"I vividly recall a family friend asking me ‘What do you want to do when you grow up little girl?’ ‘I want to be a lawyer,’ I responded. He smiled at me and then in a low voice said to my father –‘She’ll never be a lawyer.’…
I was a student at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law while working full-time at Lincoln Electric. ….If Cleveland-Marshall hadn’t offered a part-time evening program, our family friend may have been correct in his assumptions about my future. Please value, sponsor, mentor, support and recognize those who are outside of your circle. There are numerous young women and men, who like me, can be-- and will be-- successful because of the affirmation and encouragement they receive from others in the community. And one day some of those individuals will joyfully stand in front of all of you to be recognized." -Teresa Metcalf Beasley ‘92, 2019 Alumni of the Year
“So what brings me here - this life journey - three things that Justice Donnelly spoke of…..faith, family and friends….This is Cleveland-Marshall. It just chills me, and so for all of us who are graduates from Cleveland- Marshall, for those of you who graduated this past Saturday and who are here, for those students soon to graduate and take the bar, for those that I’ve taught, we are Cleveland-Marshall. I say that in an honored way, in a humble way. I stand here saying I am Cleveland-Marshall, and I say again we are Cleveland-Marshall.” – Judge John Russo ‘92, 2019 Alumni of the Year
There is no greater gift to a law school and no greater testament to the quality of its students, faculty, and staff, than a strong, loyal alumni network. I will be forever grateful for our supportive and engaged alumni, led by our dedicated Alumni Association and Board of Visitors, who pay it forward every day.
Over the past two weeks, we had our Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni Association (CMLAA) Annual Recognition Luncheon (ARL), our Spring Board of Visitors Meeting, the CMLAA Annual Meeting, and one of our distinguished alumni and adjunct professors, Ian Friedman ’97, was sworn in as President of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, the 5,300 member professional organization dedicated to serving the needs of Greater Cleveland’s legal professionals.
On May 23, our Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni Association (CMLAA) hosted the ARL, the largest law school alumni event in Ohio, and one of the largest in the country. Approximately 1,000 alumni and community supporters attended the luncheon. Net proceeds benefit scholarship funds for Cleveland-Marshall Law students.
This year, the CMLAA honored two outstanding leaders, Judge John Russo ‘92, Administrative and Presiding Judge, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, and Teresa Metcalf Beasley ‘92, partner, McDonald Hopkins. Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Donnelly ’92 introduced Judge Russo, and Judge Solomon Oliver, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, introduced Teresa Metcalf Beasley.
CMLAA President Judge Michelle Paris presented the President’s Award to Vince Lombardo ‘81. The ARL was superbly organized by Vince and Delante Spencer Thomas ‘16. I was very pleased to present the Dean Wilson G. Stapleton Award for Faculty Excellence to Associate Dean and Professor Carolyn Broering-Jacobs.
We were very grateful that CSU President Harlan Sands, CSU Board Chair David Gunning ‘94, and Provost Jianping Zhu took the time to join us again this year. America the Beautiful was performed by Ashley Nemeh, a rising 2L student and professional singer. Visit the CMLAA Facebook page to check out pictures from the ARL: https://www.facebook.com/cmlaa.csu
That same day, our Board of Visitors met to discuss C|M|LAW’s strategic goals and objectives for the 2019-20 academic year. CSU President Harlan Sands shared his vision and strategic priorities for the university. Brent Buckley ’82, who served as Chair over the past two years, passed the Chair’s gavel to Kelly Tompkins ‘81. Sonia Winner, President & CEO of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, will serve as Vice-Chair.
At last week’s CMLAA Annual Meeting, outgoing President Judge Michelle Paris ’84 passed the President’s gavel to new President John Calabrese ‘12. Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Deena Calabrese ’97 administered the oath of office to John Calabrese and all the Board members listed below. Over 15 distinguished judges, all alumni, also attended.
“Now it’s our turn to pay it forward and to help assist, invest, and support our law school and its students to help them build a future and to continue our legacy and mission to learn law and live justice….. I have the good fortune of being a judge in Bedford Municipal Court. Each day at work, I say to a defendant, ‘you have the right to an attorney even if you cannot afford one.’ Saying that phrase is like saying something sacred, and I owe Cleveland-Marshall for the privilege of saying that.” - Judge Michelle Paris ’84, 2018-19 President, Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni Association
“ Tonight is not about me, tonight is about us. Each year, our Board works tirelessly to plan and host different programs and events in an effort to achieve our mission. Our mission has seen a re-dedication in recent years - and the Cleveland-Marshall students reap the benefits of our collective efforts. I think it is safe to say that the students, our future colleagues and alums, are our mission…. Cleveland-Marshall College of Law has undeniably become the most recognized brand in our legal community.” John Calabrese ‘12, 2019-20 President, Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni Association
The following alumni were elected to serve as Officers for 2019-20:
President: John C. Calabrese ’12
President-Elect: Darlene White ’00
Vice President: Allison Taller Reich ’09
Secretary: Robin Wilson ’96
Treasurer: Kathleen M. Kirby ’10
Immediate Past President: Hon. Michelle L. Paris ’84
The following law students were selected by the CMLAA to receive scholarships for 2019-20.
1L Recipients
Bakita Hill
Lauryn Taylor Robinson
2L Recipients
Anthony Alto
Daria Chalupa
Benjamin Horvath
Patrick Lipaj
Joseph Nelson
Elchanan Stern
Live Justice Recipients
Dana Beveridge
Taylor Brenner Slivka
The following alumni were elected to serve on the CMLAA Board of Trustees:
Anthony R. Andricks ’12
Terry Billups ’05
Erin P. Brown ’12
John D. Grauer ’12
Amy K. Herman ’14
Ciera M. Parish ’15
The following alumni were re-elected to the CMLAA Board of Trustees:
Kimberly Kendall Corral ’12
Brendan R. Doyle ’04
Joseph P. Dunson ’07
Russell A. Randazzo ’07
Benjamin P. Wiborg ’08
The following alumni were elected to serve as Honorary Trustees:
Pablo A. Castro ‘01
Tim L. Collins ’85
Manju Gupta ’03
Karrie D. Howard ’07
Daniel J. Myers ’11
Keith D. Weiner ’82
Thanks to all our amazing alumni for giving back and paying it forward.
This Week’s Monday Moment: We All Are Connected By One Word: Alumni