The Charles F. Scanlon and Judge Samuel H. Bell Inn of Court is accepting applications for membership for the 2019-2020 term, which begins in September 2019. The Inn, which was founded over 30 years ago 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, provides members of the judiciary and bar an opportunity to learn from one another, both through CLE presentations and by sharing dinner in a relaxed atmosphere. It has maintained its vigor by annually 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 all three of our classes: (1) the bencher class, which is made up of judges and lawyers with fifteen or more years of experience; (2) the barrister class, which is made up of lawyers with between four and fifteen years of experience; and (3) the pupils class, which is made up of law students and lawyers with less than four years of experience.
If you are interested in associating with judges and senior lawyers, or mentoring newer lawyers and students, please consider applying. To do so, send your resume and a letter or email to Peter T. Cahoon, Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, 3800 Embassy Parkway, Suite 300, Akron, OH 44333, pcahoon@bdblaw.com, by May 1, 2019.
The benchers 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 one year. Benchers serve for life. There are no dues for members of the pupils class. Currently dues are $175 per year for barristers and $375 per year for benchers. The benchers will consider in May whether they should be increased for the 2019-2020 term.
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 May 1, 2019. If you have any questions, please feel free to call Peter Cahoon at (330) 376-5300.