Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio (LASCO)

Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio, formerly Ohio State Legal Services Association (OSLSA), was founded in 1966 by the Ohio State Bar Association. On Jan. 1, 2024, OSLSA, which operated Southeastern Ohio Legal Services, merged with the Legal Aid Society of Columbus. The merged program now provides civil legal services in 36 Ohio counties. Working in conjunction with our sister organization, the Ohio Poverty Law Center, we are committed to searching out the patterns, causes of, and solutions to the repetitive and fundamental legal problems facing low-income Ohioans and pursuing the legal recourse needed to address those problems.

• Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio (LASCO) 

• Ohio Poverty Law Center (OPLC)

Since 1966, our organizations have helped thousands of Ohio’s poor obtain and keep housing, secure public benefits, worked with families to gain and maintain economic stability, and helped domestic violence survivors to live free of fear and abuse and to obtain the resources needed to sustain themselves and their children. Our advocates also serve in leadership roles in community groups, boards, and task forces working to improve the lives of low-income residents at the local and state level.

OUR MISSION AND VISION

Our Mission is to provide civil legal aid and advocacy to overcome unfairness and injustice, reduce poverty, and increase opportunity. Our vision is to help create a just and fair society where we all have the opportunity to thrive and have lives free of poverty

DIRECT LEGAL AID

Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio (LASCO) offers direct, civil legal aid services to low-income Ohioans. LASCO has eight area offices serving 36 counties in Southeast and Central Ohio. We have offices in Athens, Columbus, Chillicothe, New Philadelphia, Newark, Marion, Portsmouth and Steubenville. LASCO serves more than 38,0000 people annually, in state and federal administrative, trial and appellate proceedings, helping low-income families in Southeast and Central Ohio resolve a broad range of civil legal issues.

LEGAL ISSUES ADDRESSED:

• Public Benefits

• Housing

• Family Law including Domestic Violence Survivors

• Consumer Rights and Protection

• Unemployment Compensation

• Public Education Issues including Expulsion

• Medical Issues and More

OUR CLIENTS ARE LOW INCOME:

and

• Disabled

• Seniors

• Veterans

• Children

• Single Parents

• Working Families

• People at risk of Homelessness

Though most of the families and individuals served by these programs must be low-income, certain projects may have expanded income limits. If you are seeking legal assistance or want more information about these organizations, please call 866-529-6446 or visit our legal aid website: www.lasco.org.