34 years after graduating from ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ School of Law, the Honorable Charles Fleming, judge of the Federal District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, will be his alma mater’s 2024 graduation ceremony speaker. This year’s law school commencement will take place from 9-10:30 a.m. in the Veale Convocation, Recreation and Athletic Center on Saturday, May 18.
Fleming graduated from the Law School in 1990. From 1990 to 1991, he was an associate at Forbes, Forbes & Associates in Cleveland. From 1991 to 2021, he served as the assistant federal public defender in the office of the federal public defender for the Northern District of Ohio in Cleveland.
On September 30, 2021, President Biden nominated Fleming to serve as one of the eleven judges with a lifetime appointment of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio has court locations in Cleveland, Akron, Toledo and Youngstown and serves 6 million citizens in the 40 northernmost counties in Ohio.
It's rare for a public defender to be selected for a federal judgeship. During Judge Fleming's confirmation, experts pointed out that having a former public defender on the federal bench will improve the federal judiciary and raise the status of public defenders within the profession.
On February 1, 2022, the Senate confirmed Judge Fleming by a 56–42 vote. He was sworn in on March 11, 2022, becoming the second active African-American judge on the Northeast Ohio Federal District Court. Fleming is well respected in the Cleveland community, he's known as a charismatic speaker, and he has been an engaged alumnus of the Law School.
ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ School of Law is excited to hear Fleming's inspiring remarks on May 18. The ceremony will also be webcast.