“Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.” – Gail Devers
This Special Edition of the Monday Morning Message is called CSU Law Student Focus. It is intended to highlight and celebrate the individual and group achievements of our very talented CSU Law students.
Individual Student Accomplishments
- 3L Deedra Thompson is the 2025 recipient of the Dean’s Learn Law. Live Justice Award. Each year, I receive nominations from faculty and staff, and then I award this honor to the graduating student I believe best fits the award criteria. The award goes to a student who not only has been academically successful in learning law but also has learned what it means to live justice - to be committed to making clients’ lives better and our communities stronger. The student has demonstrated selflessness, care for his or her classmates, respect for the faculty and staff, perseverance, and shows promise for embracing his or her new law degree as a force for good.
Deedra’s law school journey has been defined by an extraordinary commitment to service. Her leadership and volunteerism in the greater Cleveland community reflect a deep, personal dedication to justice—not just as a legal concept, but as a lived practice. Whether addressing food insecurities or mentoring youth within the Greater Cleveland area, Deedra has consistently used her time, talents, and legal training to uplift others and strengthen the community. Despite the demands of law school, Deedra contributed over 200 hours of service to The Greater Cleveland Food Bank, helping to distribute food and essential supplies to families in need. She has also taken on a leadership role with the Food Bank’s Emerging Professionals Council, where she helps design outreach strategies to inspire and mobilize the next generation of community advocates. Her service has also extended to mentoring first year college students from Cleveland Public Schools through College Now Greater Cleveland. She served as a Teaching Assistant for the Torts course through the Legal Career Opportunity Program (LCOP), supporting first-year students as they adjust to the demands of legal education. She served as Community Service Chair for the Black Law Students Association during the 2023–2024 academic year, where she organized meaningful volunteer initiatives that fostered a culture of service within the law school community. She will begin her legal career at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP after graduation. Please join me in congratulating Deedra!
- 2L Mark Bank won the Ohio State Bar Association's Annual Environmental Law Writing Competition. The award was announced on Thursday, March 27,2025 at the OSBA's Environment, Energy, and Resources Law Institute. Mark's paper was entitled The Nonprofit Governors of America's Power Grid Facing the Electric Demands of the New Age. In February, Mark presented on Cuyahoga County's electric utility at Yale Law School as part of the 2025 New Directions in Environmental Law Conference. https://yaleconnect.yale.edu/NDEL/bank/ Mark is the President of CSU Law's Environmental Law Society.
- 1L Derek Bryan was the only 1L in Cleveland invited to attend Jones Day's national 1L Perspectives and Pathways Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, April 4-5, 2025. Information on conference is here: https://www.jonesday.com/en/firm/inclusion?tab=1lperspectivespathwaysconference
- 3L Philipp Corfman submitted a song to the Misny Music Contest titled "Mr. Misny". While it did not win the top prize, his band was selected to perform a set as part of the Misny Music Concert on June 7, 2025.
- 1L Zenith Donahue was sworn in by the judge as a CASA- Court Appointment Child Advocacy Specialist in Tarrant County, Texas, on March 28, 2025.
- 3L Michael Garetto-Balmer published an op-ed in SpaceNews, one of the most well-known and trusted sources for news and analysis in the global space industry. Find his article at: https://spacenews.com/trekking-into-the-stars-why-due-regard-provides-us-a-new-hope/ His piece provides an in-depth analysis of a specific space treaty provision and how it affects international treatment of space debris and ASATs.
- 3L William Olmstead, through the support of CSU Law faculty and administrators, has secured two federal judicial clerkships following graduation in May. First, with The Honorable Benita Y. Pearson’95 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio from 2025-2026, followed by a clerkship with The Honorable Danny J. Boggs in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 2026-2027.
- 3L Ellenia Matthews, CSU Law SBA President, was elected President of the FB Fairfax Recreation Center Advisory Board. Since 2014, she has volunteered with C.H.A.N.G.E. Volunteers (Community Healers Acknowledging Needs Goals and Expectations) which serves homeless, nursing home residents, at-risk students, and advocates for those without a voice. She serves as Senior Volunteer Lead and has dedicated over 700 hours to this organization.
- 1L Cael Shaw and 3L Kayla Szynal represented CSU Law as student leaders in Levin College's Columbus Seminar. They escorted CSU students around the Ohio Statehouse and Ohio Supreme Court over the 2025 spring break.
- 1L Stacey Steggert co-authored "Out of the Mouths of Yeladim: A Strengths-based Inquiry into a Supplementary Hebrew School," The Journal of Jewish Education, 90(4):305-329. She served as a peer reviewer for the American Education Research Association and blind reviewed 10 papers, provided feedback to authors. This year, she co-founded a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, Ohio Education Advocates, which provides access to quality educational resources for families regardless of income. She is the Executive Director. This year she piloted an after school program for 150 Cleveland students.
