Gracia’s attorney next requested a state hearing to fight the denial while continuing to call JFS and advocate for the family. In these conversations, the attorney learned that JFS realized their mistake with the denials, and they agreed to approve Gracia for benefits.
With the benefits approved, Gracia was able to secure in-home help with everyday tasks and medical care. Gracia and Cruz are grateful for the help they received from Legal Aid and relieved that they have someone who will make sure she is healthy and safe.
MAKE A GIFT TODAY:
Support Legal Aid with a gift and encourage your colleagues to do the same – Donate now.
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Questions? Contact Shauna: 216-861-5415 or smendez@lasclev.org.
Visit here often to:
- Grab timely messaging you can use for internal communications at your firm/organization. Simply copy and paste!
- Learn about our latest events and news.
- Connect with us.
You are a valued advocate for our mission; we appreciate your passionate advocacy for Legal Aid!