Craig Burns spends his days as an attorney at Marshall Melhorn, helping businesses and nonprofits resolve their many legal issues. This past year though, he also took up the task of starting a charity. Craig’s wife, Tatyana, grew up in Ukraine, so shortly after the war broke out, Craig and his family took action to help. “We saw photos of devastated homes and refugees, we felt called to help the children, so we started forming the charity,” said Burns.

The charity they formed is called America Cares for Ukrainian Children (“AC4UC”). This is truly a family endeavor, as Craig serves as the treasurer, his wife Tatyana is the president, and his sister-in-law Olha in Ukraine is the volunteer in-country manager. AC4UC has no paid staff, and all efforts are done by the volunteer board and local Ukrainian volunteer residents.

As a grassroots organization, AC4UC works to mobilize ordinary Americans to help Ukrainian children. “Our organization will never have the reach of the large international organizations, so we’re trying to fill the gaps between their programs,” explained Burns. “We generally purchase goods in Uzhhorod because we can stretch our dollars farther, avoid the cost and delay of shipping, be responsive to local needs, and support struggling local businesses. We know where every dollar goes.”

When asked why he felt moved by this cause, Burns explained, “we needed to do something tangible to help the children affected by the war. We had a unique opportunity, because our Ukrainian family is in Uzhhorod, which is one of the safest areas in Ukraine. Uzhhorod is overflowing with refugees, nearly all women and children who were forced to leave their homes but were reluctant to leave their motherland. We have been focused on providing direct aid in and around Uzhhorod to children affected by the war. Some are refugees, some are orphans, some are children whose fathers have been on the front for months; many fit multiple categories. Whatever anyone’s views on geopolitics, those children are innocent, so we’re trying to make this war a little less horrible for them.”

If you would like to learn more about AC4UC and Craig’s efforts, you can visit their page at AC4UC.org.

This article was originally published in the December 2022 issue of the TBA news, Vol. 70, No. 4. 

Our Mission: Justice for All

America holds close the ideal of equal justice for all, but all too often, justice is out of reach for many of its most vulnerable citizens. Civil legal aid steps in to ensure that this promise is made a reality for the thousands of individuals and families who need representation in the justice system, but could not otherwise afford an attorney. By giving to the Justice for All Campaign, you can make justice a reality for individuals and families in northwest Ohio.
 

The Justice for All Campaign is a fundraising partnership among

• Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE)
• Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (LAWO) and
• The Toledo Bar Association (TBA) Pro Bono Legal Services Program.

As the sole providers of free civil legal aid to low-income residents of northwest Ohio, the Justice for All Campaign unites our fundraising efforts to ensure that vulnerable and disenfranchised members of our community have equal access to the legal system.

Each year, thousands of people in our community request legal help from LAWO, TBA Pro Bono, and ABLE. Through gifts from our friends and supporters in the Toledo legal community, we are able to provide life-changing assistance to victims of elder abuse, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, and many families living, working, and raising their children in poverty who struggle to meet their day-to-day needs of housing, food, healthcare, or education for their children. But even though we served so many, there are still more who need our help, and we ask that you support us again this year.
 

Members of Our Community Need Your Help

Your investment in the Justice for All Campaign gives hope to our clients and creates stability in the community as their legal problems are resolved. Options for supporting the work of ABLE, the TBA Pro Bono Legal Services Program, and LAWO are as varied as the programs and services we offer. Whatever your interest—helping children, preventing homelessness, providing safety, rebuilding neighborhoods, protecting civil rights, providing for veterans—there is opportunity within this campaign.

DONATE

Thank you to all who have given, every donation helps support our mission to provide Justice for All.
 

When you support the Justice for All Campaign, you contribute to equal justice under the law – something we all care about.

The Toledo Bar Association invites recent law school graduates who will have a license to practice law in Ohio by January 2023 to apply for the 2023 Fellowship Collaborative Program. 

The Fellowship Collaborative is a 12 month, post-graduate program where each fellow will have the opportunity to work part-time at the Toledo Legal Aid Society, and will also establish and open a private practice. This is an exciting opportunity for the Toledo Bar Association to partner with the Toledo Legal Aid Society to help young lawyers start and grow their practice here in Toledo.

