CONTACT:  Kenneth A. Brown—800-282-6556 or 614-487-4426

COLUMBUS (Sept. 21, 2009) - The president of the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) will visit Canton on Thursday, Oct. 1 to speak to area attorneys about current issues facing the legal profession, and to honor Richard D. Brunn of Massillon and John P. Van Abel of North Canton for their 50 years of service to the legal profession.

Barbara Howard, 2009-2010 OSBA president, will address the annual luncheon meeting of OSBA District 14 at the McKinley Grand Hotel (320 Market Ave. South, Canton).  OSBA District 14 includes 737 members who practice in Carroll, Stark and Tuscarawas counties.

Gust Goutras, District 14 representative to the OSBA Board of Governors, will preside over the meeting, which will include the election of one member to the OSBA Council of Delegates.  Shawn O. Robertson, Stark County Bar Association president, will deliver welcoming remarks.  OSBA members are welcome to attend the business meeting at no charge.

Following the noon luncheon meeting and recognition, optional continuing legal education (CLE) seminars will be offered from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. for a total of 2.5 CLE credit hours.  Advance seminar/lunch registration is $83 for OSBA members and $98 for non-members; seminar-only registration is $60 for members and $70 for non-members; lunch-only registration is $23 for members and $28 for non-members.  After Sept. 24, $25 will be added to the total registration fee.

The Ohio State Bar Association, founded in 1880, is a voluntary association representing approximately 25,000 members of the bench and bar of Ohio as well as nearly 4,000 legal assistants and law students.  Through its activities and the activities of its related organizations, the OSBA serves both its members and the public by promoting the highest standards in the practice of law and the administration of justice.

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