Résumé of Richard R. Renner

Résumé of:
RICHARD R. RENNER

OFFICE:	HOME:
Tate & Renner 505 N. Wooster Ave. P.O. Box 8 Dover, OH 44622-0008 (330) 364-9900 FAX: (330) 364-9901	131 Park Avenue, N.W. New Philadelphia, OH 44663-1817 (330) 364-1285 Email: rrenner@igc.org www.taterenner.com

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
TATE & RENNER Dover, Ohio Partner. May, 1995, to present.	Founding partner in Tuscarawas County's first interracial private law office. Purchased, renovated, and operated office building. Continued office as solo practitioner after partner's death. Hired and supervised staff, including Office Manager, Legal Secretaries, and Associate Attorneys. Initiated monthly client newsletter, The sTATEr. Richard is available as an event speaker about environmental whistleblowers and their legal rights. Won reinstatement for Donna Trueblood in the first environmental whistleblower case against the WTI hazardous waste incinerator in East Liverpool, Ohio. After an 11-day trial, Judge Richard Morgan issued a decision finding company witnesses had "strayed from the truth." Community activist Alonzo Spencer said the decision has given new hope to their efforts against this illegal and unsafe plant. Read the 2003 decision here. Coordinated successful legal actions for environmental whistleblowers at regional wastewater authority. Department of Labor hearing lasted 20 days in 1997; reinstatement order issued. With co-counsel, won First Amendment protections in Charvat v. EORWA, 246 F.3d 607 (6th Cir. 2001). Won public document case in Ohio Supreme Court. State ex rel. Russell v. Thomas (1999), 85 Ohio St.3d 83, 1999-435. Founded Hispanic Ministries of Tuscarawas County, Inc. (1997). Served as president. Represented refugees. Wrote successful friend-of-the-court briefs in State ex rel. Ten Residents v. Belskis (2001), 142 Ohio App.3d 296, and Vasquez v. Kutscher, 95 Ohio St.3d 280, 2002-Ohio-2125 establishing right to a marriage license without a Social Security number. Lost asylum case for Honduran afraid of extrajudicial killing upon deportation. Castellano-Chacon v. INS, 341 F.3d 533, 544 (6th Cir. 2003). Traveled to Guatemala in 2001, 2004 and 2006 to study its language and culture, and visit clients and their families. Obtained a writ of mandamus to secure the right of immigrants to file for a marriage license in State ex rel. Valero v. Park, 2007-Ohio-6179. Asserted Fourth Amendment and due process rights for Guatemalan immigrant in Miguel v. INS (2004). Represented John Jasinski in nuclear and environmental whistleblower case against The Wackenhut Corporation and Exelon Corp., operators of the Three Mile Island nuclear power station. Read Garry Lenton's story for the Harrisburg Patriot-News about John's case. Represented Chris Kerper and Carrie Lavery in unfair labor practice charges while they organized and won two union elections, 49-48 and 12-5, in 2007. Read news story here. Won settlement for environmental whistleblower case against the City of Torrington, Wyoming, for employee who reported superintendent's misconduct to the US EPA. Read local news story. Won settlement agreement for Dover Girls Softball in 2005 civil rights claim against City of Dover. City adopted new policy to provide equal services for girls and boys recreational programs. Read news story here. Adjunct Faculty at Kent State University, Tuscarawas Branch. Taught Mathematics and Environmental Law, 1998-2000. Prevailed in Ohio Supreme Court appeal for Wilbert and Emma Kail in Lonas v. Kail (2001), 91 Ohio St.3d 1201, 740 N.E.2d 1103, 2001-Ohio-228. Protected clients from suit by former attorney for fees in excess of amount approved by the Industrial Commission. Wrote successful friend-of-the-court brief to Ohio Supreme Court on the right of domestic violence victims to receive a protection order. Felton v. Felton (1997), 79 Ohio St.3d 34, 1997-Ohio-302. Prevailed in two appeals establishing the right of custodial grandparents to be parties in Juvenile Court cases. In re Sebastian, 2002-Ohio-782; In re Perez, 2004-Ohio-2707. Member of New Philadelphia Housing Appeals Board, 2003-2006. Pillars Club Community Service Award 1995. Tuscarawas County NAACP Freedom Fund Award for the Furtherance of Social Justice, 2008. Organize annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.
PUBLICATIONS
Author of A Union Victory at Case Farms, 2007. Reversed Allen J. Christenson's K'iche'-English Dictionary into an English-K'iche' Dictionary. Author of "Federal Environmental Whistleblower Complaints," in ,i.Employee Rights Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Summer 2002), pp. 29-34. Author of "Whistleblower Book Helps with All Retaliation Cases," a review of Concepts and Procedures in Whistleblower Law, NELA Employee Advocate, Spring 2001, p. 24. Author of "Federal Whistleblower Complaints," feature article for Ohio Employment Lawyers Ass'n Newsletter, October, 1996. Author of Workplace Fairness web pages on the rights of environmental whistleblowers, corporate whistleblowers, union activists, airline employees, trucking whistleblowers, and the First Amendment Rights of Public Employees. Presented "Sarbanes-Oxley and other federal whistleblower protections " to Ohio Employment Lawyers Association, 2004-03-04. Presented "Informed Consent and the Obligation of Attorneys to Clients" for seminar in Akron, November 1, 1995. Moderated seminar on ethics, professionalism and substance abuse for Tuscarawas County Law Library, November 28, 2001. Author of Learning from Experience, my harrowing tale of surviving a kayak trip.

