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WHAT WE DO
EJF advocates for and protects an individual’s basic human needs for
food, shelter, transportation and the right to earn a decent wage in a
stable work environment. EJF provides legal representation in cases that
we hope and believe will benefit large groups of disadvantaged persons
within the State of Ohio by: |
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Challenging unfair practices and policies of governments,
corporations, brokers and lenders |
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Addressing systemic obstacles that negatively
impact our client community |
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Developing novel legal theories to expand coverage of civil
rights and consumer protection laws
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EJF does not accept criminal cases or family law cases
(i.e., divorce,
dissolution, custody).
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AREAS OF PRACTICE
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Consumer Rights |
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Homeownership – predatory lending and foreclosure |
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Credit Transactions – fair credit reporting, truth in lending,
fair debt collection |
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Purchases of Goods and Services – consumer protection, home
solicitation, retail installment sales |
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Debt Collection |
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Civil Rights –fair housing, disability rights, section 1983
private right of action litigation, due process, etc. |
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Tenant Rights |
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Landlord –Tenant (systemic and in connection with public
housing) |
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Fair Housing Laws |
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Tenant Rights in Foreclosure |
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Conditions of Confinement for Incarcerated Juveniles |
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Administrative law cases – welfare / public housing (major
systemic issues only) |
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Access to Justice – (major systemic issues only)
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CASE ACCEPTANCE PRIORITIES
In determining which cases to accept, EJF considers:
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whether the case will have a positive impact on the lives of
persons with low-incomes or who may be or may be considered
disadvantaged; and |
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Whether the case raises an issue of statewide significance. |
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An “Authorization for Representation and Contingency Fee Agreement” is
required to be signed by you and an EJF attorney before we can represent
you.
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PROJECTS |
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EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS FELLOWSHIP |
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Kristen Henry represents juveniles incarcerated in Ohio Department of
Youth Services prisons to ensure that the conditions of the prisons do
not violate their rights. Many of Kristen’s clients have been victims of
violence while in prison. Kristen also seeks to enforce the rights of
incarcerated juveniles to education, including special education
services.
If you or your child is in need of legal services due to a problem with
juvenile prison conditions, please call Kristen at (614) 221-9800 or
(800) 898-0545, or email her at
khenry@equaljusticefoundation.com.
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THE PREDATORY LENDING PROJECT |
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The George Gund Foundation of Cleveland provided
EJF with a two-year grant to fund the Predatory Lending Project, a
project created to address the problem of predatory lending and
foreclosures directed at Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens: the poor,
elderly, female heads of households and those with credit problems.
The project has four overall objectives: |
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Identification of predatory lending
issues with statewide impact on Ohio’s low- and moderate-income
populations, including the elderly, female heads of households,
minorities and persons with credit problems; |
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Development of major litigation
addressing systemic and individual predatory lending issues and
coordination and co-counseling of litigation between EJF, other
legal assistance programs, and the private bar, |
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Engender and implement further law
and policy changes; and |
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Develop outreach and education
programs. |
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The Columbus Foundation provided EJF with a one-year grant to develop and
implement a program to help the working poor by combating unlawful
predatory lending and foreclosure issues affecting limited income, female
heads of households, and minority persons in Central Ohio. The Columbus
Bar Foundation provided a one-year grant to EJF to supplement its grant
work in the predatory lending area. |
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THE DEBT COLLECTION ABUSE PROJECT |
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The Ohio Legal Assistance
Foundation awarded the Legal Aid Society of Columbus a grant to
work jointly with the Equal Justice Foundation to substantially
reduce unfair garnishment of wages and bank accounts of the working
poor residing within Franklin, Madison, Delaware, Marion, Morrow or
Union counties. LASC and EJF are responsible for: |
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On-going efforts to formulate
strategies most effective for accomplishing the project’s purposes; |
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Implementing those strategies through
specified activities, including identifying consumers and families
victimized by or in danger of unfair garnishment and providing them
with defensive and affirmative legal representation in any
appropriate forum against those responsible; and |
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Monitoring and regularly reporting on
the project’s progress and impact.. |
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