COLUMBUS — The Ohio State Bar Association recognized two local attorneys for 50 years of service to the community and the legal profession.
Both James Paul Patrick of Lima and Stephen Lloyd Smith of New Bremen were honored at the Ohio Bar’s District 16 annual meeting.
James Paul Patrick, of Lima, is a solo practitioner in the area of business and estate planning. He is a member of the Ohio Bar Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section. In the Lima area, he has served as a member of the board of Marimor Industries and the West Ohio Food Bank and is an active member of his church. He earned his undergraduate degree from Bluffton College and his law degree from the Ohio Northern University Pettit College of law.
Stephen Lloyd Smith, of New Bremen, is a private practitioner and past solicitor for the villages of Danville and New Bremen. He began his career as a U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Captain and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for establishing the Army Inspector General’s procedure for release of information in response to Freedom of Information Act requests. At the Ohio Bar, he has served as the representative for District 16 on the Board of Governors and as a member of the Council of Delegates. In New Bremen, he has been involved with the New Bremen rotary club, athletic boosters and American Legion. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from The Ohio State University.
District 16 includes more than 200 attorneys who practice in Allen, Auglaize, Hardin and Mercer counties.
