Who We Are

Our Mission

President's Message

Did you know that the Federal Bar Association is comprised of 84 chapters throughout the country, with over 15,000 members?  The Northern District of Ohio Chapter is the fifth largest chapter. In addition to being one of the fastest growing FBA chapters, our Chapter is one of the most dynamic.  If you are not already a member of the FBA-NDOC, join us and be a part of the great things we have in store for this year.

I encourage you to click on our calendar, where you will find a list of our upcoming events.  In September 2011, our Chapter was presented with the FBA Presidential Excellence Award for our many activities.  Our Chapter strives to provide significant opportunities for our members to interact with our judges and leading federal practitioners. Many of these events are free for our members, including; Quarterly Networking Breakfasts, our Annual Summer Social Event, and the Annual Ethics, Professionalism and Substance Abuse Seminar presented each December.  Other events and programs are reasonably priced, with a substantial discount for members. Our CLE offerings have been described as interesting, innovative, and fast-moving, and we have a full complement of top quality programs covering a wide array of topics for the upcoming year. 

I also recommend that you to take a look at our award winning newsletter Inter Alia, distributed to more than 10,000 lawyers registered to practice in the Northern District. You can review the archive of issues and articles, which provide both substantive pointers and in-depth analysis of current issues confronted by federal practitioners.  Members interested in authoring an article for a future issue should contact our Newsletter Chair, Steve Jett.

In the coming months, there will be many opportunities for members to get involved and/or volunteer their time and talents in a meaningful and productive way. Our Chapter recently received one of the first FBA Foundation Chapter Grants for community service and outreach projects.  The grant was given for a program co-sponsored with the Association of Corporate Counsel to provide pro bono assistance to the non-profit sector, including community service organizations (co-chaired by Jennifer Lesny Fleming and Cynthia Binns).  In addition, our Chapter will continue partnering with a number of respected community organizations, including the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, the Cleveland Foodbank, the Hitchcock Center and the American Red Cross in various projects throughout the year, serving the most vulnerable and needy in our community. 

Finally, if you're still considering whether or not to join the FBA-NDOC, please review our list of Committees, and our Year in Review page.  You'll see that our Chapter has a fun approach to our serious goal of serving the administration of justice.  We serve our federal judiciary and create opportunities for our members to become more involved with the courts and to network with their fellow lawyers.  You can also connect with our Chapter through Facebook and Twitter.  These social media outlets are a great way to stay in touch with other members, get involved in Chapter activities, and find out about our upcoming events.  Take advantage of your membership right away – by reaching out to one of our committee chairs to get involved. 

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or ideas which you may have concerning our Chapter.   I look forward to working with you and to serving you.