Leadership Academy

We know lawyers. We know leaders.

The CMBA’s 10-month, selective and highly-regarded program provides leadership and professional development for anyone with a minimum of three years legal experience.

Candidates must have a demonstrated passion for the profession and civic engagement, a genuine commitment to expanding leadership development, and an excitement for building relationships with a broad cross-section of lawyers and leaders in greater Cleveland.

In addition to meeting with and learning from some of the most accomplished lawyer leaders in greater Cleveland, our Leadership Academy includes partnerships with Cleveland’s leading professional development firms and individuals, which will provide Academy participants with customized individual consultations and group sessions.

Bring Your Leadership Skills Full Circle

Academy Calendar for the 2025–2026 Year:

Kickoff: Thursday, September 25, 2025
Monthly Sessions are typically held on Thursdays
Graduation: Summer 2026

For questions, contact Academy Coordinator, Chief Relationship Officer, Melanie Farrell by email or by phone at (440) 479-2703.

What’s included with the Leadership Academy experience?

Aside from the priceless value of honing your leadership skills and expanding your professional network, the Leadership Academy delivers:

Individual leadership and emotional intelligence assessments, with one-on-one follow-up
Goal-setting exercises, with individual coaching opportunities
Hands-on instruction from local industry experts in leadership and professional development
Exposure to legal and community leaders
Opportunities to serve the community through special pro bono projects
Project work: developing and presenting, as a small group, a project specially chosen to help enhance the CMBA & legal community
A minimum of 10 hours of CLE and more.

Please contact Melanie Farrell for more details.

Monthly sessions will kick off in September 2025 and will conclude in June 2026.

Topics covered at Leadership Academy

Lawyers as Leaders
Leadership Essentials
Difficult Conversations
Building Your Healthiest Brain
The Inclusive Leader
Design Thinking
Your Potential Realized

The CMBA Leadership Academy was life changing for me and helped me find my voice as a leader. Through this experience, I was able to learn more about who I am and gain confidence and skills to show up as the leader, professional, and human being I want to be. This experience came at exactly the right time in my career and I truly believe helped give me the courage to pursue goals outside of my comfort zone. I will always be grateful for everything I have learned and the incredible new network of colleagues and friends I have met.

The Honorable Anne McDonough

Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division - Leadership Academy

Congratulations to the 2025 – 2026 Leadership Academy Class

Stephanie Adams, The Sherwin-Williams Company

Michael Cantu, KJK

Magistrate Sharon Ditko-Bevione, Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court

Halie Evans, Brennan, Manna & Diamond, LLC

Stephen Franks, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP

Zachariah Germaniuk, Douglass & Associates, Co., L.P.A.

Jacob Hailperin-Lausch, Buckley King, LPA

Katherine Ham, Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP

Grace Goodluck, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland

George Kennett, Flannery Georgalis

Katie Morgan, Morgan Law, LLC

Tas Nadas, Nadas Law, LLC

Clayton Papenfus, Cavitch, Familo, & Durkin Co., L.P.A.

Maxwell Peltz, Ritlzer, Coughlin & Paglia Ltd.

Tyler Portner, Tyler Portner Law

Thomas Robinson, Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court

Kelly Rochotte, Bolek Besser Glesius, LLC

Melissa Salamon, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland

Julie Terry, Chicago Title Insurance Company