Akron Bar Association and its Lawyer Referral Service

10/15/2026

Thank You for Making Oktoberfest a Success!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Akron Bar Association’s Oktoberfest! We had a wonderful evening filled with great food, festive fun, and fantastic company. We’re so grateful to everyone who came out and helped make this event such a success!

A special thank you to our generous sponsors for your continued support and for helping make this event possible. We couldn’t do it without you!

Prost! 🍻 We look forward to seeing everyone at our next event!

10/13/2026

Below is a list of our larger events in November and December, in addition to our many scheduled CLE presentations.

NOVEMBER
• 5th Gearinger Professionalism Award Dinner, honoring J. Dean Carro: Our Lady of the Cedars
• 9th Veterans Day Event, breakfast at Veterans Service Commission
• 12th Bar Foundation Fellows Breakfast: Portage Country Club
• 13th Annual J. Dean Carro Criminal Law Update
• 20th Annual Bernard I. Rosen Domestic Relations Institute

DECEMBER
• 2nd & 3rd New Lawyer Training: In-person practical CLEs for new attorneys. 2 days, ends with the Holiday Side Bar and a ceremonial swearing-in
• 3rd Holiday Sidebar
• 16th The very popular Learning Legal Ethics from the Lincoln Lawyer, seasons 3 & 4

Since its founding in 1875, the Akron Bar Association has served as the primary guardian of the Summit County legal system. Through education, advocacy and community service, the Akron Bar empowers its members to reflect the highest professional standards, enabling them to earn the community’s ut...

10/13/2026

Join the Akron Bar Association for our Veterans Day Breakfast on Monday, November 9, 2026!

We invite you to join us as we honor and thank those who have served our country. ❤️🤍💙

📅 Monday, November 9, 2026
📍 VSC of Summit County | 1060 E. Waterloo Road, Akron, OH 44306
🎟️ Free for member veterans | $25 for all other members

Let us thank you for your service! We look forward to gathering together to recognize and celebrate our veterans.

🔗 Scan the QR code on the flyer to register!

10/06/2026

🏆 And the Bocce with the Bar Champion is… Summit Legal Defenders! 🎉

Summit Legal Defenders defeated Stark & Knoll in the finals just as it started to drizzle! The action was spirited all evening, with plenty of friendly competition, laughs, and great camaraderie on the courts.

A special thank you to Judge Tom Teodosio for monitoring the courts and helping keep the competition running smoothly.

Congratulations to our champions, Summit Legal Defenders, and a huge thank you to everyone who joined us on our rescheduled date and helped make Bocce with the Bar such a fun evening! ⚖️🎉

We appreciate everyone who came out to compete, cheer on their teams, and enjoy some time together with the Akron legal community. Until next time!

Names left to right:
Marcus Lombardi, Andy Karas, Caroline Kish, Melissa Frangos, Mike Kranek

09/22/2026

🍻🥨 Oktoberfest is coming to the Akron Bar Association! 🥨🍻

Join us Wednesday, October 14, from 5:00–9:00 PM at Himelright Lodge in Cascade Valley Metro Park for an evening of German cuisine, b**r, live accordion music, desserts, and plenty of camaraderie.

🎟️ Registration is now open! Grab your spot and come celebrate the season with your fellow Akron Bar members and friends. https://www.akronbar.org/?pg=events&evAction=showDetail&eid=352856

ABA Member Tickets: $45
Law Student Tickets: $40

📍 Himelright Lodge | 1212 Cuyahoga St., Akron, OH 44313
📅 October 14, 2026 | ⏰ 5:00–9:00 PM

A huge THANK YOU to our 2026 annual sponsors for helping make this event possible! 🍻

09/17/2026

The Akron Bar joins the celebration of this day when our U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787. The Constitution is the framework of our government, and establishes the rights and liberties of Americans.

09/08/2026

That’s a wrap on Bocce with the Bar 2026!

Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy an afternoon of friendly competition, great company, and fun on the courts! ⚖️🎉

A special THANK YOU to our amazing sponsors for helping make this event possible:

Green Level Sponsors
• Stark & Knoll Attorneys
• Roderick Linton Belfance LLP
• Brennan Manna Diamond
• Summit Legal Defenders

White Level Sponsor
• DJ Whaley, CDRE

We’re so grateful for your continued support of the Akron Bar Association and our legal community. And to everyone who attended — thank you for making Bocce with the Bar such a great time! We’ll see you at the next one!

09/03/2026

The 2026 judicial candidate ratings are available now!

The Akron Bar Association's Commission on Judicial Candidates takes a great deal of time to perform their due diligence, which included a review of continuing legal education transcripts, answers to a detailed questionnaire, writing samples, and phone calls with references, in addition to the interview and deliberation process.

More than two dozen qualifying attorneys spent time over ten evenings to complete their work, plus the review time outside of the scheduled meetings, which is greatly appreciated by the association and voters alike.

The full press release is available on our LinkedIn page, and will be posted to our website later this week:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7501285082695962626/

08/27/2026

THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, THE GENERAL DIVISION OF THE SUMMIT COUNTY COURT OF COMMON PLEAS WILL BE CLOSED FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF STAFF

The closure will impact all General Division Courtrooms, Adult Probation Department, Jury and other Division offices. During this closure there will be no public access to these areas.

Please note, this closure will not affect Domestic Relations, Probate, Sheriff or Clerk of Courts functions.

The General Division will resume its normal operations on Monday, August 31, 2026 at 8am.

For more information, please visit the Court’s website at www.summitcpcourt.net.

08/19/2026

🍻🥨 SAVE THE DATE! 🥨🍻

Get ready to raise a glass and celebrate Akron Bar Association Oktoberfest!

📅 Wednesday, October 14, 2026
⏰ 5:00–9:00 PM
📍 Himelright lodge

Mark your calendars now and join us for an evening of good food, good company, and Oktoberfest fun! 🍺

More details coming soon—stay tuned!