Cleveland, OH - Judge John J. Russo is the first sitting Judge to be named as Vice-President of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.
On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, the Board of Directors for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (CMBA) unanimously approved a slate of candidates who will join the Board beginning July 1, 2021.
In the office of Vice President, Judge Russo will bring a history of extensive engagement in the CMBA throughout his nearly 30-year career. Judge Russo has served two terms on the Board of Directors, more than ten years of volunteer service for both the Ohio and Cleveland Mock Trial Programs, as well as the 3Rs, and frequent participation as a speaker in a variety of educational programs such as the New Lawyer Bootcamp.
In addition to serving as our Court’s Administrative and Presiding Judge from 2014 to 2019, Judge Russo has held numerous other leadership roles. He is the Past-President and current Board Chair of the National Association for Presiding Judges and Court Executive Officers. Judge Russo is currently the 1st Vice-Chair of the Ohio Judicial Conference, and has been appointed to several judicial review committees by Supreme Court of Ohio Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. Judge Russo is also a Trustee of the Cleveland Marshall Law Alumni Association, as well as a current Adjunct Professor at the school.
After serving one year as Vice President, Judge Russo will become the President-Elect and then, as of July 1, 2023, President of the CMBA.
In early March, a Nominating Committee appointed by current CMBA President Joseph N. Gross, interviewed fifteen highly qualified candidates to fill the open Vice President position and six director positions. In the end, the Nominating Committee presented the Board of Directors with a recommended slate, which the Board approved in its entirety.
“I am proud to be in a unique position to continue my service to the CMBA,” says Judge Russo. “To still be active as a trial Judge, and be in line to be President of the CMBA, is quite an honor.”
Photo courtesy of Cuyahoga County
(Copyright, iHeartMedia, 2021)
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