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BarJournal FEATuRE

JULY/AUGUST 2015
ExTra cMBa Legal Legacy

Project Series

BY JOHN B. LEWIS & MARLON A. PRIMES

ometimes we don’t fully appreciate to public financing solutions used for the Rock residents to weather the dark days of the Great
our history until we see it in print. & Roll Hall of Fame, Progressive Field, and Depression and in 2018 assisted over 18,000
Cleveland attorneys, law firms and Quicken Loans Arena — to name only a few. low-income clients in 7,700 cases.
legal organizations have had a long Another historic Cleveland firm, Thompson Finally, the Norman S. Minor Bar Association,
Sand noble heritage with commitments Hine, had its origin in 1893 when Amos Burt founded in 1980, is the largest organization
not only to the development of the law but to (A.B.) Thompson opened a commercial law in Ohio providing support for the work of
public institutions and the community at large. practice on Public Square. One of the catalysts for African-American lawyers and students. The
We would not have understood that legacy Thompson Hine’s future growth was its founders’ Bar Association was named in honor of a well-
if this project had not inspired us to dig into it. ability to recognize opportunity as new laws known Cleveland African-American criminal
And, with the help of dedicated authors and were enacted. When the Bankruptcy Act of 1898 trial attorney, Norman Selby Minor. Minor, who
the CMBA’s staff, the project gained traction. became law, Thompson seized the opportunity died in 1968, prosecuted more than 5,000 felony
Now, we can all read the articles and marvel at to create a bankruptcy practice that attracted key cases as Assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor
what members of the bar, law firms and legal clients as well as seats on several corporate boards. where he became a mentor to Black attorneys and
associations have accomplished over the last But legal ingenuity wasn’t the firm’s only asset. As eventually an esteemed criminal defense counsel.
almost 130 years. Much of what Cleveland with other firms detailed in the Legacy series, The threads that bind all the Legal Legacy
is today was first envisioned and guided to firm partner Walter L. Flory played a role in the articles is the dedication of the lawyers, firms
completion by Cleveland attorneys and their creation of the Citizens League of Cleveland as and organizations not only to the practice
firms. And, the Bar associations fostered well as the Cleveland Planning Commission. of law but also to the City of Cleveland, its
professionalism and took steps to ensure that Founded in 1916, Baker & Hostetler also was community and diversity in its broadest sense.
all attorneys could play a role in the law. The a multifaceted trendsetter in the law and public
selected Legacy articles summarized below service. Newton D. Baker was recruited away
aptly illustrate these points. But they are only from the firm two months after it began to be John B. Lewis is a partner with
a representative sample of many others in Secretary of War under President Woodrow BakerHostetler who concentrates
this Project. And, the Legacy Project Series, Wilson. And, Baker later testified at Louis his practice on the resolution of
of course, could not capture the outstanding Brandies’ confirmation hearing as the first Jewish complex employment, labor and
work and vision of all the lawyers, firms and Justice on the Supreme Court. Despite the anti- regulatory disputes, including the
legal organizations that have contributed to Semitism of the time, Brandies was confirmed. As defense and oversight of class action litigation
Cleveland’s remarkable growth. legal counsel for The Plain Dealer and Cleveland and appellate practice. He is the Chair of the Legal
Press for generations, the firm became an Legacy Project. He has been a CMBA member
The Legacy Articles advocate and defender of free speech and open since 1981. He can be reached at (216) 861-7496.
From a historical perspective, the articles begin access to government for all citizens of Cleveland.
in 1890 with Squire Sanders & Dempsey (now Paul Walter, the son of German immigrants,
Squire Patton Boggs) and its early involvement not only was a founder of Walter Haverfield Marlon A. Primes has been a CMBA
in addressing the issues of race and poverty in but also formed the Cleveland Municipal Light member since 1993. He previously
Cleveland as well as providing support for the Plant Association in 1937, which saved the served as: a member of the Board of
Legal Aid Society for over 50 years. public electric plant. He also joined the then Trustees, the Chair of the Litigation
Viewed from a practice perspective, a pivotal Cleveland Transit Commission to push for Section, the Chair of the 3Rs
historic event for the firm was the development Cleveland’s takeover of the privately-owned Committee, and the Chair of the Justice for All
of its public finance practice. Lead by Robert transit system. All these actions benefitted the Committee. Marlon has worked as an Assistant U.S.
Denison in 1920 with the publication of a city and its residents. Attorney in Cleveland for the past 26 years. He received
text on municipal bonds in Ohio, the firm But, the articles don’t only focus on law his law degree from Georgetown University Law
created techniques to permit state and local firms. They highlight the beneficial impact of Center and his undergraduate degree from Ohio
governments to finance construction of The Legal Aid Society which was founded in University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. He
infrastructure and public facilities in the post- 1905 to serve the legal needs of the Cleveland can be reached at (216) 622-3684 or Marlon.Primes@
World War II era. This practice eventually led community. The Society helped Cleveland usdoj.gov. Follow him on Twitter @MPrimesCMBA.
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