Ohio attorneys are being asked to take part in a statewide effort to learn more about the legal services they donate to people in need.

A survey distributed yesterday is crucial to understanding pro bono needs and identifying gaps in the delivery of legal services across the state. The survey, coordinated by the Supreme Court of Ohio and Ohio Access to Justice Foundation, invites attorneys to anonymously share how much time they spent providing pro bono legal work in 2025, what types of cases they handled, and their financial contributions to charitable legal aid organizations. Emails sent to the nearly 44,000 attorneys registered as active in the state contain a link to the survey.

The survey takes roughly 10 minutes to complete, with a deadline of March 13, 2026.

Attorneys can streamline the process by compiling their pro bono hours before taking the survey. For attorneys who work at law firms, one representative can report on behalf of all firm attorneys. 

New this year, the survey asks whether attorneys have used Pro Bono Ohio, a one-stop shop to find opportunities for volunteering their legal expertise.

Ohio attorneys who responded to last year’s survey reported contributing more than 86,000 hours of pro bono work in 2024 with a value of more than $21 million.

Nationally, one in five low-income households in the United States experience a civil legal problem each year – most commonly involving housing, education, health care, or consumer issues. About 92% of those households don’t receive adequate or any legal help, according to research from the Legal Services Corporation.