WHAT IS A FELLOW?
A Fellow is a member of the Foundation – an attorney who gives their time, talent and treasure to build a better justice system through community service efforts and monetary donations to the Foundation.
To make soliciting nominations easier than ever, we've created an OSBF Fellows Program One-Sheet. We also encourage you to share the video below with your networks and any prospective nominees.
HOW DO I BECOME A FELLOW?
Fellows must be nominated; however, self-nominations are welcome. All nominations are due by January 14th and are reviewed by the Membership Committee – final approval is required by the Board of Trustees.
If you are a current Fellow and would like to nominate someone to become a Fellow, use the button below.
If you are interested in becoming a fellow, you are welcome to self-nominate using the button below.
Have you been nominated to be a Fellow? Fill out your Fellow Application using the button below.
IF I'M A FELLOW, WHAT IS REQUIRED OF ME?
Your Fellows' experience is designed by you, as a class. Throughout your first year, you'll be invited to meetings with other Fellows to network, learn more about the Foundation and occasionally roll up our sleeves and do some community service. In the past, we've packed boxes at the Mid-Ohio Food Bank; conducted practice job interviews for students in the Law & Leadership Institute and we've helped prepare students for mock trial competitions.
We have a variety of programs designed to help you take the law to young adults in a fun, interactive, easy-to-teach programs like Constitution Classroom, B4USend and FWD@18 – each one can be co-taught with our program consultant, another Fellow or you can present them on your own.
The 2022 OSBF Fellows Class focused on the needs of the LGBTQ+ community for the Fellows Week of Service, culminating in the OSBF Unity Summit: LGBTQ+ Education, Law and Policy. The Unity Summit brought together attorneys, social workers, educators, and other members of the public to hear from LGBTQ+ community voices and discuss LGBTQ+ legal issues.
Because we are a grantmaking organization, there is a fundraising component to our Fellows program. As a Fellow, you are committing to an initial pledge of $2,500 – your individualized pledge agreement can range from a one-time, single payment to 10 payments over a 10-year period.
WHAT MAKES THE FOUNDATION DIFFERENT?
100% of all donations support our grantmaking to programs and projects throughout Ohio that align with our mission to promote the pursuit of justice and the public understanding of the rule of law.
CRITERIA
A nomination by another Fellow is the most common path to nomination, but we do welcome self-nominations. All nominations are due by January 14. Eligible candidates must:
- be admitted to the Bar of the State of Ohio, and have served from the time of their admission to the bar for a period of at least three (3) years, and have established their professional and public service reputation.
- be in good standing with the Supreme Court of Ohio and not subject to current or pending disciplinary action or proceeding.
- be members of the Ohio State Bar Association or become a member of the OSBA prior to becoming a Fellow.
These Ohio State Bar Foundation Fellows believe our democracy works better when people understand the law and have fair and equal access to justice. We'd like to thank them for their commitment to the Foundation.