Cleveland Bar Association

Organization (f. 1873) of Cleveland (Ohio) lawyers whose purpose is to maintain the honor and dignity of the law profession and promote legal and judicial reform. Operating via a series of committees, the association over the years has investigated misconduct by lawyers, judges, sheriffs, and police, which has resulted in resignations and/or disbarment.

Founded in 1873 to establish and enforce standards of conduct for members of the legal profession and to promote legal and judicial reform. The Cleveland Bar Assoc. was instrumental in the formation of the Ohio State and American Bar Associations.

The Cleveland Bar Association was founded at a meeting of fifty-three lawyers on March 22, 1873, in the Law Library Room of the Cleveland Court House. The purpose of the Association was "to maintain the honor and dignity of the Profession of the Law; to cultivate social intercourse and acquaintance among members of the Bar, and to increase their usefulness in aiding the administration of justice, and in promoting legal and judicial reform."

The Bar immediately began to act on these responsibilities; one of its first resolutions called for the resignation of a federal judge due to his alleged lack of integrity. The Cleveland Bar Association was instrumental in the formation of the Ohio State Bar and of the American Bar Association. Shortly after the turn of the century, the Association issued a call for the establishment of a Municipal Court and began discussing the possibilities of endorsing candidates for the bench.

It was not until 1922 that the Association actually began to endorse individual candidates but, from that time, the "bar slate" began receiving extensive publicity in the press. On occasion, the press coverage was uncomplimentary; many felt that the lawyers of the city were apt to choose candidates more on the basis of the lawyers' success in the courtroom than on grounds of proper judicial qualifications. Nevertheless, the Bar persisted and each year, after a carefully administered membership poll, continued to announce a list of "preferred" candidates.

Over the years, the Association has often come to the aid of those whose civil rights were endangered or violated. The first example of this occurred in 1925; seeking a suspect in a murder case who had been described as Chinese, the Cleveland police arrested, fingerprinted and detained almost the entire male Chinese population of the city. The Bar was quick to protest and, eventually, extracted a pro forma apology from the city. Perhaps the most widely publicized example was the defense, in 1955, of eleven Cleveland residents indicted as "subversives" under the Smith Act.

From the original founding group, the Cleveland Bar Association has grown to over thirty-six hundred members in its centennial year. Among the many prominent citizens of the Greater Cleveland area who have been enrolled in the Cleveland Bar Association are: Florence E. Allen, Newton D. Baker, Luther Day, Mary B. Grossman, Frank A. Quail, and Lillian Westropp.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Cleveland Bar Association

The Cleveland Bar Association was founded at a meeting of fifty-three lawyers on March 22, 1873, in the Law Library Room of the Cleveland Court House. The purpose of the Association was "to maintain the honor and dignity of the Profession of the Law; to cultivate social intercourse and acquaintance among members of the Bar, and to increase their usefulness in aiding the administration of justice, and in promoting legal and judicial reform."

The Bar immediately began to act on these responsibilities; one of its first resolutions called for the resignation of a federal judge due to his alleged lack of integrity. The Cleveland Bar Association was instrumental in the formation of the Ohio State Bar and of the American Bar Association. Shortly after the turn of the century, the Association issued a call for the establishment of a Municipal Court and began discussing the possibilities of endorsing candidates for the bench.

It was not until 1922 that the Association actually began to endorse individual candidates but, from that time, the "bar slate" began receiving extensive publicity in the press. On occasion, the press coverage was uncomplimentary; many felt that the lawyers of the city were apt to choose candidates more on the basis of the lawyers' success in the courtroom than on grounds of proper judicial qualifications. Nevertheless, the Bar persisted and each year, after a carefully administered membership poll, continued to announce a list of "preferred" candidates.

Over the years, the Association has often come to the aid of those whose civil rights were endangered or violated. The first example of this occurred in 1925; seeking a suspect in a murder case who had been described as Chinese, the Cleveland police arrested, fingerprinted and detained almost the entire male Chinese population of the city. The Bar was quick to protest and, eventually, extracted a pro forma apology from the city. Perhaps the most widely publicized example was the defense, in 1955, of eleven Cleveland residents indicted as "subversives" under the Smith Act.

