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Local judge, attorney receives the OSBA Bar Medal
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: October 26, 2018
Be good, do good, be yourself—those are the words longtime Elyria attorney and former Judge Joseph Cirigliano said he’s relied on to guide him throughout his life.
“My parents and my older brother used to repeat those six words when I was growing up and I think they have served me pretty well,” said Judge Cirigliano.
“I decided to become a lawyer when I was very young after I witnessed my parents getting taken advantage of because they were foreigners and others being taken advantage of because they were a different color,” said Judge Cirigliano. “I saw a number of things going on in this country that I thought weren’t right and it was clear that so many people needed help.
“My parents always stressed the importance of education, which helped make my goal more obtainable.”
After over 65 years of public service Judge Cirigliano has received the Ohio State Bar Association’s highest honor, the Bar Medal, which is awarded to those who have given unselfishly of their time and talent by taking prominent leadership roles on the bench and in the organized bar and to those who have worked quietly to earn the admiration and respect of the community.
The Bar Medal was presented to Judge Cirigliano on Aug. 23 by Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) President Robin Weaver during the bar association’s annual meeting and convention luncheon, which took place in the Easton Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Columbus at Easton.
In his speech, Weaver stated, “We have a long list of distinguished recipients, but in my view, that list would not be complete without this year’s honoree: The Honorable Joseph Cirigliano, a former member of the OSBA Council of Delegates and the Board of Governors.
“I have known Joe for many years,” he stated in his speech. “He’s a good lawyer. A great golfer. An outstanding judge. And an even better human being.
“Joe has certainly made a difference.”
Judge Cirigliano said the award was totally unexpected.
“I was astounded and mystified as to why they chose me,” said Judge Cirigliano. “I said to my wife I’m sure there were other lawyers who were more deserving. She said that I had done a lot and that I deserved the recognition.”
J. Michael Monteleone, of counsel at Jeffries, Kube, Forrest & Monteleone Co., said there is no question that Judge Cirigliano earned the award.
“I’ve known Joe for about 30 years and he is a ‘class act,’” said Monteleone. “As a judge he was fair and humble and he never lost his temper. He has served his country, the legal profession and the community.
“He has an outstanding, well-rounded legal mind,” he said. “He is very ‘old school,’ in that he believes when someone does good they don’t need a pat on the back because they are only doing what they are supposed to do. That’s truly why he doesn’t expect any awards for what he has done in his career.
“I am proud to call him a mentor, colleague and a great friend,” said Monteleone.
The son of Italian immigrants, Judge Cirigliano was born in Berea, Ohio. His family moved to Elyria when he was five and he’s been a lifelong resident ever since.
After graduating from Elyria High School in 1942, he enrolled at Baldwin Wallace College (now Baldwin Wallace University). Shortly after he began, he left to join the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served from April 1943 through Dec. 26, 1945 and earned the rank of corporal.
He then returned to Baldwin Wallace and obtained his bachelor’s degree in history. In 1952, he received his juris doctor from the school now known as Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
After passing the bar, he opened his own law office in Elyria, handling a large number of criminal defense cases along with other matters.
He served as a judge on the Lorain County Common Pleas Court from 1981 to 1989 and on the 9th District Court of Appeals from 1989 to 1991. He returned to the common pleas court in 1995 after being appointed as a visiting judge by the Ohio Supreme Court.
Judge Cirigliano stepped down from the bench in 2005 because of age restrictions, joining the litigation department of Wickens Herzer Panza.
“On Jan. 20 of this year I decided I should not practice law anymore and I went on inactive status with the Ohio Supreme Court,” said Judge Cirigliano, 94. “I am still at the firm, but I do not take on cases.”
The judge assists with research and is a mentor and consultant to attorneys at the firm.
Judge Cirigliano was a member of the OSBA Board of Governors from 2008 to 2011. He also served on the OSBA Council of Delegates, the Ohio Judicial College Board of Trustees and the Lorain County Bar Association Executive Committee.
A former law director for the city of North Ridgeville and former Elyria councilman, Judge Cirigliano chaired the Elyria Civil Service Commission and sat on the Elyria Charter Commission.
Judge Cirigliano also served on the Lorain County Community College Board of Trustees and currently sits on the Lorain County Community College Foundation Board of Directors.
An avid golfer, Judge Cirigliano worked to establish the annual Jack Nicklaus Scholarship Golf Outing and Endowment Fund at the college, which over the last 28 years has raised about $1.5 million to support student scholarships.
To pay tribute to the decades of service the judge and his wife Beverly provided to the college, in 2014 the Judge Joseph and Beverly Cirigliano Studio Theatre was dedicated in their honor.
“He reminded all of us that it really means something to be a lawyer,” Weaver stated. “By virtue of our unique training and talents, we all have it within us to make a difference in people’s lives. And that’s what we should strive to do.”