Legal Aid award honors CH resident Bailes

Ashley Bailes, of Cleveland Heights, received the 2021 Access to Justice Award from The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland awarded Ashley Bailes, a Cleveland Heights resident, its 2021 Access to Justice Award.

The award was presented at the society’s livestreamed annual meeting, on Dec. 9. It is bestowed annually to recognize significant contributions to advancing the mission of the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland through pro bono commitment.

Bailes is an associate in the lltigation group at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, where she focuses on complex civil litigation in state and federal courts. She felt compelled to begin volunteering with The Legal Aid Society during the pandemic, when she recognized that people with low incomes were losing their homes and struggling disproportionately.

Bailes began volunteering with Legal Aid on a complicated eviction case. She logged more than 100 volunteer hours in 2021, and made an enormous impact for her client.

Additional information about Bailes and other award recipients is available on Legal Aid's website: https://lasclev.org/2021volunteerawards/.