About Us

Toledo Legal Aid Society

The Toledo Legal Aid Society was established in 1953 to provide legal services to indigent persons in Lucas County, Ohio.  Today, the Toledo Legal Aid Society represents adults and juveniles that are charged with criminal, traffic, and delinquency offenses that could result in a loss of freedom.  Cases are assigned to Assistant Public Defenders working with the Toledo Legal Aid Society in the General Division and Juvenile Division of the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas.  In addition, our office represents individuals in Toledo Municipal Court, Sylvania Municipal Court, Maumee Municipal Court, and Oregon Municipal Court.  At present, the 65 member staff includes attorneys, administrative staff, case managers, and support staff.

Felony Division

The Felony Division attorneys, by assignment of the court, represent indigent persons in Lucas County that are charged with felony offenses.  The felony attorneys represent clients at first appearance, pretrials, trials, probation violation hearings, extradition hearings, suppression hearings, competency hearings, and other matters that come before the court.  The Felony Division attorneys are assigned to roughly one-third of the indigent clients in the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas.  The remaining indigent defendants with felony offenses are provided counsel by attorneys on a court appointment list.

Juvenile Division

The Juvenile Division attorneys represent juveniles that have been charged with delinquency and unruly matters.  The juvenile attorneys represent clients at detention hearings, pretrials, trials, probation violation hearings, suppression hearings, post-mediation hearings, and at other court events.

Municipal Division

The Municipal Division represents indigent defendants that are charged with misdemeanor criminal and traffic offenses, other than minor misdemeanors, for which the penalty includes the potential loss of liberty.  In addition, the Municipal Division represents indigent defendants that are charged with felony offenses from first appearance through preliminary hearing.  Municipal Division attorneys represent clients at arraignment, pretrial, trial, suppression hearings, competency hearings, and other matters that come before the court.  The Municipal Division attorneys represent nearly all indigent persons that are assigned counsel in Toledo Municipal Court, Sylvania Municipal Court, Maumee Municipal Court, and Oregon Municipal Court.