Month: May 2015

Scanlon/Bell Inn of Court accepting applications for 2015-2016 Term

These days lawyers have little time to do much beyond maintaining their law practices. The Charles F. Scanlon and Judge Samuel H. Bell Inn of Court offers a respite from those pressures, as well as an opportunity to expand your network of lawyers and judges.

Well into its fourth decade, the Inn is accepting applications for membership for the 2015-2016 Term. The Inn was founded by leading members of the Bar, including Federal District Judge Sam Bell, in collaboration with the Akron Bar Association and the University of Akron School of Law. It has maintained its vigor by enrolling new members who want to learn and share information about ethics, public issues, and advocacy through the programs offered by the Inn. We currently have openings in the pupils group, which is made up of law students and lawyers with less than four years of experience, and the barristers group, which is made up of lawyers with between four and fifteen years of experience. We may also have openings in the bencher group, which is made up of senior lawyers and judges.

If you are interested in associating with judges and senior lawyers or offering mentoring to newer lawyers, please consider joining. To do so, send your resume and a letter or email to Clair E. Dickinson, Brouse McDowell, 388 South Main Street, Suite 500, Akron, OH 44311, cdickinson@brouse.com, by May 15, 2015.

The Masters of the Bench meet during May each year to vote on new members. If you are a lawyer accepted for the pupil or barrister class, you will be entitled to serve a two-year term, which can be renewed once. Law-student pupils serve for one year. Benchers serve for life. There are no dues for members of the pupils group. Dues are $125 per year for barristers and $325 per year for benchers.

If you are accepted as an Inn member, you will attend our dinner meetings, which are held on the third Wednesday of each month, September through April, skipping December. Programs at these meetings consist of presentations on ethics, public issues, and advocacy, for which CLE credit is provided.

In addition, all members of the Inn are members of a pupilage group, which is a small working body of the Inn. There are four pupilage groups with representation from each of the three classes (benchers, barristers, and pupils). Each pupilage group is responsible for a presentation at least once during the year. Pupilage groups meet after work or during lunch to plan presentations and to discuss matters of common interest.

Modeled after the English Inns of Court, the Scanlon/Bell Inn has actively pursued its mission, and we look forward to those of like minds becoming involved. Please submit your resume and letter or email no later than June 22, 2015.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call Clair Dickinson at (330) 535-5711.

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