Affordable hourly rates and flat fees with extensive experience in housing, eviction, tenant/landlord, real estate and foreclosure law.

Libel Injury Defense, Consumer and Lemon Law

Juris Doctor (JD), The Ohio State University, 1975

I practiced public interest law for 27 years in nonprofit and government legal services programs. I am most proud of my years as the Legal Aid Housing Unit Managing Attorney. As well as providing representation to tenants and low-income homeowners, I believe I helped to mold a unit of attorneys who continued to provide quality and aggressive representation for many years despite turnover in staff, including my own eventual departure from the unit.

I am current on all of my continuing legal education requirements. Additionally, I have given presentations for continuing education seminars on housing matters.

I started my career in 1975 as a VISTA, which is essentially a domestic version of the Peace Corps. I worked as a staff attorney at the Ohio State Legal Services Association, a state support center for legal aid programs in Ohio, I handled various class action and law reform matters at OSLSA. I then worked for two years at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus again handling law reform matters, and then moved onto the Ohio Legal Rights Service as the Litigation Coordinator, where I supervised a staff of attorneys representing developmentally disabled and mentally ill clients around Ohio. Finally, I settled back into Columbus Legal Aid where I spent 20 years from 1982 through 2002, first as a staff attorney, but was promoted to a managing attonrey within nine months of my start date. I managed at various times, the Housing, Domestic and Seniors Unit, until I was promoted to Deputy Director, which was later transformed into a Litigation Director position. I supervised numerous attorneys, paralegals, law clerks, and support staff, and was involved in all phases of the operation of the office. In 2003, I left to pursue other options, finally settling on a housing practice. I am currently operating a home office and trying to provide affordable service to tenants and homeowners.

Over the years I have been involved in numerous class actions and appeals, including several involving housing matters. My most notable housing case was probably Presidential Parks v. Colston, which helped to reestablish an acceptance of rent defense for Franklin County tenants, who paid rent after service of a three day notice to vacate.

The truth is that I stumbled into law as a young man in college but loved the end result, especially my 20+ years in Legal Services, serving low income clients, including tenants and homeowners.

20+ years in Legal Services handling a wide variety of substantive issues, working on dozens of class actions, helping mentally ill/developmentally disabled clients, and advocating for low income tenants and homeowners in state and federal courts has given me a depth of experience. During the last 6 years in private practice I have managed to devise ways to help clients with limited incomes for a reasonable and affordable fee.

I spent 8 years as the managing attorney for the Housing Unit at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus. I developed an extensive knowledge of tenant-landlord law during that time and worked hard in that role to set up an institutionalized representation of tenants. I recognized that tenant representation was an unmet need in private practice as well, and I felt I could offer the benefit of my experience and service to those in need at an affordable fee.

I believe that the service I offer to tenants and low to moderate income homeowners is unusual, although I think it would be presumptuous to say it is unique. I would think it is also unusual for someone of my experience to offer services in this area.

I feel strongly that I work for my clients, no matter what their situation. It's up to me to provide them the best representation, to be the ideal lawyer for them. Still, the organized client is always nice.

I enjoy hiking with my wife, chess (although I don't play against anyone much anymore) and crossword puzzles. I like to read Discover magazine and science fiction novels. Family get togethers with my children, their significant others and our grandsons are always fun. Although I can't run anymore I managed to play a half court basketball game last summer with my kids and grandkids, and I still like to throw the football around with my son and grandsons. I haven't done it for awhile, but occasionally I do some modest juggling. My wife and I like heading to the beach for a vacation, in particular the Outer Banks and Cape Cod.

I am a longstanding board member of the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) and Community Mediation Services (CMS). CCH advocates for homeless persons, and CMS provides mediation and training services. Both are relatively small, but very important organizations.

I will initially discuss your case with you by phone in order to determine whether I can help you and to quote you a reasonable fee.

Retainer fees for many of my cases are $500 or less.

I offer flat fees for evictions and other housing cases, depending on the facts of the particular case. $500.00 is a typical flat fee.

$150/hour