Title: Ohio State Bar Assn. v. Cleminshaw

State: ohio

Issuer: Ohio Supreme Court

Document:

[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it may be cited as 
Ohio State Bar Assn. v. Cleminshaw, Slip Opinion No. 2013-Ohio-5200.] 
 
 
NOTICE 
This slip opinion is subject to formal revision before it is published in 
an advance sheet of the Ohio Official Reports.  Readers are requested 
to promptly notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of Ohio, 
65 South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, of any typographical or 
other formal errors in the opinion, in order that corrections may be 
made before the opinion is published. 
 
SLIP OPINION NO. 2013-OHIO-5200 
OHIO STATE BAR ASSOCIATION v. CLEMINSHAW. 
[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets,  
it may be cited as Ohio State Bar Assn. v. Cleminshaw,  
Slip Opinion No. 2013-Ohio-5200.] 
Unauthorized practice of law—Questioning witness during an administrative 
hearing—Consent decree—Injunction issued. 
(No. 2013-1346—Submitted September 11, 2013—Decided December 5, 2013.) 
ON FINAL REPORT by the Board on the Unauthorized Practice of Law 
of the Supreme Court, No. UPL 11-06. 
____________________ 
Per Curiam. 
{¶ 1} Pursuant to Gov.Bar R. VII(5b), the Board on the Unauthorized 
Practice of Law has recommended our approval of a consent decree proposed by 
relator, Ohio State Bar Association, and respondent, John D. Cleminshaw.  We 
accept the board’s recommendation and approve the proposed consent decree as 
submitted by the parties as follows: 
 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
2 
 
Whereas, Respondent is not and has never been an attorney 
admitted to practice, granted active status, certified to practice law 
in the State of Ohio pursuant to Rules I, II, III, IV or V of the 
Supreme Court Rules [for] the Government of the Bar; 
Whereas, on December 1, 2010, Robert D. Mellinger filed 
a complaint with the Ohio State Bar Association Unauthorized 
Practice of Law Committee [“OSBA UPL Committee”] alleging 
that John Cleminshaw engaged in the unauthorized practice of law 
by cross-examining him while he was a witness in a hearing before 
the Wayne County Board of Revision as an appraiser for the 
Orville Shopping Center; 
Whereas, Respondent admits that while retained as a 
consultant real estate appraiser by the Wayne County Board of 
Revision, he questioned Mr. Mellinger, while Mr. Mellinger 
appeared as a witness; 
Whereas, Respondent admits that his conduct constituted 
the unauthorized practice of law; 
Whereas, Respondent has ceased engaging in the type of 
conduct described in the complaint and has ceased doing so since 
August of 2010; 
Whereas, respondent agrees not to engage in said conduct 
or in any other conduct that would constitute the unauthorized 
practice of law into the future; 
Now, therefore, upon the consent of the parties affixed 
hereto, it is hereby ordered and decreed as follows: 
1.  Respondent shall not examine witnesses or otherwise 
participate in a County Board of Revision hearing through any 
conduct that would constitute the unauthorized practice of law; 
January Term, 2013 
3 
 
2.  This consent Decree does not prohibit Mr. Cleminshaw 
from attending hearings of County Board of Revisions as a 
consultant to, and provide advice to Panel Members of the Board 
of Revision during said hearings; 
3.  Based upon the facts: that Respondent was unaware that 
his conduct constituted the unauthorized practice of law at the time 
he undertook said activities; that Respondent has ceased and 
desisted said activities and has not engaged in such activities since 
he was first put on notice of the investigation by the Relator on 
January 12, 2011; that Respondent completely cooperated with the 
investigation by the OSBA UPL Committee with respect to the 
complaints against him; that no harm came to any third party as a 
result of his conduct; and that Respondent has agreed to cease and 
desist said conduct in the future, as well as any conduct that 
constitutes the unauthorized practice of law, no civil penalty shall 
be applied. 
4.  There are no costs that have been incurred. 
So ordered. 
O’CONNOR, C.J., and PFEIFER, O’DONNELL, LANZINGER, KENNEDY, 
FRENCH, and O’NEILL, JJ., concur. 
____________________ 
William Hicks and Eugene Whetzel, for relator. 
Thompson Hine, L.L.P., Frank DeSantis, and John R. Mitchell, for 
respondent. 
________________________