Student Organization Accomplishments
The CSU Law National Lawyers Guild (NLG) Second Annual Northeast Ohio State of Labor Conference took place on March 28,2025. The event brought together an impressive number of union-side labor lawyers, organizers, and activists for networking, education, and urgent strategizing for how the labor movement can respond to events occurring in the federal government. NLG co-chairs Amelia Spitzer and Sydney Bowden worked extremely hard to make this event a success.
- The CSU Law Environmental Law Society Spring Climate Conference was organized by 2L Mark Bank, President, and 1Ls Abigail Murray, Daniel Wise, and Colin Morrissey. Nine speakers discussed environmental and energy issues impacting Ohioans, providing 2.25 CLEs to attendees. https://www.law.csuohio.edu/newsevents/environmental-law-society-symposium
Team Accomplishments
- The CSU Law Moot Court Team, chaired by 3L Matt Corrigan, hosted the November 2024 75th Annual NYC Bar Association National Competition Region 8 Regional Tournament for the third consecutive year at CSU Law. They welcomed teams from CSU Law, Case Western, University of Akron, University of Dayton, University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, and Michigan State University. Judge Kathleen Keough ’87 from the Eighth District of Ohio, Judge Benita Pearson ’95 from the Northern District of Ohio, and Judge Alice Batchelder from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit presided over the final round between The Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati.
CSU Law entered two teams into the competition. 3Ls Cecelia Payne and Isaiah Smith argued on both sides of the argument. Finishing 8th overall, Cecelia and Isaiah outperformed the University of Dayton by 5 points in Oral Argument but lost overall by 0.03 points in Round 1, narrowly missed defeating eventual Semi-Finalist University of Kentucky in Round 2, and defeated University of Louisville in Round 3. 3Ls Matthew Holstein, Carter Chippi, and Michael O'Neil finished 12th overall. Unfortunately, the team lost round 1 to University of Akron, could not make ground on eventual Semi-Finalist Michigan State University in Round 2, but outscored the University of Louisville in Oral Argument in Round 3. Congratulations to Chair Matt Corrigan, Vice-Chairpersons 3Ls Matthew Hosler and William Olmstead, Advisors Kyle Hutnick ’16 and Billy Killmeyer ‘20, and the entire team .
Here are excerpts from some alumni who served as volunteer judges and some students from other law schools who participated:
“Thanks, and congratulations again on doing such a great job with this" - Dana Barragate,’95 brief grader and volunteer judge
"First of all, you both did a great job this weekend. The competition ran incredibly smoothly and without any hiccups." - Matt Wagner ’20, CSU Law and Moot Court Alumni, Coach
"I just wanted to share what a pleasure it was to judge today's morning session. Our students were so well prepared. Everything was really well organized by the whole CSU team. Thanks for including me, and please put me on the list for next year!" - Katie McVoy, volunteer judge
"Thank you so much for everything! Truly an excellent event. . . Thank you again! UDSL will be honored to attend again next year." - Emma Goodacre, competitor, University of Dayton
"Thank you for your well-running of the National Moot Court Tournament this past weekend and the last few months. Emma and I much appreciated the time of the Judges and Timekeepers in our rounds who volunteered their time to allow us to participate." - David Haines, competitor, University of Dayton
"Thank you again for such a wonderful experience! Everyone at your school was amazingly kind and helpful; we so enjoyed every aspect of the competition this weekend!" - Kody Lynn Morgan, competitor, University of Kentucky
Clinic Accomplishments
- Appellate Practice Clinic Students assisted members of the community in prevailing in two important cases this semester. Professor Doron Kalir, the Clinic's Director, served as the attorney of record in both appeals. The first case was about a Mother who filed for a Civil Protective Order (CPO) against the Father of her three children. She was drained financially and emotionally and turned to the Clinic for help. Students Lauren Bayrel, Bridget McCourt, Maeve Walsh, and Sydney Washburn turned around - in record time - a Reply Brief to the Father's Motion in Support of Jurisdiction. On April 15, 2025, the Ohio Supreme Court denied jurisdiction in the matter, providing a final win to the client - and a first win to each of the students.
In another case, a car owner had a case of conversion against a car-shop owner in Municipal Court. The car owner turned to the Clinic for help. The Court asked for a mediation session within days of the Clinic accepting the case. Students Holly Lloyd, Madison Newingham, Annaliese Nunes, and Grace Zabi effectively prepared for the mediation session on very short notice. The mediation failed and the Clinic filed a motion to dismiss. The Court accepted the motion to dismiss, landing a victory for the client and our students.
Note: CSU|LAW Student Focus highlights and celebrates the individual and group achievements of CSU|LAW students. These achievements can be individual student achievements or something a student organization, team, clinic, or publication achieved as a group. The contents of the newsletter are based entirely on submissions via the Student Focus Submission Form. The deadline for the final Student Focus of the academic year is Thursday, May 1. I reserve the right to edit submissions.
Have a great day. Have a great week.
The views and opinions expressed in my Monday Morning Message are solely my own and do not reflect the views and opinions of the law school or the university.
For copies of past messages, please go to this link: Monday Morning Messages
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My best,
Lee