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COLUMN FROM THE PRESIDENT

And the reason I can’t is because I usually One of the things that I was asked for almost 50 years. It’s not going to change.”
have to wait until I feel the room. That’s just the about in anticipation of my presidency, Part of the strategy in that was coming to
trial lawyer in me, I suppose. And so, I wait to as all presidents are, is, “What’s your the Bar Association. The Power of One began
feel the room. But just when I thought that I theme?” And so, to understand the theme, with a thought and a desire to make change.
had them agreed that I could just get up here The Power of One, you really have to But I was just that: one person, at that time,
and talk, Becky came to the office yesterday, understand my history with the Bar. trying to move a mountain. Yet, when I was
and she told me a little bit about Marlon’s My beginnings with the Bar, I was in my able to bring my idea to the Bar Association,
preparation. And Marlon had been ready, and late 20s. I was a rather new lawyer, and I got they not only entertained it, they not only
he was prepared, and Marlon had rehearsed. involved with the grievance committee. I accepted it, but they embraced it, and they
And I started to get that little feeling in my was asked to serve as trial counsel. And I embraced me at the time.
stomach that maybe I should do the same. really loved that role, because when I first The CMBA passed a resolution that I was
So, I went home last night, and I went in walked into the committee, I immediately able to take to the Chief Justice at the time to
my office, and I worked on my speech. And I felt the sense that I was surrounded by other say that this is not one lawyer any longer that
have to tell you, this might have been the first lawyers who truly loved this profession, they wants this changed. This is over 5,000 lawyers.
time in my career that I’ve done this. So, it was cherished it, and they protect it as I do. I knew And from there, once the CMBA was known
a strange feeling, but I was going to get it done. there was a sense of comfort amongst those to support this, it caught. And it caught across
And when I was done, I thought it was pretty lawyers in that part of the bar. the state and other bar associations. And
good. I thought so. I was ready to bring it in. And I fondly recall appearing before many of you are in here and remember the
And my wife, Jamie, who’s sitting the Ohio Supreme Court for the first time, discussions that I had with you asking for your
here, also with my daughter, Madeline, and I was asking for a remedy against support, and you came on board.
accompanying Gabriel, I said, “Jamie, can I misconduct that I felt would have tarnished And this component of that effort, which
go over the speech with you?” our great profession. was massive, made it very unpopular to get in
And she said, “Of course.” When I was towards the end of that front of. That’s the power of what can happen
So, I did. We went over it, and we kind of participation within that committee, I came to when one lawyer can come to the power of the
timed it and so forth. And she had a smile on realize the difference between a good lawyer Bar Association. And with that, we were able
her face, so I knew I was hitting the mark. and a great lawyer. There are a lot of good to move a mountain at that time. That’s why I
And when I was done, I said, “So what did lawyers out there. We all know them. There love this Bar Association, and that’s where this
you think?” are good trial lawyers. There’s good business power lies, is in that one lawyer that’s in here
She looked at me square in the eyes, and lawyers. There are good businesspeople. But who wants to bring that idea, who sees there’s
she said, “That was pathetic.” what sets them apart from a great lawyer? something in this profession that we have to
And I said, “Are you kidding me?” Great lawyers are those that want to give change, that you want to change. And that’s
And she said, “Ian, you trying to put a their time not because they have to, but what this Bar Association is about.
speech together is the most ludicrous notion because they want to. They want to make sure You’ve seen the video of some of the lawyers
that there is. Go to bed.” that the profession is kept at its highest level. that were up here. That, to me, represents The
So, the alarm went off this morning at It deserves the highest regard, this profession Power of One. These were individuals who
6:00 in the morning. I started to get out of that we have chosen. A great lawyer wants to changed the landscape of not just the law,
bed, and she said, “Are you getting up early make sure that we leave this profession to the but of life for so many people that they would
to write your speech?” new lawyers, to the future lawyers, better than never even know the name or the face of.
And I said, “Yes, I am.” how we found it. And that, to me, defined On your tables, you see the names of people
She said, “Set it for 7:00.” what a great lawyer was and is. And that’s what that we call “game changers.” These are people
And I went back to bed. I said, “Are attracted me to the CMBA. on the more local level, the regional Northeast
you sure?” As Justice Donnelly spoke for a moment Ohio levels, that many of you have nominated
She said, “Yeah.” ago, about the Rule 16 initiative, the open to put on the tables to recognize as people who
And so, I went back to bed. discovery, that came about in approximately really changed the landscape here. They made
The alarm went off at 7:00. I looked at her, 2005. I was being groomed to take over it better to practice. They made it better to live
and she said, “Now you can get up.” the presidency of the Ohio Association of in this region.
So, I went up, and I did what I do. Criminal Defense Lawyers. And, you know, And I started to think a little bit more.
And I present to Becky for publication, I as a criminal defense practitioner, I was And if you walk into one of the boardrooms
suppose into the Journal, what I wrote, but horrified by the fact that you could get into a where we do a lot of the business within the
it ain’t going to sound anything like what I’m car accident in a civil case, find out everything, Bar Association, what you will see are all
going to say. So... the witness statements, where everyone lived, the composites of all of the presidents since
I have wanted to be a lawyer since I was a and so forth. But if you were charged with the inception of the two bars, the Cleveland
little boy. And being here is such a great honor. a serious crime where your liberty was in Bar Association and the Cuyahoga Bar
There are no words that I can describe it to be. jeopardy, you knew nothing about the case. Association. I must have walked past those
Presidents before me can understand it. I don’t And I had approached a number of veteran composites literally hundreds of times. I knew
have the words to give to it. I am truly honored lawyers that I respected, and they said, “Look, the people to the right side, but I’ve walked
and I am humbled. Ian.” They said, “We’ve been talking about this past the left side so many times, just seeing the

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