Three Volunteer of the Year awards were presented by our Pro Bono Project staff during Law Week recently.
Congratulations to:
Attorney Todd Evans, of North Canton, Stark County Pro Bono Attorney of the Year
Attorney Oliver Koo, of Ravenna, Portage County Pro Bono Attorney of the Year
Global Litigation & Legal Operations Department of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Summit County Pro Bono Attorneys of the Year
Attorney Evans was honored during the Stark County Bar Association’s Law Day Luncheon on April 29. Staff Attorney Marie Moore said he has provided legal services to our clients for more than a decade, often stepping up to take some of the more challenging cases. In 2025, he handled more than 15 divorce cases for our clients.
During the Portage County Bar Association Law Day event on May 1, Attorney Koo was honored by Managing Attorney Elsa Reale-Gottfried. She noted that he has volunteered with us for nearly a decade. In 2025 alone, he handled 17 cases, providing individual representation for low-income clients on bankruptcy, adoption, divorce, name changes, real estate and estate planning matters. He's also helped an average of 20-30 clients per month at the Portage County Debt Clinic, giving these individuals a defense to collection lawsuits and avoiding default judgments.
At the Akron Bar Association’s Law Day luncheon on April 29, we honored Goodyear’s legal team for the outstanding work resulting from their monthly online clinic. For more than six years, these attorneys have helped low-income individuals obtain jobs, housing and financial stability, assisting clients with record sealing and expungement and collection cases. The following attorneys were named in the honor: Paula Christ, Dane Taylor, Drew Odum, Elisabeth Haavisto, Scott Richardson, Chelsea Smith, Brandon Brown, Yee Au and Brendan Mohan. Support legal staff recognized were Chelsey Oyster, Jen White, Kristen Thompson, Stafford Shennet, Steve Carvaines, Victor Attadakwa, Chanda Porter and Daniel Ukiwe.
“We love honoring our Pro Bono Project attorneys and putting a spotlight on the impressive work they do for us,” Attorney Reale-Gottfrield said. “They make it possible for us to help the many clients we serve.”
The need for legal aid in our eight counties is great, and additional pro bono attorneys are always needed. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, click below.