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Akron Bar Association 2019 Law Week events
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: April 26, 2019
From answering basic questions about the law to paying tribute to members of the legal community who have gone the extra mile to contribute to the profession and the community at large—those are just a few of the ways in which members of the Akron Bar Association Law Week Committee are planning to commemorate Law Day.
“Our goal is to show the public how the legal system impacts their everyday lives and why residents need to be aware of and exercise their rights in order to protect them,” said solo practitioner Justin Barnhart, chair of the Law Week Committee.
“This year’s theme is Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society and the activities that are planned are centered around that theme,” said Barnhart. “This year’s specific topics are designed to shine a spotlight on the role that First Amendment rights play in a free society.”
While Law Day falls on May 1, the Akron Bar Association celebration gets underway on April 29 with the Ray Horner radio show’s “Ask a Lawyer” program, which airs on 1590 WAKR.
The annual event begins at 7:30 a.m. and runs until 10:30 a.m. During that time, a panel of attorneys from various practice areas will be on hand to answer questions from listeners and discuss topics with Horner.
Solo practitioner J. Dean Carro, emeritus professor of law at The University of Akron School of Law will kick off the show.
“The way it will work is that I will start off by discussing this year’s Law Day theme, which contains two critical components that need to be in place for us to have a free society, free speech and free press,” said Carro. “The framers of the Constitution put those components in place in order to ensure a balance of power and prevent the rise of a tyrant.”
Akron immigration attorney Farhad Sethna will answer inquiries from callers on topics ranging from navigating the pathway to U.S. citizenship to recent events in the news.
“I have been a participant on the show for three or four years,” said Sethna. “I do it because I want to propagate correct and accurate information about immigration.
“One of the problems is that people are fed a lot of misinformation through fake news, tweets and sound bites and it is incumbent upon attorneys to educate the public about the laws.”
Akron Law Professor Elizabeth Knowles, who supervises the school’s Immigration & Human Rights Clinic, will also discuss immigration.
Gary Rosen, a partner at Day Ketterer will talk about family law issues.
“I enjoy it,” said Rosen. “It gives me the chance to provide helpful information to the public and it’s also an opportunity to spend time with my colleagues from other practice areas.
“I have done this about three or four times in the past and I usually get a lot of questions about child support and parenting issues,” he said. “I believe it’s part of my obligation to make sure the public is well educated about the laws and that residents don’t see the law as challenging, threatening or difficult to access.”
Other show participants include attorneys Jeff Laybourne, Deborah Ruby, Nancy Holland, Linda Ulinski and Orville Reed. Carro also expects a lawyer from Perantinides & Nolan Co. to volunteer.
Tuesday April 30 marks the annual Street Law Student Summit, which will begin at 9 a.m. at the Oriana House Training Center at 833 Carroll St. in Akron.
Approximately 130 students from Ellet, Buchtel, Tallmadge, Cuyahoga Falls and Stow-Munroe Falls high schools are expected to attend.
Summit County Juvenile Court Magistrate Rita Rochford, chair of the Akron Bar Association Street Law Student Summit Committee, will kick off the event by discussing this year’s Law Day theme and introducing keynote speaker Akron civil rights litigator Edward L. Gilbert.
“I will focus on First Amendment free speech as it relates to the students,” said Gilbert. “The first amendment is broken up into 19 different areas so it’s a broad type of topic.
“I will discuss the right to free speech as it relates to what students can and cannot do in public school settings,” he said. “For example, we will talk about what they are allowed to print in the school newspaper and school dress codes.
“There are a number of overlapping rights when you discuss the First Amendment and I am going to concentrate on areas that will be of the most interest to the high school students.”
Gilbert said Law Day events like the Street Law Student Summit play a key role in helping students to become good citizens.
“It is important that students know and understand their rights in order for them to be productive in society and hopefully some of these students will choose to become lawyers and judges down the road.”
Magistrate Rochford said after Gilbert’s talk, several Akron police officers will do a drug and bite dog demonstration and participate in a role-playing scene with students.
“The students will play police officers and the officers will be the students,” said Rochford. “The scene will play out in a mini mart and will address what rights and obligations police have in investigating a situation and what rights and obligations the people involved have.
“The hope is to give students a better understanding of the role that police play in our society and encourage a more cooperative attitude between the parties.”
J. Dean Carro will also moderate two Round Robin discussions based on scenarios involving censorship of the school newspaper and the right to wear political clothing to school.
The event will wrap up with a GPS demonstration.
“A couple of students volunteered to wear a GPS ankle monitor a week before the Street Law summit and we will discuss the tracking information that we received and its implications,” said Rochford.
On Wednesday May 1, the Akron Bar Association will hold its annual Law Day luncheon at noon at Greystone Hall.
During the event, a number of legal professionals will receive awards.
Ninth District Court of Appeals Judge Thomas Teodosio will be honored with the Liberty Bell Award, James Lawrence, president and chief executive officer of Oriana House will be given the Public Service Award and attorney Billi Copeland-King will receive Community Legal Aid’s Volunteer of the Year Award.
The Well Community Development Corporation has been chosen as this year’s Diversity Award recipient and the United Way Wendell Willkie Award will go to Roetzel & Andress.
Retired attorney Frank Quirk will also be honored as the bar association’s newest 60-year member. In addition, the bar association will pay tribute to its new 50-year members and recognize anyone who been a member for more than 50 years.
The luncheon costs $20 per person. It is complimentary for 50- and 60-year members and one guest. For more information, go to akronbar.org.
Also on May 1, the Akron-Summit County Public Library will host “Ask An Attorney” from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Lawyers will be on hand to provide free legal consultations on a variety of family law and real estate topics. Walk-ins are welcome, but those interested in scheduling an appointment can call 330-643-9020.
Law Week concludes on May 3 with Red Mass, which gets underway at 11:45 a.m. at St. Bernard Catholic Church. Brouse McDowell partner Jeffrey Heintz will receive the St. Thomas More award.