Executive Director: Steven McGarrity

Steven McGarrity was selected as the Executive Director of Community Legal Aid Services in February 2017 by the Board of Trustees.

Steven has over 25 years of legal experience with Legal Aid. He began with the organization as a staff attorney in Canton, Ohio in 1997, focusing his practice on family law and consumer debt. In his time with Legal Aid, he has held various management positions, including nine years’ as Associate Director, where he oversaw all client services, outreach, and technology.

Steven has presented nationally on innovative approaches to delivering legal services using technology, and on measuring the long-term impact of legal aid in the lives of individuals served. He currently serves on the advisory committee of OhioLegalHelp.org, an online legal resource tool for Ohioans.

Steven serves on the Board of Managers for the Ohio Poverty Law Center and the Board of Directors of the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation. He also serves as a member of the Akron Summit Community Action Board of Directors and is a member of Class 37 of Leadership Akron.

A California native, Steven graduated from California State University, Northridge, with a degree in political science in 1992. He went on to earn his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1996. In 2015, he was named a Where Health Meets Justice fellow through the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership.

Currently, Steven resides in Warren with his wife and two children. He is an active member of his church and the community in both Akron and Warren, having served as Chair of the Greek Festival in Akron, as well as President of the St. Demetrios Orthodox Church Parish Council in Warren.