The 2022 class of OSBF Fellows were inducted by Chief Justice Maureen O’ Connor at a ceremony at the Supreme Court of Ohio on June 14. As the Professional Honorary of Ohio Lawyers, the OSBF welcomes a new class of Fellows each year, a group of attorneys who exemplify the highest standards of professionalism and are committed to serving their communities. Since its inaugural Fellows Class in 1998, the OSBF has inducted over 1,000 Fellows.
Meet the Class of 2022 OSBF Fellows:
Stephen Andrew Sturgill
Partner
Portsmouth
“We are thrilled to welcome a new class of Fellows to the Foundation family,” said OSBF President Kristin Burkett. “Our Fellows are a diverse group of inspiring lawyers with a strong spirit of service, and we are excited for the work they will do in support of the Foundation’s statewide grantmaking program and the OSBF’s mission to build a better justice system in Ohio through outreach and education.”
The Ohio State Bar Foundation (OSBF) and its 2022 Fellows Class is proud to have hosted its 2023 Symposium: The Color of Justice: Racial Inequities in the Justice System on April 26, 2023. Attorneys from the 2022 OSBF Fellows class focused on race-based disparate treatment in the justice system, and The Color of Justice provided panel discussions building understanding around barriers in the justice system, the populations being affected, and opportunities for change on an individual and systemic level.
Click here to view the full program and for more information.
Sara Barry is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law and a solo practitioner at Barry Law LLC, specializing in juvenile and domestic matters. She is an adjunct professor at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and an LSAT Independent Instructor. As a Guardian ad Litem, she advocates for the best interests of children in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Courts in the surrounding Dayton area. She is a member of the Dayton Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) and its Leadership Academy, the Family Law Forum, Ohio Bar College, and the Ohio Domestic Violence Network.
Jan Allen Baughman is a graduate of the Capital University Law School and a Managing Partner at Allen & Baughman, L.L.P., as well as the owner of the ABC Title Agency, LLC. She is a member of the Perry County Bar Association, the Muskingum County Bar Association, and the Ohio State Bar Association, having served on both its the Board of Governors and its Council of Delegates. Her volunteer experience ranges from working at the Muskingum County Domestic Relations Court Pro Bono Clinic to participating on numerous community boards such as the Perry County Children’s Services Board, the Perry County Economic Development Committee, the Main Street Mediation Board, and the House of Samuel..
Michael Stephen Cox, Jr. is a graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law and the Assistant Law Director for Newark City. He is a member of the Fairfield County Bar Association, the Licking County Bar Association, and the Ohio State Bar Association. Cox is active with the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity as a Purple Legionnaire, advising the fraternity about business and philanthropic activities. He has also worked with the Boy Scouts of America and the Legal Aid License Amnesty Clinic.
Rebecca A. Facey is a graduate of the University of Toledo College of Law and the Assistant Prosecuting Attorney at the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office. Facey previously worked for a non-profit focused on expanding legal services to victims of domestic violence. She volunteers with numerous organizations such as Take Back the Night Collective, Mom’s House Sisters in Law, Women of Toledo, and Connecting Kids to Meals. Facey is also a member of the Toledo Start High School’s Hall of Fame.
Brian W. Kelso is a graduate of The Ohio State Moritz College of Law and a staff attorney for the 10th District Court of Appeals for the State of Ohio. Kelso previously worked as a staff attorney for the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. As a graduate intern, he worked with the Ohio Innocence Project and multiple public interest groups to amend Ohio Public Records Act 1492. Kelso completed the Ohio State Bar Association Leadership Academy and volunteers with the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education, the Karen Wellington Foundation, the Kenyon College Athletic Mentorship program, and United Way of Fairfield County Income Impact Council. In 2018, he received the Fairfield County Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award for his work with the Southeastern Ohio Legal Services Pro Bono Clinic in Lancaster.
Todd Kotler is a graduate of the University of Akron School of Law and an attorney with the firm Gruber, Haren, Thomas & Company in North Canton. Kotler has worked extensively with program and advisory committees for the Boy Scouts of America and serves on the Board of Directors for the Green Area Chamber of Commerce. He is an active member of the Stark County Bar Association, the Akron Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Ohio State Bar Association. Kotler has devoted his talents to the Tree City Players/Kent Stage Players, Toastmasters International Akron Club, and Temple Israel in Canton.
