Login | August 20, 2025
Donald Duda recognized with Distinguished Service Award
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: August 14, 2025
As a scout leader, solo practitioner Donald A. Duda advises youth to be open to as many different opportunities as possible before deciding on a career.
“I tell the kids don’t judge your future on only what you think you can do or want to do at the moment,” said Duda. “Test your abilities and go from there rather than limiting yourself.”
In his case, he’s speaking from experience, as that’s exactly how his career has played out since graduating from Canfield High School.
“I was initially planning on joining the military right after high school and serving for 20 years or so and then retiring,” said Duda.
He did join the Ohio Army National Guard prior to starting at Youngstown State University, where he majored in marketing management and business administration.
While at YSU, a friend recommended that he contact attorney Ronald Rice (now a judge on the Trumbull County Common Pleas Court), who needed a clerk at the time.
“Law school wasn’t on my radar when I got the job with attorney Rice but then I started learning about what an attorney does,” Duda said. “Practicing law seemed to be kind of like a puzzle that required investigation to get all the pieces to fall into place. I liked the challenges it posed, so I decided to apply to law school and become a lawyer.”
After graduating from YSU’s Williamson College of Business Administration in 1989, he began working toward his juris doctor at The University of Akron School of Law.
But not long after completing his first semester in 1991, he was deployed to the Middle East, where he served as a military policeman in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as part of Operation Desert Shield/Storm.
A year later, he returned to Akron Law to begin his second semester.
“That was hard to do,” said Duda, adding, “I almost considered not returning to school.”
After earning his juris doctor in 1993, he opened a law office in Hubbard sharing space with Rice and his sister Teresa Rice Daugherty.
Duda also accepted a commission with the Army JAG (judge advocate general) Corps, serving as an assistant staff judge advocate.
He retired from the military in 2003, having attained the rank of captain.
Duda, who focuses on civil litigation with an emphasis on contract and construction disputes, continues to assist veterans and current service members with legal matters.
In addition to his law practice, he’s also been a limited service assistant prosecutor in the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office since June 1997, where he is assigned to the sanitary engineer’s office.
Duda joined the Mahoning County Bar Association in 1994 and is a longtime member of the Law Day committee. He’s also a member of the Ohio State and Trumbull County bar associations.
Over the years, Duda has given back to the Mahoning County community in numerous ways.
Duda is the scoutmaster for Troop 25 in Canfield and previously served as an assistant scoutmaster for a significant amount of time.
He is also involved in youth shooting sports in Mahoning County and is a longtime volunteer with the Mahoning County Market Livestock Committee.
“The market livestock committee is a large group of adult volunteers who give countless hours to young people to help them prepare to show and sell their livestock at the Canfield Fair,” said Duda. “I am proud to serve the youth showing livestock at the fair.”
Recently, he was informed that he’d been selected as this year’s Distinguished Service Award recipient.
“I was surprised to learn that I was being awarded the Distinguished Service Award, but at the same time honored to learn that all of my volunteer time was being recognized by my colleagues at the bar,” said Duda.
He received the accolade on June 30 during the bar association’s annual election banquet & golf outing at the Youngstown Country Club.
Outgoing Mahoning County Bar Association President Corey Grimm, a partner at Ingram, Grimm & Yacovone, said Duda is “most deserving” of the Distinguished Service Award.
“Don has always been heavily involved in Law Day planning as a longtime member of the Law Day committee,” said Grimm. “He serves the community at large in many other roles and has been a civil prosecutor for as long as I can remember.
“His efforts continue to make our community a great place to live and practice law.”
Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro said Duda is a “hardworking, ‘salt of the Earth’” assistant prosecutor, who does his job to the best of his ability.
“There is no pretense with Don,” said Maro. “He means what he says and does what he means.
“He is an excellent choice for the Distinguished Service Award,” said Maro. “He has worked tirelessly on our Law Day committee grading student essays and helping the committee promote interest in the legal profession among young people.”
Duda lives in Berlin Township with his wife and has two adult children, two grandchildren and another one expected by mid-September.
His son, Donald III, and daughter, Annamarie, have followed in his footsteps by serving in the military, much like he did with his own father.
“My dad enlisted in the Army and was stationed in Korea,” said Duda. “My son is a member of the Air Force Reserve right now and my daughter recently completed her enlistment in the Air Force.”
As for his future plans, Duda said he intends to continue to practice and serve as a youth volunteer, however, he hopes retirement is “on the not-so-distant horizon,” so he can spend more time with his family, especially his grandchildren.
“I enjoy being a lawyer and assisting people who need guidance with their legal matters in their time of need,” said Duda. “My favorite part of my practice is construction litigation. I previously worked as a carpenter and cabinetmaker in high school, college and law school.
“During my first year of practice, I continued to install custom kitchens in and around Mahoning County,” said Duda. “I still enjoy the trades and like to keep busy making things with my hands. I recently started to learn some machinist skills and use those skills in my gunsmith hobby.”