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Richard M. Lewis

Contact Me:

Jackson, OH

Fax :

740-286-2988

Practice Areas:

  • Litigation

Certified Legal Specialties:

  • Certified in Civil Trial Advocacy as a Specialist in Civil Litigation, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1990

Biography:

Richard M. Lewis is a Jackson, Ohio attorney with over 30 years of experience. This experience includes litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and teaching. Mr. Lewis graduated from Capital Law School in Columbus, Ohio in 1982. In 1979, Mr. Lewis graduated from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Mr. Lewis' legal experience is varied and rich. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Association for Justice, the Ohio State Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, and the American Bar Association. As a member of these organizations, Mr. Lewis has held a variety of leadership roles, including serving as Vice-Chair of  The Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Certification of Attorneys as Specialists, a former member of the Executive Committee of the Ohio Association for Justice, the OSBA Committee on Unjust Criticism of Judges, and past president of the Jackson County Bar Association. He currently is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association in Insurance law specialization committee and the Ohio State Bar Association's Litigation Section Council's Committee on Rules & Legislation. He was the 2007-2008 Vice-Chair, Consumer Law Section, OATL (Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers), now OAJ (Ohio Association for Justice).

During Mr. Lewis' legal career he has represented a wide variety of clients and has been part of important decisions, including counsel for the plaintiffs in Akers, et al v. Alonzo M.D., et al.

In addition to a career as legal counsel, Mr. Lewis has pursued various opportunities as a lecturer to other legal professionals on topics involving the law. Some of the issues that were addressed by Mr. Lewis are courtroom tactics for lawyers, discovery issues that arise in medical malpractice cases, and professional responsibility requirements of Ohio attorneys.

Mr. Lewis has also published a number of scholarly and practical articles written for Ohio trial lawyers. Some of the subjects include professional ethics, nursing home abuse, and courtroom procedure.

Mr. Lewis has served as an expert witness in a number of cases, regarding legal malpractice and whether charges for attorney fees were appropriate. Click here for descriptions of other accolades.

Education:

  • Capital University Law School, Columbus, Ohio
    • Juris Doctor - 1982
    • Honors: American Jurisprudence Award, Business Associations 1981
  • The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
    • Bachelor of Arts - 1979
    • Major: Political Science
    • Minor: Philosophy
  • Continuing Legal Education - Ohio Bar College

Bar Admissions:

  • Ohio, 1982
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio, 1984
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1986
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1999

Past Positions:

  • The Law Firm of Richard M. Lewis, Sole Practitioner, 2001
  • Cole & Lewis, Partner, 1996 to 2000
  • Ochsenbein, Cole & Lewis, Partner, 1986 to 1996
  • Sole Practitioner, Sole Practitioner / General Practice, 1985 to 1986
  • Mary Bone Kunze, Associate, 1983 to 1985
  • Sole Practitioner, Sole Practitioner / General Practice

References :

  • Former Gov and U.S. Congressman Ted Strickland, P.O. Box 580, Lucasville, OH 45648
  • Honorable Leonard F. Holzapfel - Judge, Jackson County Common Pleas Court
  • Honorable Jeffrey Simmons - Judge, Vinton County Common Pleas Court
  • Honorable Stephen D. Michael - Judge, Jackson County Common Pleas Court, Probate/Juvenile Divisions
  • Honorable William H. Harsha - Judge, Fourth District Court of Appeals
  • Fred Gittes, Past President, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Frank Todaro, Past President, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Steve Collier, Past President, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Dale K. Perdue, Past President, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • James Dennis, Past President, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Anne M. Valentine, Past President, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Richard D. Topper, Esq.,
  • John F. Winkler, Esq.,
  • Mark Kitrick, Past President, Ohio Assication for Justice

Classes/Seminars:

