Cleveland Law Library Weblog

New 2025 Law360 Pulse Lawyer Satisfaction Survey Indicates that Lawyers' Stress has Increased

According to Law360 news release, a brand new 2025 Law360 Pulse Lawyer Satisfaction Survey indicates that lawyer stress is on the rise. Statistics from the Survey apparently show that the percentage of lawyers who are satisfied with their profession dropped from 66% to 61% over the last year. Statistics also declined to record lows in other areas, including billable hours, advancement opportunities, financial stability, and collegiality. More information about this topic can be found at this link.

National Study Examines Tenants' Rights to Counsel in Evictions

A new study entitled "A Descriptive Analysis of Tenant Right to Counsel Law and Praxis 2017–2024" that was released on Friday by multiple universities outlines tenants' rights to counsel in eviction actions. According to a Law360 article about the study, there are "only five states, 17 cities and one county" that guarantee legal representation to tenants facing eviction. Notably, Cleveland is listed as one of only a few large cities that have created Right to Counsel (RTC) programs. The article details both successes and challenges the programs face nationwide. Among other issues, the article noted that ""Even where funding was available, multiple large jurisdictions struggled to identify a pool of attorneys to staff the program," and local attorneys to be "underpaid and overburdened."

Ohio Primary Election on May 6th

Ohio will head to the polls on May 6th to vote on Issue 2, a renewal of the State Capital Improvements Program that funds critical infrastructure like roads, bridges, and water projects without raising taxes. Early voting is already underway; voters can also request absentee ballots or vote in person at updated polling locations across the state. Don’t forget to bring a valid photo ID when you cast your ballot! For more details on the upcoming election, check out Ideastream's voting guide.

The Dispatch Acquires SCOTUSblog

SCOTUSblog has been acquired by Dispatch Media, Inc. Since its founding nearly 25 years ago, SCOTUSblog has been a trusted resource for journalists, lawyers, and court watchers alike. It has grown into the most comprehensive independent resource on the Supreme Court, known for its detailed case analysis and real-time reporting. This partnership will restore and expand SCOTUSblog’s publishing capabilities, including full analysis of all merits cases and oral arguments. The site will remain free and nonpartisan, with all future content now falling under The Dispatch’s copyright. 

2025 U.S. News Rankings: Ohio Law Schools See Big Changes

The latest U.S. News & World Report law school rankings for 2025 are out, revealing some major shifts among Ohio’s law schools— read the full article here.

The Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law remains the highest-ranked law school in Ohio, despite a slight drop in the national standings. The University of Akron School of Law made the most notable progress, jumping nine spots in the 2025 U.S. News rankings and 20 spots since 2023, thanks to improvements in faculty ratio, selectivity, job placement, and bar passage rates. In contrast, Case Western Reserve and Cleveland State’s law schools each fell 18 spots, marking the biggest declines among Ohio’s nine law schools.

Spotlight on the Supreme Court's Law Library

In celebration of National Library Week, Court News Ohio recognizes the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Law Library for its vital role within the Court and across the state. Housed on the upper floors of the Moyer Judicial Center, the library boasts a rich collection of legal and historical texts, along with a grand Reading Room and multiple murals. The library staff helps with everything from in-depth legal research to genealogical inquiries. They're celebrating Library Week with games, food, and fun displays— check it out!

New Records Retention Rules for Ohio Courts

Court news Ohio just announced changes to the Ohio Rules of Superintendence regarding records retention for Ohio Courts. Effective April 1, 2025, Superintendence Rule 26 generally covers how records must be preserved and the minimum amount of time required to keep the records. These changes affect the following Ohio courts: courts of appeals; general, domestic-relations, and juvenile divisions of the common pleas courts; probate courts; and county and municipal courts. A few specifics include:

• restoration of the requirement to notify the Ohio History Connection before destroying records with a retention period greater than 10 years and created more than 50 years ago;
• removal of transcripts and depositions from Superintendence Rule 26.06 regarding the destruction of court records; and
• addition in Superintendence Rule 26.03(D)(6) related to the retention period based on the type of felony conviction.

Cleveland Public Library to Digitize Massive News Archive

According to a news article from thelandcle.org, the Cleveland Public Library has accepted custody of 250,000 news stories on 16mm film, magnetic tape video, reel-to-reel audio and glass phono-discs from the Northeast Ohio Broadcast Archives. The collection includes news from after World War II through the late 1980s. Up until 2023, John Carroll University has served as the custodian for these records. Kudos to CPL for its initiative to digitize these historic records!

GSA to Close Celebrezze Federal Building, Relocate Employees

The General Services Administration (GSA) plans to relocate over 4,000 federal employees from Cleveland’s Anthony J. Celebrezze (AJC) Federal Building within three years. The building, currently housing 30 federal agencies, has a $175 million repair backlog, prompting the GSA to seek a more cost-effective solution. The 1.2-million-square-foot building will be vacated, closed, and likely offered for sale to local governments. While the GSA is committed to maintaining federal services in downtown Cleveland, they have already pursued new leases for the displaced agencies. Local officials, including Congresswoman Shontel Brown and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, have expressed concerns about the move’s impact on the federal workforce and the downtown economy.