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Akron attorney to take over as head of the OSBA
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: May 20, 2016
He’s made his mark on the Ohio State Bar Association as a member of the Board of Governors, the Council of Delegates and most recently as president-elect, but starting July 1 Roetzel & Andress partner Ronald S. Kopp will begin a one-year term as president.
Kopp officially received his new title during the Ohio State Bar Association All-Ohio Legal Forum (formerly the OSBA convention and annual meeting), which took place at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza/Duke Energy Center from April 27 to 29.
According to Mary Augsburger, executive director of the OSBA, Kopp is the 11th legal professional from Akron to become president. Kopp is also the second lawyer from his firm to take on the job; attorney Chester Wise held the title in 1941.
“I am looking forward to working with Ron,” said Augsburger. “He has a wealth of leadership experience and knowledge about how the bar association works.
“I have gotten to know him well. He’s a financial hawk and he will ensure that members’ dues are spent to provide great services.”
Kopp said he has many plans to bring to the table.
“I officially accepted the gavel on April 28 during our annual meeting,” said Kopp. “I have a number of goals that I hope to accomplish in the upcoming year which I outlined in my acceptance speech.”
At the top of his list, he said, is joining forces with the courts, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the legislature to fight the opioid epidemic in the state.
“It seems as though Ohio is ground zero for heroin,” said Kopp. “One of the things I want the OSBA to do is to work with the courts to either improve the existing drug courts or create new drug courts in places where they do not exist. Funding is a key element.”
Kopp will also be continuing the Access to Justice Initiative begun by outgoing president John D. Holschuh Jr., a partner at Santen & Hughes who focuses on medical malpractice and personal injury matters.
“There are so many Ohioans in need of a lawyer who cannot afford one,” said Holschuh. “Statistically, only one of four people who qualify by income level for legal aid receives representation.
“Ron has pledged to continue my work to improve access to justice and I have faith that he will continue to do just that. He and I get along exceedingly well and he has been invaluable to me during my tenure as president.”
Kopp said he plans to work with the Ohio Supreme Court to find solutions to the legal aid funding crisis.
“The problem is that a significant portion of the funds for legal aid comes from the interest made on IOLTA accounts (Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts),” said Kopp. “The interest rate has dropped so dramatically in recent years that revenues have gone from $22 million in 2007 to just under $3 million in 2014.”
Jane Taylor, director for pro bono and communications at the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation, said the lack of money available to legal aid has presented a number of challenges.
“I have heard many judges say that the percentage of cases where at least one party is unrepresented is increasing, particularly in the area of family law,” said Taylor, a former OSBA president. “As complex as our legal system is, it is often difficult to navigate without the benefit of representation. That slows the resolution of their cases and affects the time it takes for other cases to be resolved.
“I am very encouraged by President Kopp’s pledge to find a resolution to the funding issue.”
Taylor said this isn’t the first time she’ll be working with Kopp toward some common goals. The two have known one another since at least the time that Taylor served as president of the Akron Bar Association.
“Ron is also a former Akron bar president and he and I have developed a collegial relationship through the Akron Bar Association past presidents group,” said Taylor. “I think he’s extremely well qualified and will do an amazing job as OSBA president. He’s thoughtful, organized and deeply committed to the issues that are important to all Ohio lawyers.”
A native of Canton, Kopp received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Miami University and his juris doctorate degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. He joined Roetzel & Andress in 1979, immediately after passing the bar, and handles business litigation and corporate disputes.
In addition to doing a stint as Akron Bar Association president, he is a founding member and past governor of the Akron Bar Foundation. He’s been a member of the OSBA Board of Governors since 2012, having chaired the budget and headquarters committee and served on the audit committee. He also spent time on the OSBA’s Council of Delegates. Kopp belongs to the American and Federal bar associations and is a former adjunct professor at The University of Akron School of Law.
Kopp is active in his community, currently chairing Leadership Akron’s board of trustees. He serves as the secretary of both the John S. Knight Memorial Journalism Fund and the Welty Family Foundation. In addition, he’s been a trustee for United Disability Services, the Summit County Historical Society and the Akron General Medical Center Foundation and is a past president of the Fairlawn Country Club.
Kopp said one of his other key goals as president is creating a more diverse and inclusive bar.
“During our time in Cincinnati, we met with many leaders of the African-American bars across the state,” said Kopp. “We intend to continue that conversation as well as reach out to other minority and female bar associations so that we can come up with ways to collaborate and do better for the mutual benefit of members and the public.”
During his time as president-elect, Kopp was appointed chair of the Futures Commission by Holschuh.
“The commission is looking at several issues pertaining to the future of legal services,” said Kopp. “There are a large number of people who are attempting to represent themselves using various online tools. There are also online legal providers such as Rocket Lawyer, Avvo and LegalZoom that are attempting to represent clients or make referrals and we are examining whether these services should be regulated for the benefit of the public.”
In addition to the commission, Kopp headed up another task force at Holschuh’s request charged with reviewing the way in which the OSBA holds elections.
“We have always required members to attend the convention and vote in person,” said Holschuh. “Ron studied whether we should allow members to vote electronically. He made a recommendation to allow electronic voting and it was unanimously passed by the OSBA General Assembly.”
The three-year trial period on electronic voting begins in 2017.
President-elect designee Randall M. Comer, a partner at Martin, Browne, Hull & Harper in Springfield, said he’s looking forward to working with Kopp. The two have known one another for the past three years during which time they served together on the OSBA Board of Governors.
“It’s been an honor and privilege to work with Ron,” said Comer. “He is an excellent attorney. He has a sharp mind and is extremely well spoken. He has been an outstanding board member that gets to the heart of matters quickly and provides thoughtful ideas on how to improve our association and our profession.
“One of the things I like best about Ron is that he takes matters seriously without taking himself too seriously. That is a special quality. I am certain that he will make an excellent president,” said Comer.