Announcement

We are proud to announce that Jenifer L. Wilhelm will be taking a position as a Hearing Officer in the Support Enforcement Division of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.  We wish her well as she returns to a career in the service of children and families.

Messages from OSBA President Gary J. Leppla: Help is here

The OSBA is committed to helping the legal profession during trying economic times
There is no doubt that you are each observing, and often personally experiencing, the impact of the current financial crisis. It is apparent in your hometowns and it is all over the news. You see it in your own finances. You hear it from your clients. The economic downturn has affected nearly every facet of American life. Surviving the economic crisis will not just be a challenge to government or big business. It will require all of us doing our part.

Because the Ohio State Bar Association has always pledged to be indispensable to the lawyers of Ohio, we are aggressively seeking opportunities to help you during these trying economic times. We are examining ways that we can assist you in your practice and will be announcing concrete plans in the coming weeks. Watch our Web site and the green book for updates.

We have a Member Service Advisory Panel that is examining the recommendations of our recent Future of the Legal Profession Report. This panel also met last week to begin developing strategies to help you—and to help you help your clients—weather this economic storm.

The leadership and staff of your state bar association continue their commitment to being indispensable to you in your practice in good times and in bad.

Kudos to the Court

OSBA supports efforts to strengthen the public's trust and confidence in our legal system
Americans expect their judges to be fair and impartial, and they expect to have access to justice through the courts. The Ohio State Bar Association has long been concerned about the public’s perception that campaign contributions influence judicial decisions. Over the years, very large sums of money have been spent to secure election to judicial office, especially at the state Supreme Court level. While it is our belief that most judges are able to separate their judicial decision making from any influence of campaign contributions, we are respectful of the need to ensure the public’s trust and confidence in the judicial system.

This week, the Supreme Court of the United States granted certiorari in the case of Caperton v. Massey, agreeing to consider under what circumstances judges should remove themselves from hearing and deciding cases before them. This is an important step toward bolstering public confidence in our legal system.

H. Thomas Wells Jr., president of the American Bar Association, issued the statement commending the U.S. Supreme Court for agreeing to hear the case. ABA President Wells said:

“There are crucial issues that beg for resolution, and it is critical that our highest court offer guidance to the judiciary while reassuring the public of our legal system's trustworthy stewardship and integrity. Although it is the responsibility of judges to try cases and to set aside their own personal proclivities in the interest of serving the law, service to the law at times may require even the most diligent and impartial judges to disqualify themselves to preserve public belief in an impartial and accountable judiciary. This case offers an opportunity for the Supreme Court to help define the factors that should guide judges in deciding when, in the interest of justice, they should rule, and when they should step aside.”

The Ohio State Bar Association applauds the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear the Caperton case, to examine under which circumstance judges should remove themselves from hearing and deciding cases before them, and to define the factors that should guide judges in making those decisions. We join ABA President Wells in supporting these efforts to strengthen the public’s trust and confidence in our legal system.

Membership is indispensable

Why do you belong to the OSBA?
Perhaps it is a bit old-fashioned for a lawyer to actually enjoy a high level of client contact. Yet we all know we became lawyers to help clients resolve their problems. Similarly, is it old-fashioned to enjoy the camaraderie experienced in bar association activities?

In other respects, we are also “Renaissance Lawyers,” because we embrace technology as it helps us do our work as lawyers in a more efficient and immediate manner. The tools available to us through the state bar association help us stay involved with colleagues across the state and keep us on top of our game. I personally know I am a better lawyer because of my membership in the Ohio State Bar Association.

One reason we belong to the Ohio State Bar Association is because it is essential to our practice. Casemaker puts online legal research at our fingertips 24/7 at no cost beyond the basic membership dues. The Ohio State Bar Association Report contains new cases that arrive on our desks each week—and in our e-mail inbox even sooner. The OSBA provides us with the widest range of top-notch CLE programs we can enjoy in the company of other lawyers in person, through Webcasts or online at our convenience. The OSBA Web site has a wealth of information that benefits our clients and the public. Professional liability coverage and other insurance products are available just for the asking. Involvement in committees and sections gives us access to the best and brightest in every practice area in Ohio.

The OSBA is also a place where each of us feels like we belong—we are all welcomed, respected and supported by colleagues and staff alike. I belong to the OSBA because its services support me in my work as a lawyer, and because of people like you. I belong because I want to identify with all of you, as members of a remarkable helping profession, joined together by our one common vehicle, the OSBA. Lawyers from every size community and practice setting find their common purposes and outlets through this bar. It binds us together in the great state of Ohio.

It is an honor to serve as your president, and to share leadership responsibilities with a remarkable group of professionals from every practice area and from all corners of this great state.

Why do we belong to the OSBA? Because the benefits are countless, the value is tremendous and OSBA membership is indispensable to our practices. I hope you agree and you will continue your OSBA membership. It is renewal time, and you can either call us at (800)232-7124 or go to the Web site at www.ohiobar.org/dues to renew your membership today.