CSU|LAW Welcomes Assistant Dean for JD Admissions & Financial Aid Korey Mercer
Cleveland State University College of Law welcomes new Assistant Dean for JD Admissions and Financial Aid Korey Mercer.
“CSULAW is the summation of my academic, professional, and personal background,” said Mercer. “As I look at the history and vision of the law school, I am reminded of my own values and what even compelled me to go to law school and become a leader in the legal profession.”

CSULAA Alumni of The Year Recipient Profile: Awatef Assad ’95

Cleveland State University Law Alumni Association Alumni of the Year recipient Awatef Assad ’95 is an active proponent of equity, inclusion and diversity in the legal profession. Awatef’s journey to her current position as Cuyahoga County Deputy Director for Risk Management is one that went against the odds. She is the first woman to become an attorney from her hometown of Beit Hanina, a Palestinian tow

CSULAA Alumni of The Year Recipient Profile: Kemper D. Arnold ’80

Cleveland State University Law Alumni Association Alumni of the Year recipient Kemper D. Arnold ’80 has developed a thriving business law practice over the past four decades. But the law was not Kemper’s first career. He started his journey as a professional scuba diver.
Alumni Profile: Vincent T. Lombardo ’81 and Barbara J. Stanford ’80
Cleveland State University College of Law alumni Vincent T. Lombardo ’81 and Barbara J. Stanford ’80 both fondly remember their days in law school. The duo recalls separately taking Evidence with (now Professor Emeritus) Stephen R. Lazarus and how much each enjoyed the course.
While CSU|LAW set Lombardo and Stanford on a path to career success in the legal field and beyond, their most lasting memory is having met each other in law school. They married in 1982.
“I am forever grateful to CSU|LAW for giving me a legal education – and the opportunity to meet my wife! I had always wanted to be an attorney and CSU|LAW allowed me to fulfill my dream,” explained Lombardo.
Graduate Profile: 2022 Class Valedictorian Lucy Richman
“Some of us may go on to become judges, or to practice civil rights law, or – hopefully all of us – to incorporate pro bono work into our practices. But living justice should not be limited to our legal work. Having a law degree gives us a powerful tool to live justice, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t live justice outside of law.”
Speaking to her fellow CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Class of 2022 graduates, class valedictorian Lucy Richman noted that there are many different ways to follow through on the second half of the law school’s “Learn Law. Live Justice.” motto.

Adjunct Professor Kirk Herath Appointed as Ohio’s Cybersecurity Strategic Advisor

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that CSU C|M|LAW Adjunct Professor Kirk Herath has been appointed to the role of Cybersecurity Strategic Advisor, a new position created within his administration. Herath will guide Ohio’s wide-ranging cybersecurity efforts across agencies, including the Adjutant General’s Office, the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, and the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

CMLAA Alumni of The Year Recipient Profile: The Honorable Brendan Sheehan ’93

Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni Association Alumni of the Year recipient The Honorable Brendan Sheehan ’93, the Administrative and Presiding Judge on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, was driven to a career in law for a deeply personal reason.

CMLAA Alumni of The Year Recipient Profile: Ann Aber ’03

Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni Association Alumni of the Year recipient Ann Aber’s career path to becoming one of the most prominent corporate lawyers in the area as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Secretary of JOANN Inc. started by eliminating several career possibilities along the way. She was originally interested in the medical field in college before switching to law.