CONTACT:  Kenneth A. Brown, OSBA, 800-282-6556 or 614-487-4426

Columbus, OHIO (July 16, 2009) – Canton attorney and Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) member William W. Emley is tackling the home foreclosure issue in his community. Emley is one of the more than 1,300 attorneys who have volunteered their legal services free of charge for “Save the Dream,” a statewide foreclosure assistance program that connects qualified homeowners with lawyers.

“Homeowners are getting notification of foreclosure and they have no idea what to do or where to turn,” Emley said. “It has been rewarding to help them get the legal advice they need and to assure them someone is in their corner.”

Emley is an attorney with Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs in Canton and he lives in Bolivar. As a “Save the Dream” volunteer, he works with Southeastern Ohio Legal Services’ New Philadelphia office and Community Legal Aid Services in Akron to help residents in Stark and Tuscarawas counties who face foreclosure. More than 13,000 Ohioans have received housing counseling and legal assistance since the “Save the Dream” effort began on April 1, 2008.

OSBA President Barbara J. Howard praised Emley, and other attorneys like him, who have stepped forward to assist homeowners. “The attorneys who take part in ‘Save the Dream’ are truly inspiring in their dedication to helping those in their communities who face foreclosure,” Howard said. “Their commitment should serve as a spark to other attorneys to join in the efforts.”

 “Save the Dream” is supported by the OSBA, the Governor’s Office, the Ohio Department of Development, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Ohio Treasurer’s Office, the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Ohio Department of Commerce, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, various legal aid organizations, and housing counseling agencies.   

Ohioans seeking assistance are encouraged to call the Save the Dream hotline at 1-888-404-4674. Attorneys interested in becoming involved should go to the member pages of the OSBA Web site, www.ohiobar.org, and click on “Foreclosure,” or call member services at 1-800-232-7124.

The Ohio State Bar Association, founded in 1880, is a voluntary association representing approximately 25,000 members of the bench and bar of Ohio as well as nearly 4,000 legal assistants and law students. Through its activities and the activities of its related organizations, the OSBA serves both its members and the public by promoting the highest standards in the practice of law and the administration of justice.

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