  • Lecturer on Wrongful Foreclosure Cases, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Consumer Law CLE Seminar, 2007 to 2007
  • Lecturer on Case Law Update, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Domestic Relations Law, 2006 to 2006
  • Lecture on "Set-Offs In Cases Involving Multiple Defendants, An Analysis of Fidelholtz", Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers Negligence Law, 02/08/2002 to 02/08/2002
  • Instructor of "Direct Examination" Trial Advocacy Skills Workshop, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 2002 to 2002
  • Lecture on "So You Have a Trial Date, Now What?", Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 02/02/2001 to 02/02/2001
  • Lecture on "Ethical Considerations Concerning Lawyer Advertising", Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 12/06/2001 to 12/06/2001
  • Instructor of "Cross Examination", Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Lecture on "An Overview of Ohio Law Pertaining to Nursing Homes and Residential Care Facilities", Professional Education Systems, 05/25/2000 to 05/25/2000
  • Lecture on "Biomechanical Engineers (An option in Soft Tissue Injury Cases)", The Kentucky Academy of Trial Lawyers, 03/10/2000 to 03/10/2000
  • Lecture on "Biomechanical Engineers (An Option in Soft Tissue Injury Cases)", Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1999 to 1999
  • Lecture on "Opening Statements (Good Beginnings Beget Good Endings)", The Summit County Trial Lawyers Association, 11/13/1998 to 11/13/1998
  • Lecture on "The Ethics of Lawyer Advertising", CLE Institute, 10/15/1998 to 10/15/1998
  • Lecture on "Dram Shop & Liquor Law", Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1996 to 1996
  • Lecture on "Case Law Update", Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1995 to 1995
  • Lecture on "Building Your Discovery Arsenal - Obtaining the Ammunition You Need", Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1994 to 1994
  • Lecture on "The Oft-Forgotten Essentials of Trial Preparation", Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1993 to 1993

Published Works:

  • "Building Your Discovery Arsenal", CLE Seminar manual of the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers Seminars, 1994
  • "The Oft-Forgotten Essentials of Trial Preparation", CLE Seminar Course Manual of the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers Regional Seminars, 1993
  • "Ethics of Lawyer Advertising", CLE Institute course manual, 1998
  • "Good Beginnings Beget Good Endings", Trial Practice Seminar course manual, 1998
  • "Biomechanical Engineers (An Option in Soft Tissue Injury Cases)", CLE Seminar Manual, 1999
  • "An Overview of Ohio Law Pertaining to Nursing Homes and Residential Care Facilities", CLE Seminar manual, 2000
  • "Recognizing Viable Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse cases", Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers Regional Seminars course manual, 2000
  • "Set-off in Cases Involving Multiple Defendants: An Analysis of Fidelholtz v. Peller", Ohio Trial Magazine, June Volume II, 2001
  • Domestic Relations, National Board of Trial Advocacy, 1994
  • Case Law Update, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Family Law Seminar Course Manual, Domestic Relations Law, 2006
  • Wrongful Foreclosures, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Consumer Law Seminar Court Manual, 2007

Representative Cases:

  • Akers, et al v. Alonzo, M.D., et al, 1992

Professional Associations:

  • Supreme Court Commission, Member, 2002 to 12/2003
  • Supreme Court Commission, Reappointed Member, 01/2004 to 12/2006
  • Association of Trial Lawyers of America
  • American Bar Association, Section of Litigation
  • Ohio State Bar Association, Committee for Independent Judiciary and Unjust Criticism of Judges, 2001
  • Jackson County Bar Association, Past President
  • International Who's Who
  • Who's Who in American law
  • Strathmore's Who's Who Registry
  • Jackson Rotary Club, President
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Board of Trustees, 1993 to 2004
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Executive Committee, 1996 to 1999
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Budget Committee, 1993 to 1994
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Supreme Court Screening Committee 1994, 2003 to 2004
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Chair, Family Law Section, 1995 to 1996
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Chair, Membership Committee, 1996 to 1997
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Moderator Family Law Seminars, 1996 to 1996
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Vice-Chair Family Law committee, 1994 to 1995
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Co-Chair, Family Law Seminar, 1995 to 1995
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Vice-Chair, Regional Seminars, 1997 to 1997
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Chair Advocates Circle, 1998 to 1999
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Co-Editor "OATL Book of Complaints" Recipient of Distinguished Svc Awd, 2002 to 2002
  • Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, Co-Editor, Big Book of Motions, 2005 to 2005
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • American Association for Justice
  • American Bar Association
  • The Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Certification of Attorneys as Specialists, Vice-Chair
  • Ohio State Bar Association Insurance Law Specialization Committee, Member
  • OATL (Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers), Vice-Chair, Consumer Law Section, 2007 to 2008