EDUCATION

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW.
New York, New York.

J.D. awarded June, 1981. Legal intern in Criminal Law Clinic representing indigent defendants. Initiated N.Y.U. participation in Unemployment Action Center, and represented claimants in administrative appeals. Lived in City-owned building in the Bronx and was active in its tenant association. Student representative on law school's Executive Committee. Reporter for student newspaper, The Commentator.

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.
Cambridge, Mass.

S.B. in mathematics awarded June, 1978. Researched MIT's use of Social Security numbers and racial discrimination in Boston Housing Authority's tenant selection. Member of non-residential service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. Member of MIT's Educational Council.

BACKGROUND

Professional Memberships	National and Ohio Employment Lawyers Associations. Co-Chair of the NELA Whistleblower Committee, (2006-2008). Member of National Ethics Committee and Ohio Amicus Committee. Wrote amicus brief for Ohio Supreme Court in Peters v. Columbus Steel Castings Co., 2007-Ohio-4787, Hispanic Ministries of Tuscarawas Co. (Pres. 1997-98, 1999-2001, 2003-present) National Whistleblower Center (Secretary, 2002-present). Wrote friend of the court brief for the No FEAR Coalition in Murphy v. IRS for rehearing in 2007, arguing that compensatory damages are not taxable income. Filed Brief of Amici Curiae for environmental groups in Doyle v. Hydro Nuclear Services, a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court. Elected Democratic Precinct Committeeman for New Philadelphia Ward 1E in 1994, re-elected in 1996-2000. Resigned 2001 and 2007 to run for Probate/Juvenile Judge. Served as voter protection counsel for Kerry/Edwards campaign in 2004 and Ohio Democratic Party in 2006; wrote letter to Board of Elections on Republican challenges. National Lawyers Guild (Chair of national Economic Rights Task Force, 1989-91; keynote speaker of Midwest Regional Conference, October, 1991; member of 2005 delegation to Chiapas, Mexico) National Organization for Legal Services Workers (NOLSW) (1987-1995), UAW Local 2320, AFL-CIO (Regional Vice President, 1990-1995) Tuscarawas County AFL-CIO Council (Trustee, 1992-94; First Vice President, 1994-1995) Ohio NOW Education and Legal Fund, Board member, 1990-95. Represented Fund in application for tax exemption, and in amicus brief to Ohio Supreme Court on domestic violence, Felton v. Felton (1997), 79 Ohio St.3d 34.. Treasurer of local bar association, 1997; Vice Chair of Publicity and Community Relations Committee, 1993-96. Ohio State Bar Association (member of Labor & Employment Section Council, 2005).
Professional Philosophy	Attorneys must give clients the information needed to make decisions affecting their cases. Zealous advocacy for individual rights builds public confidence in a civil law system for nonviolent resolution of disputes. Advancing the civil rights of workers, consumers, minorities and the poor advances the social justice of our community.
Personal Interests	Wooster Friends Meeting (Quakers), skating, racquetball, unicycling, step aerobics and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Married to Laura R. Yeomans, Pastoral Associate for Hispanic Ministries of St. Joseph Catholic Church. One grown daughter, Jennie. Received 2004 award for Big Brother of the Year from BB/BS of East Central Ohio. Winner of National Public Radio weekly puzzle challenge, 1995-06-25. Editor of electronic synopsis of NPR's weekly puzzle, available at http://groups.google.com/group/nprpuzzle?hl=en.
Bar Admissions	Admitted to practice before the Ohio and U.S. Supreme Courts, U.S. Courts of Appeals for the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth and District of Columbia Circuits, and U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio.

Tate & Renner

Attorneys at Law