Thomas Mlakar

Thomas Mlakar '92 for Public Service given to an alumna/us whose public interest career exemplifies a commitment to promote and provide access to the legal system. Examples of public interest organizations include, but are not limited to, legal aid, legal services, civil liberties, pro bono representation, or volunteer lawyer projects.

Tom Mlakar has worked as an attorney with The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland since graduating from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1992. He has held numerous positions at Cleveland Legal Aid and has broad experience in serving the needs of low-income communities, including individual representation, impact litigation, and development of a regional intake and advice system.

In addition to this broad range of legal experience, Mlakar also has served in a number of leadership positions at Cleveland Legal Aid, as well as the Ohio and national legal services communities. He serves on the National Legal Aid and Defender Association Board of Directors and civil policy group and chairs the recruitment and retention subcommittee. He strives to be an ambassador for legal services in the community, for example, by his past work as a trustee of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.

Mlakar earned his undergraduate degree in liberal arts from The Ohio State University while with minoring in Russian and business. He earned his law degree from The Moritz College of Law in 1992.