Applications are open through October 17, 2022. 

Apply

About the Program

The Toledo Bar Association, in partnership with Toledo Legal Aid Society, and University of Toledo College of Law, has created a fellowship program for recent law school graduates. The organizations involved identified a critical need to help mentor, guide, and train recently admitted attorneys so that they have the tools and resources to practice law here in the Toledo area. The goal of this fellowship is to provide new lawyers with the support and guidance they require to successfully start their own practice, while also helping to provide access to justice to those in need in Toledo.

Learn More

The Toledo Bar Association is happy to announce and welcome Peggy Mattimoe Sturgeon as Bar Counsel.

Peggy comes from a family of lawyers following the footsteps of her father and grandfather. Her brothers John (Toledo) and James (Columbus) are also attorneys. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and Xavier University, where she majored in English and Economics, graduating Summa Cum Laude, Peggy began her legal career an associate in the Energy, Environment and Government Affairs Department of the Columbus firm of Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur. She then returned home to clerk for U.S. District Judges Hon. Nicholas J. Walinski, Hon. David D. Dowd, and Hon. David A. Katz. While she originally intended to return to Columbus after her clerkship, she decided she preferred practicing here and stayed to raise her family here. After leaving the court, she practiced predominantly employment law, first with Eastman & Smith and more recently with Liebenthal Levine Ltd. Early in her career, she discovered that she enjoys practicing law that involves helping people which is why her focus shifted to employment law. She has also practiced both education and immigration law.

Since becoming a Toledo lawyer, Peggy has remained active with the Toledo Bar Association, chairing several committees, including the Grievance Committee, and having served on the TBA Board of Trustees. Peggy has served on the Civil Justice Program Review Committee and has graded bar exams for several years. Outside of her work with the legal community, she is involved in several volunteer opportunities with her church and daughters’ schools. She is very active in the Aurora Project, a comprehensive housing and life skills program that empowers homeless women and their children to achieve self-sufficiency and independence by providing resources and learning opportunities in a supportive and safe environment.

Working alongside Hon. Mike Bonfiglio and Joe Dawson as a member of the Grievance Committee is what originally drew Peggy to the position. Under their leadership, she saw the importance of the role for the legal profession and greater Toledo community. She is looking forward to continuing the collaborative and proactive approach that Joe took with attorneys to prevent ethical issues by offering an “open door policy” to field questions and concerns attorneys might have.

Peggy resides in West Toledo with her husband, Dave of 23 years, her daughters, Tierney, Erin and Megan and two crazy Airedales, Quinn & Skylar.

Welcome to the TBA, Peggy!

Sarah K. Skow Sworn In as President of Toledo Bar Association

Attorney Sarah K. Skow was sworn in as 122nd President of the Toledo Bar Association for the 2022-2023 membership year on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

As partner of Spengler Nathanson, Sarah has a diverse trial and appellate practice, primarily in the areas of complex business litigation, professional malpractice defense, tort litigation, public entity defense, landlord/tenant, civil rights, and employment law. In 2002, Sarah became a graduate of The University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts degree, with distinction in English and Communications. Soon after, she enrolled in The University of Toledo College of Law, graduating cum laude in 2006. She was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 2006.

Sarah is very active in the Toledo community, serving our city as an Engage Toledo Ambassador. She is involved in a variety of boards that range from focusing on the arts and parks to various law-related organizations. She is deeply involved in the Toledo Bar Association Pro Bono Legal Services Program. Sarah is a Past President of the Toledo Jr. Bar Association, the Toledo Women’s Bar Association, and President of the Toledo Legal Aid Society-Public Defenders Board of Directors. Sarah took the oath of office from life-long mentor, Hon. Arlene Signer and formally assumed leadership duties for the Toledo Bar Association on July 1, 2022.

Other officers for 2022-2023 include:
1st Vice President, Cindy M. Kirby, Esq., Kirby & Kirby, Ltd.
2nd Vice President, Adam S. Nightingale, Esq., Eastman & Smith, Ltd.
Treasurer, Jeremiah P. O’Brien, Esq., LaValley, LaValley, Today & Schaefer Co., LPA
Secretary, Joseph K. Cole, Esq., Brouse McDowell, LPA

A complete listing of the Toledo Bar Association Board of Directors follows.

