CNN Legal Analyst Avery Friedman, a C|M|LAW alumnus, Hall of Fame member, and adjunct law professor, and Michael Borden, associate dean of CSU’s Cleveland Marshall College of Law, will be honored for their devotion to legal ethics and professional development in the Great Room of the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, October 20.
CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law alumna and Assistant United States Attorney Margaret Sweeney ’10 recalls being taught the benefits of attending law school at a young age. There was always an expectation that she would attend law school, Sweeney recalls from her office, where a Jello-stained bib from her infancy hangs on the wall that reads, “Future Lawyer.”
CSU C|M|LAW alumnus Thomas Scanlon '63, an inaugural member of our Hall of Fame, has been a staple of the Cleveland legal, Irish-American, and greater Cleveland community during his 57 years practicing law. Honoring his work with each of those communities, Scanlon was named 
Little did Alumnus Kevin Butler '01 know that his Cleveland-Marshall roots go even deeper than he had imagined. What follows is a truly remarkable story of legacy and love.
CMLAA Alumni of the Year recipient Judge John J. Russo ’92 comes from a large, close-knit family where he was one of nine children. Having learned the importance of hard work, giving back family from their parents, all nine siblings went on to unique career paths, with John choosing a career in law. After 12 years in private practice as a civil and criminal litigator, he was elected to the Court of Common Pleas Bench in 2005.
THE HONORABLE JOHN J. RUSSO is the Administrative and Presiding Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Ohio in Cuyahoga County, which serves the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area. It is home to 1.2 million people (2010 census). Judge Russo has been unanimously elected by his colleagues to lead the Court every year since November 2013.
TERESA METCALF BEASLEY’S practice focuses on public finance, real estate development and financing, and economic development incentives. Teresa has represented private entities and local and county government relations, including municipalities, school boards, port authorities, healthcare entities and library systems on various legal and legislative matters.
Civic engagement with Cleveland is second nature to Sunny Nixon ’11. Growing up in Dover, Ohio, 90 minutes south of Cleveland, she first fell in love with the "The Forest City” when her dad brought her family to Cleveland to attend the annual convention for the Ohio Fire Chiefs’ Association. Nixon recalls being mesmerized by the impressive malls and lakefront that define Cleveland’s downtown.