Aug. 20, 2009
Law & Leadership Board Names Officers
Four additional officers have been elected to the board of directors of a statewide program that identifies promising youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods and grooms them to be future leaders in the legal profession.
The Law & Leadership Institute was formed last year as a pilot project to improve diversity in the legal profession. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of Ohio and Ohio State Bar Association announced an expansion of the program to four additional Ohio cities this summer.
An 11-member governing board (full membership listed below) was established to guide the program, and at
its formative meeting June 22, Carl Smallwood was elected president. Joining Smallwood on the leadership team are Hugh McKay as vice president, Gary Leppla as convener and development committee chair, Geoffrey Mearns as treasurer and finance committee chair and Lisa Eschleman as secretary and program committee chair.
Cleveland attorney McKay practices with Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur. Dayton attorney Leppla serves as immediate past president of the Ohio State Bar Association. Cleveland attorney Mearns serves as dean of Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Columbus attorney Eschleman serves as chair of the Ohio Environmental Review Appeals Commission.
This summer’s five-week Law and Leadership program concluded earlier this month in Akron, Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo, which joined last year’s original sites in Columbus and Cleveland. About 140 students were involved in the program overall. The Supreme Court serves as one of the program’s sponsors.
As part of their curriculum, the students learned about criminal and civil law; took field trips to private law firms, government offices and courthouses where lawyers and judges work; and heard speakers from all levels of the judicial system Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, they were tested on their knowledge. Each site held a mock trial and awards dinner at the completion of the program.
Additional partners for the 2009 summer institute included the Ohio State Bar Association, the Ohio Center for Law Related Education, the Ohio State Bar Foundation, Ohio’s metropolitan bar associations, city school districts and Ohio’s nine law schools: the University of Akron School of Law, Capital University Law School, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, the University of Cincinnati College of Law, Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, the University of Dayton School of Law, Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and the University of Toledo College of Law.
The Kettering Foundation has loaned its general counsel, Maxine Thomas, for two years to serve as executive director of the program.
The institute’s primary purpose is to prepare class members to compete at high academic levels via intense legal and educational programming. The hope is that students use the program as a tool to foster vision, develop leadership skills, realize confidence and cultivate a passion to pursue higher education and a legal career.
The program, class materials, transportation and lunches are provided for free. Students earn incentives up to $200 for completing the program.
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.
Members of the Governing Board of the Law & Leadership Institute
Gary J. Leppla, Esq., Leppla Associates, Dayton
(Supreme Court designee; initial term expires April 30, 2013)
Steve Jemison, Esq., Chief Legal Officer, Proctor & Gamble, Cincinnati
(At-large member; initial term expires April 30, 2011)
Hugh McKay, Esq., Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur, Cleveland
(At-large member; initial term expires April 30, 2010)
Geoffrey Mearns, Dean, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland
(At-large member; initial term expires April 30, 2012)
Carl Smallwood, Esq., Vorys Sater Seymour & Pease, Columbus
(OSBA designee; initial term expires April 30, 2012)
Lori Urogdy Eiler, Social Studies Teacher, (East Cleveland) Shaw High School Leadership Academy, Moreland Hills
(OCLRE designee; initial term expires April 30, 2010)
Donnie Long, Executive Director, Akron Bar Association, Akron
(At-large member; initial term expires April 30, 2010)
Yolanda D. Gwinn, Law Clerk, U.S. Magistrate’s Office, Toledo
(At-large member; initial term expires April 30, 2012)
Honorable Jeffrey S. Sutton, Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals Sixth Circuit, Columbus
(At-large member; initial term expires April 30, 2010)
Lisa L. Eschleman, Commissioner, Ohio Environmental Review Appeals Commission, Columbus
(OSBF designee; initial term expires April 30, 2011)