Service Awards Presented to Pariss M. Coleman II and Sean McNulty

The Toledo Bar Association also presented the following awards to members during the Annual Meeting held at the new Hilton Garden Inn, downtown Toledo.

The Community Service Award was presented to Pariss M. Coleman II, Senior Counsel at The Andersons, Inc., for his dedication to serve the community by sitting on many nonprofit boards. Most recently his involvement in Greater Toledo Community Foundation cannot go unnoticed. Since 1973, Greater Toledo Community Foundation has worked with individuals, families and businesses, assisting them in making effective choices that match their philanthropic interests and needs while creating a better community for generations to come. In addition to that of responsive grant maker, the Foundation plays a variety of other civic roles such as educator, catalyst or convener on key community issues and makes available the expertise of its professional staff to a wide range of community efforts. In the summer of 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, the Foundation launched an Equity & Access sub-committee which Pariss chairs. The goal of this committee is to provide equity and access to underserved communities by furnishing smaller nonprofits with the tools, knowledge and confidence to apply and compete for grants that larger nonprofits typically apply for. Through this initiative, the Foundation has provided 3 webinar training sessions for over 436 people. The initiative has proven to be a need and a success as $164,000 has been awarded to such organizations in the second round alone. Providing such education and insight for funding of nonprofits that will help the underserved is a true testament of his work and commitment to our community.

The recipient of the Trustees Award for outstanding service and involvement in the Toledo Bar Association and legal community is M. Sean McNulty, Chief Public Defender of the Toledo Legal Aid Society.

In 2018, he became an integral partner in the development, launch and continued success of the Fellowship Collaborative, a post-graduate program for recent law school graduates developed by the Toledo Bar Association, Toledo Legal Aid Society and The University of Toledo College of Law. The goal of this fellowship is to provide new lawyers with the support and guidance they require to successfully start their own practice, while also helping to provide access to justice to those in need in Toledo. Since its launch, Sean continues to work with TBA staff in the selection, training and ongoing mentorship of fellows participating in this 12 month program. This partnership allows the fellows to receive paying work by serving as a public defender while they work with the TBA and its volunteers on developing and launching their own private practices here in the Toledo Region. This approach is truly unique to bar association incubator programs throughout the country and ultimately helps strengthen the Toledo legal community.

In 2019, the TBA Pro Bono Program worked with Toledo Municipal Court to bring Driver’s License Clinics to the area. The amnesty program was designed to help low-income Ohioans regain their driving privileges after their licenses were suspended. Sean was one of many critical partners in these clinics by not only providing flow charts for the program but by also recruiting public defenders to give their time and share their knowledge on the law which ultimately helped nearly 750 Toledoans regain their driver’s licenses.

In addition to his work on the Fellowship Collaborative and the Pro Bono Program, he is an active participant in the TBA Diversity, Inclusion and Race Equity Committee. Sean’s energy and innovative ideas continues to motivate the student outreach sub-committee of DIRE to reach as many youth in the area at all levels of education.

Retired Judges Recognized

The TBA also honored the retirements of Hon. Arlene Singer and Hon. Connie M. Zemmelman. Their years of service and dedication to the Toledo community continues to be an inspiration as they both remain involved in the legal community.

Judge Arlene Singer was first elected to the Sixth District Court of Appeals in 2002, after serving 12 years on the Toledo Municipal Court bench. She also served as state legislator in the 117th Ohio General Assembly.

Judge Connie Zemmelman spent three years as Magistrate in Lucas County Probate Court before being appointed as a Lucas County Juvenile Court Judge by Governor Strickland in May 2007.

