John Petit Death – The Canton office’s managing attorney, John Petit, was a friend and colleague of Community Legal Aid.
John’s profession and life were devoted to assisting others before he was announced dead by the organization.
Before becoming a staff attorney at Community Legal Aid in 2006, he worked as an attorney for several child support agencies, as an assistant prosecutor, in private practice, and (right before joining legal aid) as a lawyer with the Jesuits of Michigan and Ohio, where he helped clients who were homeless and low-income.
In 2007, John was promoted to the position of Supervising Attorney of the HelpLine, where he oversaw the Community Legal Aid intake process, due to his extensive legal knowledge and expertise in a variety of sectors and his shown legal abilities.
He received another promotion in 2009, this time to Managing Attorney for the Family Law Team. He would expand his responsibilities to include managing the teams for housing law and consumer law during the course of the following two years.
John forged remarkable and lasting connections with numerous leaders and partners across the eight-county service area served by Community Legal Aid during this time. Among his many collaborations, John had a particular place in his heart for his work with the Stark County Fatherhood Coalition.
The numerous young lawyers and paralegals who John educated and supervised, both inside Community Legal Aid and more generally around the state and region, will carry on his legacy in addition to the thousands of people he assisted.
John once remarked, “If we don’t help them, nobody will,” in reference to the clients of Community Legal Aid. You are grateful that you can make a significant difference and feel a sense of obligation.
In recognition of John’s significant influence on the organization’s employees, customers, and community, Community Legal Aid’s Board of Trustees named the Canton office the John M. Petit Legal Advocacy Center on December 4, 2024.