FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  (pdf)

Summit County Domestic Relations Court & Ohio Justice Bus Partner to Deliver Free Legal Clinics Across Summit County—Attorneys Invited to Make a Powerful Impact

Akron, Ohio | April 11, 2025 — The Summit County Domestic Relations Court, in partnership with the Ohio Justice Bus, is proud to announce its 2025 Free Legal Clinic Series, designed to provide critical legal support to individuals and families navigating family law issues such as divorce, separation, civil protection orders, and child custody. These community-centered events will take place at various public libraries across Summit County. The next clinic will be on April 25^th from 11 AM to 3:00 PM at Kenmore Public Library in Akron.

The first clinic this year, which was hosted at the Akron Bar Association on February 28th, was an overwhelming success. The event served 60 participants and overwhelmed staff. Due to this high demand it is strongly encouraged that those who wish to speak to an attorney pre-register.

These Ohio Justice Bus events benefits not only those seeing legal help which is access to justice—it’s also a valuable opportunity for these volunteer attorneys to make a meaningful difference in the lives of local families, build lasting community connections, and as a byproduct, grow their practices, and earn Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits.

“Volunteer attorneys are the backbone of this initiative,” said Administrative Judge Katarina Cook. “Their commitment doesn’t just change lives—it strengthens the public’s trust in the legal profession and provides access to justice.”

Call for Volunteers: Why You Should Get Involved

Volunteer attorneys will provide 20-minute consultations at each clinic, offering legal guidance and referral support alongside community service providers. These events are structured, efficient, and fully staffed—making it easy for attorneys to focus on what matters most: helping clients.

Attorneys who participate gain:

• Community Visibility – Strengthen your local presence and enhance your public profile.
• CLE Credit Opportunities – Qualify for credit hours through pro bono service.
• Networking & Referrals – Collaborate with fellow attorneys, court personnel, and community advocates.
• Client Exposure – Connect with new potential clients who need help now.

According to the Ohio Justice Foundation, these clinics not only provide a lifeline for underserved populations but also help bridge the justice gap by bringing attorneys into direct contact with communities most in need.

Clinic Schedule & Locations (Fridays, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)

• April 25 – Kenmore Public Library
• June 13 – Maple Valley Public Library
• August 15 – Twinsburg Public Library
• October 10 – Springfield-Lakemore Library
• December 12 – Barberton Public Library

To volunteer, attorneys can contact:

Paul M. Henry
330-643-7845
phenry@drcourt.org
Volunteer Registration Page (https://drcourt.org/wp/ojb-registration/)

These clinics reflect the mission of the Domestic Relations Court to deliver fair, compassionate, and accessible legal services to all Summit County residents, regardless of income. Help us advance this mission—volunteer today and be part of a movement to transform the legal landscape for Ohio families.

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Photo Attached from February 28, 2025 Akron Bar Association Ohio Justice Bus event. Persons in the photo include Ohio Justice Bus Staff, Administrative Judge Katarina Cook (4^th from left), volunteer attorneys and Summit County Domestic Relations Court Staff.

Attached is the Official Event Flyer

For questions or interviews, please contact:

Paul Henry

Mediator | Community Outreach Director

205 S. High Street, Akron, OH 44308

phenry@drcourt.org

P: (330) 643-7845 

Download full report here: 2025 Ohio Justice Bus Impact Report

🚍 Ohio Justice Bus: February 2025 Impact! ⚖️

Our February event at the Akron Bar Association was a huge success! 🎉

✅ 60 participants (a new record!)
✅ Volunteer attorneys provided legal guidance
✅ 8 community organizations/agencies offered support
✅ Judge Katarina Cook facilitated an on-site court hearing

A big THANK YOU to our volunteers, partners, and the Akron Bar Association for hosting! 💙

🚨 Next Event: April 25, 2025 | Kenmore Public Library | 11 AM – 3 PM

🔗 Pre-register: https://drcourt.org/wp/ojb-registration/
📞 Contact: 330.643.7845 | phenry@drcourt.org

#OhioJusticeBus #FreeLegalHelp #AccessToJustice 🚀⚖️

Summit County Domestic Relations Court spent their lunch hour making over 100 Valentines for Operation Valentine! 💌❤️ These heartfelt cards will be sent to our overseas active-duty military personnel to show our appreciation for their service and sacrifice. 🇺🇸 #OperationValentine #SupportOurTroops #CommunityInAction

To find out more about this program visit: https://www.operationvalentinesday.com/

The Summit County Domestic Relations Court is deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Special Deputy Patrick Sullivan late last week. Patrick dedicated 27 years to the Sheriff’s Office before retiring in 2010. Even in retirement, he continued to serve our community with distinction as a Special Deputy and Criminal Bailiff with the Domestic Relations Court.

Patrick’s life and legacy are beautifully captured in his obituary and a tribute video, which you can view here.

To honor his memory, the family kindly requests donations be made to your favorite animal shelter or charity in Patrick’s name, in lieu of flowers.

AI transcription program will aid Domestic Relations Court reporters in 2025, but attorneys will be banned from using AI tools to draft documents.

Read the article here

Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division Receives $9,500 Technology Grant from the Ohio Supreme Court

Summit County, OH – Monday, July 8, 2024– The Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division is excited to announce being awarded $9,500 in Grant Funding from the Ohio Supreme Court Technology Grant.

“AI transcription yields multiple benefits,” stated Administrative Judge Katarina Cook,   “it relieves the workload on court staff, enables judicial officers to utilize draft transcription reducing overall time to disposition, and generates cost savings passed on to Summit County citizens.”

Summit County Domestic Relations Court’s Project is just one of thirty-five projects selected statewide. The Ohio Supreme Court awarded a total of 2.89 million dollars last month to 25 counties. Since 2015, when the program began, the Supreme Court has awarded 42.4 million dollars to local courts who seek to enhance their public works via technology that modernizes, creates transparency and increases efficiencies.

The Summit County Project will utilize Artificial Intelligence to decrease the time and human resources needed to produce transcripts of court hearings, both rough-draft and certified. Doing so will have two effects: (1) Create a substantial savings for the Court and parties; (2) Faster production of transcripts decreasing the time needed for judicial officers to rule on cases, allowing litigants to receive accelerated resolution to their conflicts.

In 2017, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia found that it took approximately 3.55 hours of out-of-court transcription for a court reporter to transcribe 1 hour of in­ court proceedings. This number is comparable to the time taken by Summit County Domestic Relations Court personnel to transcribe hearings from audio recordings. Courtsmart Al, the system utilized by the Court, is processing rough drafts transcripts from recordings at 20% of hearing time (a one-hour hearing would take Courtsmart AI approximately 12 minutes to generate a rough draft).

 While these changes benefit everyone involved in the justice process, self-represented litigants receive the greatest benefit. Pro Se litigants often don’t understand the judicial process and why it takes so long to issue decisions. The Court can reduce the time needed for judicial officers to prepare decisions on sensitive family matters when the use of AI Transcription is deployed.

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For additional comments, questions or interviews please contact:

Paul M. Henry

phenry@drcourt.org

330-643-7845

News 5 Cleveland featured an article about the Children’s Drop-In Center at the Summit County Domestic Relations Court. The article can be located at this link: https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/summit-county-courthouse-has-a-safe-space-for-kids-during-domestic-relations-court-hearings