Bradley J. Martinez has spent numerous hours as a volunteer with the Fairfield County food bank and its in-person legal advice clinic. He also volunteers with the Fairfield County Bar Association’s in-person legal advice clinic. He is passionate about improving the legal profession through his work with the Supreme Court’s Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program. He previously worked for the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations/Juvenile Court, as well as the Fairfield County Job and Family Services as a staff attorney.
Joseph McCoy is a graduate of The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. He practices with his father Carl at McCoy & McCoy in Newark, specializing in personal injury law. He volunteers his time with the Newark High School basketball program and as a volunteer judge for high school mock trial competitions. He is a board member for the Licking County Crime Stoppers Program, the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities, and the Newark branch of the Lion’s Club. McCoy is also a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Licking County Bar Association.
Robert Miller is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law and a partner at Rourke & Blumenthal LLC in Columbus. Miller has been selected for Ohio Super Lawyers® from 2015-2022 and has been named to Best Lawyers in America. He is a member of the American Association of Justice, the Ohio Association of Justice, the Franklin County Trial Lawyers Association, the Columbus Bar Association, and the Ohio State Bar Association.
Marc G. Pera is a graduate of The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law and a partner at Crandall and Pera Law, LLC in Cincinnati. Pera has been named to the “Top 50 Cincinnati” and “Top 100 Super Lawyers” lists by Law and Politics and Cincinnati Magazine every year since 2011. He is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 and the National Trial Lawyers Medical Malpractice Top 25. Pera is Board Trustee for the Ohio Association for Justice, and Vice President of the Southwest Ohio Trial Lawyers Association.
Kyana Pierson is a graduate of Capital University Law School and serves as Policy Counsel for the Children & Families Section of the Supreme Court of Ohio, where she develops educational publications and other resources on family law topics and provides technical assistance to family law jurisdiction courts. She serves on the Family Law and Juvenile Law Committees for the Ohio State Bar Association, as well as the Leadership Board and Staff-Parish Relations Board at Scioto Ridge United Methodist Church. Pierson also serves as Charter Representative for Cub Scout Pack 306 in Hilliard.
Tasha Ruth is a graduate of Capital University School of Law and is the Magistrate and Court Administrator for the Fourth District Court of Appeals. She has previously served as Case Manager and Counsel in the Case Management Section of the Supreme Court of Ohio and as a staff attorney at the Franklin County Public Defender’s Office. She has volunteered her time with a wide range of organizations, including Ohio Legal Help, the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation, the National Association for Court Management, the Trinity United Methodist Church Mission Council, and the South Side Settlement.
The Hororable Nicole Sanders is a graduate from the University of Cincinnati College of Law and the Presiding Judge in the Hamilton County Common Pleas Drug Court. Previously, she was a magistrate for the Hamilton County Common Pleas Juvenile Court and was Chief Counsel for the City of Cincinnati Solicitor’s Office. Judge Sanders has volunteered her time with the Ohio Black Judges Association, the Ohio Supreme Court Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program, the Cincinnati Academy Leadership Lawyers, the Black Lawyers of Cincinnati Association, the Cincinnati Bar Association Pro-Kids Walk, the New Orphan Asylum Scholarship Foundation, and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Serah Siemann is a graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law and currently practices family law at Freking Myers & Reul in Dayton. She has received distinction as an Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star (2020-21) and is a recipient of the 2019 Montgomery County Juvenile Court Award. She actively participates in the Dayton Volunteer Law Project as well as serving as the co-chair of the Dayton Bar Association Juvenile Law Section. Siemann’s work with Wills for Heroes and Wills for Vets programs, as well as Hunks and Ladders has helped raise funds for the burn unit and firefighter memorial in Dayton.
Michele Selig Worobiec is a graduate of The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law and president of the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws, bringing more than 20 years’ experience in court policy, systems-approach strategies, and evidence-based practices to the alliance. Worobiec is a former Magistrate of the Marion Municipal Court, Judicial Services Coordinator with the Ohio Judicial Conference, Policy Counsel for the State Drug Court of the Supreme Court of Ohio, and Vice President and Chief Counsel for TASC, Inc. (Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities). She has been a member of the American Health Law Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Ohio Magistrates Association, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, the Marion Bar Association, and the Ohio State Bar Association. She also volunteers with numerous community organizations, including Marion Matters, United Way of Marion County, and the Police Treatment and Community Collaborative. Worobiec is also a Mock Trial Judge and case developer.