From the Deans' Suite - 11/13/26 - Family and Firsts
Last Friday we welcomed six extraordinary leaders into the Cleveland State University College of Law Hall of Fame: Janet Burney ’79, Peter Klein ’81, Becky Ruppert McMahon, Robin Wilson ’96, Elmer J. Whiting Jr. ’55, and our Leader on the Rise, Ashley Jones ’11. Their stories brought two enduring themes in our school’s history and culture into focus: family and firsts.
Of the more than 200 members of the CSU Law Hall of Fame, at least 31 are related to another member.
Janet joins her sister, Dr. Nona Burney ’81, in the Hall of Fame. Her godson, 3L Joshua Brown, introduced her, and her grandniece, Jamya Terry ’24, was in the audience to celebrate. Peter traced his decision to attend law school to his cousin Sylvia Klein Adler ’43. He later graduated alongside another cousin, Louise Dempsey ’81, who joined the Hall of Fame in 2017. These connections are part of a larger story: hundreds of our graduates share family ties.
Family at CSU Law extends well beyond relatives. It includes the friendships, mentorships, and professional bonds that bring people back to support one another, year after year. We saw that last night in the scores of alumni who joined us to celebrate this year’s honorees.
The dedication that inspires that kind of commitment to an institution comes from a deep-seated culture developed over decades. You can’t buy it or engineer it. But you can honor and preserve it. Our Hall of Fame is one of the many ways we do that.
The Hall of Fame also celebrates our proud history of graduates who were first in their fields; who broke down barriers for themselves and for others like them.
Janet became the first Black woman elected to the Juvenile Court bench in Cuyahoga County. Elmer became Ohio’s first Black CPA and the first Black partner at any of the nation’s Big Eight accounting firms. Peter was one of the first attorneys embedded in a private equity firm.
They join a long list of Hall of Fame members who shared their determination to refuse to accept the status quo. Sheryl King Benford ’79, a member of the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2017, recounted that rich history for us last evening and is a living example herself, serving as the first Black woman administrator in the East Cleveland schools, the first Black Law Director of Shaker Heights, and the first woman General Counsel of the RTA.
Our student speakers, Joshua and 2L Rachel Revehl, connected that history to the present. Joshua described finding his purpose to become a changemaker in the arraignment room and at CSU Law, finding the support to pursue it. Like many of our graduates, Rachel came to law school after a distinguished career, in her case, journalism, to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. She told us plainly that realizing her dream would have been impossible without the generous scholarship support we raise through the Hall of Fame and other generous donors.
Thank you to our Hall of Fame sponsors and donors for helping our students pursue their dreams and write the next chapter of this school’s history.
Many people worked incredibly hard to make the evening special. Olivia Kentner orchestrated it with grace and tireless energy, with essential contributions from Nicole Roberts, Jill Natran, Konrad Hodgman, Karyn Newton, Rick Zhang, and Eric Domanski. Many additional staff, faculty, and students volunteered in big and small ways. Katherina Zizis produced the wonderful videos telling our honorees’ stories. We are grateful to all of them, and to Provost Sridhar for his warm welcome and support.
Congratulations to our 2026 honorees. It was a privilege to celebrate with you and your families.
Warmly,
Brian and Carolyn