Case Western Reserve University School of Law recently received two $50,000 grants from the Ohio State Bar Foundation (OSBF) through its Racial Justice Initiative. The OSBF initiative supports projects that identify, address and challenge systemic racism, which impedes the pursuit of justice and public understanding of the rule of law for historically marginalized communities of color in Ohio.
Under the direction of Ayesha Bell Hardaway, associate professor of law and director of the law’s school’s Social Justice Law Center, the grants will support the following:
- The Criminal Sentencing Project. This project will seek to illuminate inequities for Black and brown individuals who have undergone criminal sentencing in Cuyahoga County between 2015–2021. The goal is to promote positive change in racial equity in the actions of judges.
- Racial Justice Fellowships. These CWRU School of Law fellowships will provide opportunities for law students to work with nonprofit organizations serving marginalized populations and promoting racial justice. This program will benefit community partners that do not have the resources to provide paid internships, while providing valuable work experience to the law students.
“I am extremely grateful to the Ohio State Bar Foundation for their generous support of the Social Justice Law Center,” said Hardaway. “We understand that providing the next generation of lawyers with meaningful experiences and training in the realm of racial justice is critically important. That work cannot be done without the financial support of organizations like OSBF.”