Moritz Programs, Staff Honored with Outreach and Engagement Awards

Each year, The Ohio State University Outreach and Engagement Awards honor faculty, staff, and students for outstanding achievement in producing engaged scholarship and community impact. Moritz College of Law was well-represented in this year’s recognition, and the awardees demonstrate a commitment to impactful study and service.  

Two programs housed at Moritz College of Law were certified as Programs of Excellence in Engaged Scholarship. The certification process identifies projects that demonstrateexcellence in community-engaged scholarship and meet the criteria of high-impact engaged scholarship. 

• Opportunity Port is a digital platform that connects Ohioans with criminal records with free legal help to complete record sealing and expungement applications. Record sealing and expungement has been shown to reduce barriers to jobs, housing and other resources for those with criminal records, but the application process can be complex and time consuming. After completing a brief survey, eligible applicants work with an attorney to complete an application at no cost to them. A recent evaluation funded by a grant from the Office of Outreach and Engagement showed that providing limited, low‑cost legal help—like DEPC's Opportunity Port—is an effective way to help people overcome barriers to successfully seal or expunge their criminal record. 

• The JusticeTech Program brings together law, technology, and community partners to explore new ways of addressing access-to-justice challenges. In partnership with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) and the Institute for Cybersecurity and Digital Trust (ICDT), the program seeks to develop free, ethical legal tools and design solutions for real legal issues. Recently, students in the program developed Better Said: Tenant Request Tool.  

Two Moritz community members also received individual recognition: 

• Hannah Miller, project manager for the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center (DEPC), won the Community Engaged Practitioner Award. This honor recognizes staff members who develop, coordinate, and sustain projects involving Ohio State and community partners that enhance community impacts. Miller is the driving force behind Opportunity Port, and under her leadership and management, it has grown from a county-level effort into a statewide resource that serves people throughout Ohio.  

• The Community Engaged Scholar Award recognizes faculty members whose scholarship has positively impacted communities and contributed to Ohio State’s culture of engagement. Tasha Perdue is an affiliated faculty member of DEPC and an assistant professor at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. She is currently working on two federally-funded studies with DEPC and the National Institute for Justice (NIJ): one examines disparities in admittance to drug court, and the other seeks to understand overdose response involving children and families.