Joseph D. Russo
(216) 443-8746
Education:
-Juris
Doctorate, 1991
-Licensed to Practice Law in
-Bachelor of Arts, 1985
-Graduated, 1980
Employment Experience:
Judge,
Originally
elected over a two term Republican incumbent in November of 2000, and reelected
without opposition in November of 2006. Currently Chairman of the Civil Rule Committee. As a Common Pleas Court Judge, I have
adjudicated over 7,000 civil and felony criminal matters.
Adjunct
Professor,
Adjunct Professor of Law,
currently teaching a four credit hour course in Trial Tactics.
Principal: Law Offices of Joseph D. Russo
Co., L.P.A. -
Solo
Practitioner specializing in Civil Litigation with emphasis in Employment Law,
Corporate Law, Construction Law, Real Estate, Appellate Practice and Personal
Injury Law with an average case load of eighty-five cases valued at 5 thousand
to 2.5 million dollars. Completely familiar with EEOC, ADA, ADEA, Title VII, and Ohio
Revised Code Section 4112.99 practice and procedures from both the Plaintiff
and Defense perspectives.
Reviewed and drafted, employment documents, including, but not limited
to, employment applications, employment contracts, handbooks, and termination
policies. Conducted
private and public seminars dealing with discrimination and other employment
issues. Sat
first and second chair in trials before the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Practiced before the Ohio
Civil Rights Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the
Eighth District Court of Appeals, and the Federal District Court for the
Northern District of Ohio. Also served as Assistant Prosecutor for the City of Bedford and
Village of Highland Hills.
Associate
Attorney: Landskroner & Phillips Co., L.P.A. -
Staff attorney specializing in
Civil Litigation. Had complete authority for hiring, firing and
evaluation of associate attorneys, paralegals, and law clerks. Responsible for management of a case load of
fifty-five clients from initial intake to final disposition with cases valued
at $25,000 to 2.5 million dollars. Had
Profit and Loss responsibility of 4.3 million dollar budget, and directly
supervised a staff of twelve. Areas of
specialization included: Personal Injury, Product Liability, Family Law,
Railroad Law, Medical Malpractice, Corporate, and Appellate Law.
Law Clerk: 300 Associates, Inc.. -
Provided research and writing
services for seven attorneys, including writing of motions, complaints, discovery, trial and appellate
briefs. Areas of specialization
included: Civil Litigation, Appellate, Administrative
Law, Real Estate, Landlord-Tenant, Personal Injury, Criminal, Probate, Small Corporate & Labor Law.
Summer Associate: Shumaker, Loop &
Kendrick -
Motion and
memorandum writing for sixty-eight attorney firm, specializing in Litigation
and Corporate Transactional
matters. Areas of specialization
included: Civil Litigation, ERISA, Administrative
Law, Corporate, Labor, Tax & Real Estate.
National Recruitment Manager: Premier
Industrial Corporation -
Manager of five divisions of
recruiting. Profit and Loss responsibility for the
division I created. Completely computerized the department, and
reported directly to the Director of the Department, and Vice-President of the five divisions.
Organizations, Community Service
and Volunteer Work:
-
-Chairman, Civil Rules
Committee
-Security Committee
-Grand Jury Committee
(Ad Hoc)
-Foreclosure Committee
(Ad Hoc)
-
-Judicial Ethics and
Professionalism Committee
-Judicial
-Speaker:
-“Tactics and Litigation
Techniques” –
-“Improving
Your Credibility with the Court” –
-“A View from the Bench” - Benesch, Friedlander & Aronoff
-“Medical Malpractice
Update” - Reminger & Reminger
-“A View from the Bench”
- Reminger & Reminger
-“Exchanging Horizons” –
-“A Supreme Court Update” –
Fraternal Order of Police,
-“How to Prepare and
Present an
-“A View from the Bench”
– Keynote Speaker, Meals on Wheels
-“The Role of the Judiciary”
–
-“The Role of the
Judiciary” –
-Judge,
-Judge,
-Judge,
-Judge, Landskroner
Children’s
-Member, Court of Nisi Prius
-
-
-Member,
-
-Member,
-Member & Honorary Trustee, The Justinian Forum
-Member,
-Member, Italian-American
Brotherhood Club
-Northeast
-Former
President, Board of Trustees, Sigma Chi Fraternity, Beta Eta Chapter 1985-90.
-Former Trustee,
-Former Executive Committee Member,
-Former
Member, Cleveland Bar Association
-Volunteer:
-
-Rainbow Babies and Children's
Hospital
-American Red Cross
-American Heart
Association
-National Multiple Sclerosis
Society
-March of Dimes
-
Honors & Awards:
-Democratic Nominee
for Justice,
-Endorsed for the March, 2008 Primary Election By:
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-Endorsed for the November, 2008
General Election By:
-Public Officials
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-Democratic Party Officials
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-Democratic Party
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-Bar Associations
- “Recommended” Rating,
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-Tri-
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-IBEW Local 38
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-Teamsters Local 407
-Democratic Nominee
for Judge,
-Formerly Endorsed for
the November, 2006 General Election By:
-Cuyahoga County Democratic Party
-“Excellent”
Rating Cuyahoga County Bar Association
-“Excellent”
Rating Cleveland Bar Association
-“Excellent”
Rating Norman Minor Bar Association
-“Excellent”
Rating Women Lawyer’s Bar Association
-“Excellent”
Rating Cuyahoga County Criminal Defense Bar Association
-The
Polish-Americans Congress, Inc.
-
-The
Justinian Forum
-Irish-American
Political Action Committee
-Former Democratic
Nominee for Judge,
-Formerly
Endorsed for the March 6, 2000 Primary By:
-Cuyahoga
County Democratic Party
-Cosmopolitan
Democratic League
-The
Citizen's League, ***, Preferred Candidate
-Cuyahoga
County Bar Association, Excellent Rating
-Cleveland
Bar Association, Adequate, Preferred Candidate Rating
-The
Cleveland Plain Dealer
-The Sun
Newspapers
-The
-The Free
Times
-Black
Elected Democrats of
-Polish-Americans,
Inc.
-Laborer's
Local 310
-Formerly Endorsed for
the November 7, 2000 General Election By:
-Cuyahoga County Democratic Party
-Cosmopolitan
Democratic League
-The
Citizen's League, Preferred Candidate
-Black
Elected Democrats of
-Cuyahoga
County Bar Association, Good Rating
-Cleveland
Bar Association, Adequate, Preferred Candidate Rating
-The
Cleveland Plain Dealer
-The Sun
Newspapers
-The Free
Times
-The
Polish-Americans Congress, Inc.
-Laborer's
Local 310
-Laborer's
Local 860
-Teamsters
-Plumber's
Union Local 55
-Carpenter's
Union Local 21
-Legislative Aide, Honorable
Edward Feighan (D-Ohio).
-Case
-Winner: Hergenroeder
Award in Trial Advocacy.
-Winner: Francis J. Colbert Law
Scholarship.
-Semi-Finalist: Client Counseling
Competition.
-Law School
Representative to C.W.R.U. Budget Committee.
Personal:
-Married, wife Diana, Social Worker,
Emergency Room,
-Two
children: Gabriella Marie, 10 years old; Joseph Anthony, 4 years old.