Lawyers and law firms across the country are participating in volunteer events as part of the National Celebration of Pro Bono, which runs Oct. 24-30. This year, ABA President Reginald Turner is highlighting the need for legal assistance as the demand for access to justice in a post-pandemic continues to rise.

State lawmakers last week heard testimony of a bill that would require the state and all government entities within it only do business with companies and service providers that verify their support the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director Mary Mertz will take a lead role in preserving and protecting the Great Lakes. Director Mertz was named vice chair of the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) at the group’s annual meeting this month.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) improperly allowed First Energy Advisors to begin operations without first determining that the company was fit and capable of complying with Ohio law, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled recently.

A bill proposed in the Ohio House of Representatives aims to promote motorcycle safety and eliminate the need for motorcycle instructors to maintain dual training certificates.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that former City of Cleveland Councilman Kenneth Johnson was sentenced recently by Judge John R. Adams to six years imprisonment. Johnson was found guilty by a jury on July 30, 2021, of conspiracy to commit federal program theft, federal program theft, aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, tampering with a witness and falsification of records in a federal investigation.

(StatePoint) Good credit opens doors. Not only can it help you secure an affordable loan, but it is also often needed for access to open everyday accounts, such as for your utility services and cell phone. It can help you land a job, boost your chances of securing an apartment, and even improve your dating prospects, according to research.

Notice to the unknown attorney that may have prepared a Last Will & Testament for decedent Mary Jo Bacon, Educator of 840 Circleview Drive, Toledo, Ohio 43615, date of death September 13, 2021. Please contact Tyrone Riley, Esq., (419) 376-8411, with any information.

Auditor of State Keith Faber’s Office released the first of two audits of the Ohio Job and Family Services (ODJFS) unemployment system. This performance audit was required by the Ohio General Assembly in response to egregious customer service failures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

An omission in the state tax code that precludes release of a deceased person’s tax refund is the subject of a bill committee members in the Ohio Senate considered earlier this month.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report shows COVID-19 vaccines are linked to a reduction of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths

The Department of Justice Antitrust Division participated in the International Competition Network’s (ICN) 20th annual conference, virtually hosted by the Hungarian Competition Authority, on Oct. 13-15. Delegates from the ICN’s member jurisdictions, included agency leadership and staff, competition experts from international organizations and the legal, business, academic and consumer communities. Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers of the Antitrust Division led the Department of Justice’s delegation.

Ohio EPA is announcing the launch of an online GIS mapping tool the public can use to track and research properties that have completed investigation/remediation work under Ohio EPA’s Voluntary Action Program (VAP). The sites detailed on this application have been granted a Covenant Not to Sue (CNS) by the Agency, which protects the property owner or operator and future owners from legal responsibility to the State of Ohio for further environmental investigation and remediation relating to known releases.

The Ohio Supreme Court recently affirmed the conviction and death sentence of a Lawrence County man who confessed to killing his cousin, her 8-year-old son, and two other family members.

Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that William H. Precht, 54, of Kent, Ohio, was sentenced today by Judge Donald C. Nugent to 37 months imprisonment and ordered to pay $1,259,390.66 in restitution after Precht pleaded guilty to theft of government property and participating in a bribery and kickback scheme that enriched himself and caused the Cleveland VA Medical Center to suffer a loss of nearly $200,000.

While some areas are now seeing near peak conditions of fall color, patchy conditions continue throughout the Buckeye State due to cloudy, rainy weather and warmer temperatures, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

Despite dire predictions, tribal courts have held their own after the landmark decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which limited the state’s criminal jurisdiction on tribal lands.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco will be a keynote speaker at the American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section’s 36th National Institute on White Collar Crime to be held Oct. 27-29 in Miami at the Hyatt Regency. Officials from the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodities Future Trading Commission, Internal Revenue Service and federal and state judges will be among presenters at the conference.

Toledo Law hosted its third cohort of participants over the summer as part of the college's Launch into Law diversity pipeline program. The weeklong, immersive experience continues to thrive as it builds a pathway for historically underrepresented students to earn their J.D. This year's final cohort included first-generation college students and working professionals in nursing, healthcare, finance, and law enforcement.

Ohio EPA Director Laurie A. Stevenson recently recognized 15 organizations with the Agency’s Encouraging Environmental Excellence (E3) stewardship award.