Our firm received a special award on Law Day, May 5, 2005, from the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, recognizing the innovative pro bono publico program that our firm started with the Public Defender's office, whereby associates in the firm rotate through the Public Defender's office to gain on-their-feet experience. The firm received an award of "Special Recognition for Your Pro Bono Contribution to the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court." The firm is proud of the public service program that it designed and implemented in partnership with the Public Defender's office. The result is that indigent criminal defendants obtain quality representation, the burden on the Public Defender's office is lessened, and our associates gain courtroom experience by handling such matters as preliminary hearings, motions to suppress, and felony jury trials. In his remarks presenting the award, Judge John Kessler, Presiding Judge of the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court, commended our firm for this program and explained that it was unique among law firms in Ohio in so doing. The award also recognized the numerous other pro bono activities in which the firm engages. Charlie Faruki, who accepted the award on behalf of the entire firm, said that the award really belongs to the enthusiastic associates who have made the program a success.

During the past month Charlie Faruki spoke at two programs. He taught at the Annual Convention of the Ohio State Bar Association in Columbus on the subject of protecting trade secrets. In addition to reviewing the civil and criminal law of trade secrets, Charlie emphasized the precautionary measures that can be taken by companies seeking to protect trade secrets, and the "flipside" of that question, the checklist for discovery to be used by a defendant in a trade secrets action that wishes to prove that inadequate security measures were taken. In addition, at the invitation of one of the firm's clients, Charlie gave an in-house presentation to the legal department, on the subject of Winning Jury Trials in Montgomery County.

FI&C associates Eli Kiefaber and Brian Wright, working pro bono, successfully appealed the sentence of William DeLong, an indigent defendant. On April 15, 2005, Ohio's Second District Court of Appeals reversed the trial court's sentence of restitution due to a lack of specificity. The decision also is the first from the Second District Court of Appeals regarding the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's Blakely v. Washington decision on Ohio's sentencing scheme, an issue not yet resolved by Ohio's courts.

FI&C associate, Julie Zink, participated in a special panel presentation for "Women in Law" at the University of Dayton on April 20, 2005. Julie was one of five local female attorneys on the panel fielding questions from undergraduates relating to the practice of law in the Dayton community. The presentation was sponsored by the University of Dayton Prelaw Program, Women's Center, and Women's Studies Program.