2022–2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Effective July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023
President:  Sarah K. Skow
First Vice President: Cindy M. Kirby
Second Vice President: Adam S. Nightingale
Secretary: Joseph K. Cole
Treasurer: Jeremiah P. O’Brien

Directors:
Mag. Carmille L. Akande
Dean D. Benjamin Barros
Timothy W. Effler
Valerie J. Fatica
Mag. Trevor N. Fernandes
Stevin J. Groth
Kayla L. Henderson
Evy M. Jarrett
Tammy G. Lavalette
Hon. Christine E. Mayle
Jeremy T. Rodriguez
Joseph W. Shinaver
Kyle A. Silvers
Carasusana B. Wall
Patricia A. Wise
Craig M. Witherell
Monica J.D. Yvonne

Hon. Myron C. Duhart – Past President

Bradley J. Lagusch – Executive Director, Toledo Bar Association and Toledo Bar Association Foundation

The Toledo Bar Association has gathered a list of local, seasoned attorneys and members of the Bar to offer guidance in certain areas of the law. If you’re stumped on a case or need to pick the brain of an attorney who practices in a specific area of law, we invite you to reach out to any of the attorneys on these ‘members only’ lists to gain more knowledge as you continue to grow in your practice. 

The protocol for the Lawyer-to-Lawyer Guidance Service should be as follows:

• The calling attorney should present the inquiry as a hypothetical – without names.

• The L2L panelists are only providing guidance and do not need to know more.

• L2L panelists need to remind callers of the need for anonymity.

• This protocol will comply with the duty of confidentiality owed to the client, and avoid conflict issues with the panelist’s clients.
   

If this protocol is followed, it should proceed as anticipated – just a call by one attorney to another that results in helpful guidance to the caller.
 

If the calling attorney wants to engage the L2L panelist as co-counsel, then it proceeds in that fashion – the panelist does a conflict check and the caller gets the client’s written consent to employ additional counsel. Assuming all agree on the engagement, retention follows the L2L panelist’s standard procedures – a written agreement, and a malpractice policy in place as maintained for the panelist’s practice.
 

ACCESS L2L
 

This page is password protected to help maintain confidentiality and its intended use is for TBA members only. 

Thank you for joining us for the 83rd Annual Joint Ceremony of the Toledo Bar Association, Lucas County Bar Association, Thurgood Marshall Law Association, Toledo Women’s Bar Association to pay tribute to the members of the Bar who have passed away during the last year. The Memorial Committee has released a pre-recorded video below. 

OPENING OF COURT
John A. Coble
    
INVOCATION
Reverend Robert Reinhart, retired Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help

READ BY
John A. Coble
Krys E. Beech
William G. Meyer
    
ADJOURNMENT
John A. Coble

IN MEMORIAM

Robert C. Treat, Jr.    
    Time:  0:03:44
    October 5, 1957 – July 6, 2021
    Admission to bar:  Jan. 24, 2015 (OH)
    Bonnie R. Rankin, Chair    
    
Ronald R. Henderson    
    Time:  0:05:58
    June 1, 1943 – July 28, 2021
    Admission to bar:  November 3, 1973
    William Bingle, Chair
    David F. Cooper
    Guy Barone

Hon. William G. Kroncke    
    Time: 0:09:29
    July 15, 1934 – August 14, 2021
    Admission to bar:  May 6, 1964
    Michael Bruno, Chair
    
Douglas King Jordan    
    Time:  0:12:34
    April 27, 1938 – September 12, 2021
    Admission to bar: November 2, 1967
    Hon. James G. Carr, Chair
    
Justice Andrew G. Douglas    
    Time:  0:15:01
    July 5, 1932 – September 23, 2021
    Admission to bar:  May 13, 1960
    Jude T. Aubry, Chair
    George Gerken
    Sue Douglas
    Hon. Michael Goulding
    
Theodore B. Riley    
    Time:  0:20:56
    September 22, 1962 – September 29, 2021
    Admission to bar:  May 16, 1988
    Jeff Madrzykowski, Chair
    John Arnsby
    James Hart

George R. Royer    
    Time:  0:23:56
    June 18, 1936 – October 17, 2021
    Admission to bar: October 19, 1966
    Martin McManus, Chair
    Kevin McManus
    Heather Rudolph

Sharon A. Neuhausel Fitzgerald    
    Time:  0:26:04
    August 23, 1944 – October 20, 2021
    Admission to bar:  May 7, 1984
    Christopher Parker, Chair
    Cathy Garcia-Feehan
    Krysten Beech
    