From the original founding group, the Cleveland Bar Association has grown to over thirty-six hundred members in its centennial year. Among the many prominent citizens of the Greater Cleveland area who have been enrolled in the Cleveland Bar Association are: Florence E. Allen, Newton D. Baker, Luther Day, Mary B. Grossman, Frank A. Quail, and Lillian Westropp.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Cleveland Bar Association

The Cleveland Bar Association was founded at a meeting of fifty-three lawyers on March 22, 1873, in the Law Library Room of the Cleveland Court House. The purpose of the Association was "to maintain the honor and dignity of the Profession of the Law; to cultivate social intercourse and acquaintance among members of the Bar, and to increase their usefulness in aiding the administration of justice, and in promoting legal and judicial reform."

The Bar immediately began to act on these responsibilities; one of its first resolutions called for the resignation of a federal judge due to his alleged lack of integrity. The Cleveland Bar Association was instrumental in the formation of the Ohio State Bar and of the American Bar Association. Shortly after the turn of the century, the Association issued a call for the establishment of a Municipal Court and began discussing the possibilities of endorsing candidates for the bench.

It was not until 1922 that the Association actually began to endorse individual candidates but, from that time, the "bar slate" began receiving extensive publicity in the press. On occasion, the press coverage was uncomplimentary; many felt that the lawyers of the city were apt to choose candidates more on the basis of the lawyers' success in the courtroom than on grounds of proper judicial qualifications. Nevertheless, the Bar persisted and each year, after a carefully administered membership poll, continued to announce a list of "preferred" candidates.

Over the years, the Association has often come to the aid of those whose civil rights were endangered or violated. The first example of this occurred in 1925; seeking a suspect in a murder case who had been described as Chinese, the Cleveland police arrested, fingerprinted and detained almost the entire male Chinese population of the city. The Bar was quick to protest and, eventually, extracted a pro forma apology from the city. Perhaps the most widely publicized example was the defense, in 1955, of eleven Cleveland residents indicted as "subversives" under the Smith Act.

From the original founding group, the Cleveland Bar Association has grown to over thirty-six hundred members in its centennial year. Among the many prominent citizens of the Greater Cleveland area who have been enrolled in the Cleveland Bar Association are: Florence E. Allen, Newton D. Baker, Luther Day, Mary B. Grossman, Frank A. Quail, and Lillian Westropp.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Cleveland Bar Association

The Cleveland Bar Association was founded at a meeting of fifty-three lawyers on March 22, 1873, in the Law Library Room of the Cleveland Court House. The purpose of the Association was "to maintain the honor and dignity of the Profession of the Law; to cultivate social intercourse and acquaintance among members of the Bar, and to increase their usefulness in aiding the administration of justice, and in promoting legal and judicial reform." The Bar immediately began to act on these responsibilities; one of its first resolutions called for the resignation of a federal judge due to his alleged lack of integrity. The Cleveland Bar Association was instrumental in the formation of the Ohio State Bar and of the American Bar Association. Shortly after the turn of the century, the Association issued a call for the establishment of a Municipal Court and began discussion the possibilities of endorsing candidates for the bench. It was not until 1922 that the Association actually began to endorse individual candidates but, from that time, the 'bar slate" began receiving extensive publicity in the press. On occasion, the press coverage was uncomplimentary; many felt that the lawyers of the city were apt to choose candidates more on the basis of the lawyers' success in the courtroom than on grounds of proper judicial qualifications. Nevertheless, the Bar persisted and each year, after a carefully administered membership poll, continued to announce a list of "preferred" candidates.

Over the years, the Association has often come to the aid of those whose civil rights were endangered or violated. The first example of this occurred in 1925; seeking a suspect in a murder case who had been described as Chinese, the Cleveland police arrested, fingerprinted and detained almost the entire male Chinese population of the city. The Bar was quick to protest and, eventually, extracted a pro forma apology from the city. Perhaps the most widely publicized example was the defense, in 1955, of eleven Cleveland residents indicted as "subversives" under the Smith Act. From the original founding of the group, the Cleveland Bar Association has grown to over thirty-six hundred members in its centennial year. Among the many prominent citizens of the Greater Cleveland area who have been enrolled in the Bar Association are: Florence E. Allen, Newton D. Baker, Luther Day, Mary B. Grossman, Frank A. Quail, and Lillian Westropp.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Cleveland Bar Association