Richard W. Edwards, Jr.    
    Time:  0:27:21
    June 2, 1935 – October 24, 2021
    Dean D. Benjamin Barros, Chair
    Prof. James M. Klein
    Prof. Benjamin Davis

Timothy A. Dugan    
    Time:  0:30:43
    November 17, 1981 – November 2, 2021
    Admission to bar:  November 5, 2007
    Stevin Groth, Chair
    Hon. Stacy Cook
    Julie Jacek Bookmiller

Hon. Francis X. Gorman  
    Time:  0:32:58
    September 22, 1940 – November 9, 2021
    Admission to bar:  October 27, 1967
    Jon Richardson, Chair
    Hon. Stacy Cook, Jane Roman
    Carrie Connelly, Hon. James G. Carr

John Allen Galbraith    
    Time:  0:35:50
    August 23, 1923 – December 21, 2021
    Admission to bar:  August 24, 1949
    William Meyer, Chair
    Jude T. Aubry
    Christopher Parker

Michael J. D’Arcangelo    
    Time:  0:38:00
    July 25, 1932 – December 23, 2021
    Admission to bar:  October 16, 1963
    Joseph M. D’Arcangelo, Chair
    Bradley M. D’Arcangelo

Anthony “Tony” Bayford    
    Time:  0:40:35
    August 22, 1943 – January 4, 2022
    Admission to bar:  November 8, 1974
    Ralph Denune, Chair
    Teresa Bacho
    Linda Jones

Marvin E. Keller    
   Time:  0:42:39
   March 29, 1947 – January 23, 2022
   Admission to bar:  May 10, 1975
   Hon. Jack Puffenberger, Chair
   Mag. Nancy Miller
   Mag. Trevor Fernandes

C. Soren Holmberg    
    Time:  0:44:43
    December 2, 1937 – February 8, 2022
    Admission to bar:  October 27, 1967
    Hon. James G. Carr, Chair
    
John F. Potts    
    Time:  0:46:41
    October 13, 1952 – February 26, 2022
    Admission to bar:  October 20, 1978
    Martin Mohler, Chair
    Hon. James G. Carr
    Richard M. Kerger

Download Program

Join us Monday, June 27, 2022 to support the TBA Pro Bono Program. Spend an afternoon with us (rain or shine) on the golf course at the Toledo Country Club for the Annual TBA Golf Outing. Enjoy good company along with a 50/50 Raffle, Mulligan Sale and a Betting Hole all benefitting the Toledo Bar Association Pro Bono Legal Services Program.

REGISTER

2022-2023 Nominations

First Vice President:
Cindy M. Kirby
  
Second Vice President:
Michael E. Bryant 
Adam S. Nightingale
Craig M. Witherell
  
Secretary: 
Joseph K. Cole
  
Treasurer: 
Jeremiah P. O’Brien
  
Board: 
Krysten E. Beech
John E. Bibish IV
Timothy W. Effler
Stevin J. Groth
Sarah M. Haberland
Kayla L. Henderson
Carasusana B. Wall
Patricia A. Wise
 

  
The 2022 Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 14, 2022.
Under the Toledo Bar Association Code of Regulations, First Vice President Sarah K. Skow, will become president for 2022-2023.  
 
Electronic Voting
In accordance with Article VIII, Section 2, a ballot and instructions for voting will be sent to the members by electronic means, on or about May 10, 2022.

• All full members and retired members of the Toledo Bar Association will receive a ballot via the email address on file with the TBA. 
• Biographies of each candidate will be posted on the Toledo Bar’s website, linked above. 
• A personal link will be generated for each member to the ballot on the TBA’s polling site. Links are not transferable and may be used only once. 
• Voting is completely anonymous and secure. 
• Members who do not have an email address or who may be inconvenienced by electronic voting may request a paper ballot to be mailed. Please contact Gina Scherzer at 419-244-1044 or gscherzer@toledobar.org. 
• Questions may be directed to Toledo Bar Association Executive Director, Brad Lagusch, at 419-242-9363 or blagusch@toledobar.org, or to Nominating Committee Chair William G. Meyer at wgmeyer49@gmail.com.