Every year, Case Western Reserve University School of Law honors the achievements of distinguished alumni, faculty and prominent members of the legal community by inducting new members to the Society of Benchers – the law school’s Hall of Fame.
Established in 1962, the Society of Benchers inducts new members on the basis of extraordinary achievement and dedication to the highest principles of the legal profession, as voted on by their peers.
This year, we celebrate 14 new members of the Society of Benchers.
Avidan Cover has taught as a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law for 15 years. He taught in the Milton and Charlotte Kramer Law Clinic, serving clients in matters ranging from evictions to mortgage fraud to prison conditions. He has also taught doctrinal courses in Constitutional Law; Law, Legislation, and Regulation; International Law; International Human Rights Law; and seminars in Race, Law, and Society. Cover currently serves as the director of the Institute for Global Security Law and Policy. From 2019 to 2025, Cover served as the Law School’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Cover’s scholarship focuses on human rights, civil rights and national security law. He is a frequent public commenter on international relations and the law. His articles have appeared in numerous publications including the Georgia Law Review, the Florida Law Review, and the Iowa Law Review. In 2026, Cover was appointed as the Peter M. Gerhart Senior Research Scholar.
Cover was a Fulbright Scholar from 2018 to 2019 in Kenya where he taught international criminal law and legal theory at Strathmore Law School. Cover previously taught at Seton Hall University School of Law, where he supervised the Urban Revitalization Project. In addition, he was a Gibbons Public Interest and Constitutional Law Fellow from 2007 to 2009, litigating prisoner’s rights, same-sex marriage, national security, and education cases. Cover also served as senior counsel at Human Rights First, where he researched and analyzed U.S. military and intelligence agencies’ interrogation and detention policies and practices. He began his legal career as an associate corporation counsel for the New York City Law Department where he represented the city in litigation following the 9/11 attacks. Before embarking on his legal career, Cover was a Teach for America corps member, teaching middle school social studies at Merritt Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
Cover graduated cum laude from Cornell Law School and earned his B.A. at Princeton University.
A proud resident of Shaker Heights, Cover is grateful to his wife, Lora, and his children, Ruby and Solomon, for the joy and support they bring, and their willingness to discuss every case with him. Cover also thanks all the incredible staff, faculty, and students he has been fortunate to learn with, and from, over his years at the Law School.
Rhonda Baker Debevec is a civil trial lawyer who has spent decades fighting for victims injured by medical mistakes, nursing home neglect, sexual assault and driver error. Since 2015, Debevec has owned The Debevec Law Firm located in Cleveland, Ohio. Before founding her own law firm, Debevec practiced at Spangenberg, Shibley and Liber from 1997 to 2015 and became the second woman partner in the Firm’s history in 2007.
Debevec is most at home in the courtroom when the fruits of her hours of preparation finally come to bear. Throughout her career, as lead counsel, Debevec has tried cases within many of Ohio’s 88 counties and twice established a record high jury verdict within a jurisdiction. Debevec’s involvement in cases has improved safety for Ohioans by incentivizing increased adherence to institutional policies and professional guidelines. Most rewarding of all, Debevec has offered friendship and support to her clients in their time of need.
As a full-tuition scholarship recipient, Debevec is intensely grateful to the Law School for the privilege of becoming a lawyer. To “pay it forward,” Debevec has volunteered extensively with the Law School and will soon be installed as the Law Alumni Board’s President. Debevec has also served as President of the Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys and Board Member to the Ohio Association for Justice. In addition, Debevec worked on the Ohio Association for Justice’s Patient Advocacy Task Force, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation’s Judge4Yourself project, Ohio Supreme Court’s Jury Instruction Committee and is an Eighth District Judicial Conference Lifetime Member. For the past 15 years, Debevec has been recognized by Super Lawyers and was recognized as one of the Top 50 Women Ohio Super Lawyers in 2018 and 2020. Less formally, Debevec has been praised as a committed mentor to many legal professionals who learned legal research, deposition, and other litigation skills under her tutelage.
In 1993, Debevec earned her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Kenyon College in Political Science and Spanish Studies and Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from Case Western School of Law in 1997. Debevec is the proud mother of two adult children, Adam and Rachael, who now live in Croatia and Chicago.
Ndubisi Ezeolu is Partner-in-Charge of the Tucker Ellis Los Angeles office and Co-Chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Group.
Bisi represents and counsels businesses, municipalities, and public entities in complex labor and employment matters, serving as a one-stop resource for companies and their executives on a broad range of employment law issues. He has advised on and litigated virtually every wage-and-hour issue there is, including exemptions, incentive compensation, independent contractor status, off-the-clock work, overtime, meal and rest, pay practice, and PAGA claims. Bisi also has litigated a wide variety of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, trade secret, and unfair business practices matters.
Bisi devotes a significant amount of time to serving the community. He has provided pro bono services for homeowners in financial trouble and serves on the board of directors for Five Acres – a non-profit organization committed to providing children and families with mental and health services, foster care, and adoption solutions – and has previously served on the board of directors for the Pasadena Fire Foundation and Kids Included Together.
Bisi and his wife Marisa live in Altadena with their three children. An avid sports fan, Bisi enjoys coaching baseball, soccer, and flag football, and rooting for his favorite teams.
A graduate of Hamilton College and CWRU School of Law (’80), Jeffrey L. Hjelm presently serves as an Active Retired Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Hjelm was appointed to the SJC in 2014, served as an Associate Justice until his retirement at the end of 2019, and became an Active Retired
Justice of the Court in early 2020. In his current capacity, Hjelm sits with the Court in appellate proceedings when called upon and also sits in the trial court in Maine’s mid-coast counties, presiding in criminal cases.
Hjelm was first appointed to the bench in 1992 when he became a judge of the Maine District Court. In 1998, Hjelm was appointed to the Maine Superior Court (Maine’s court of general jurisdiction and jury-trial court), where he was twice reappointed and served for sixteen years before joining the SJC. During his judicial career, Hjelm has been extensively involved in the administration and oversight of Maine’s judicial and legal systems. While an Associate Justice of the SJC, he was the Court’s liaison to the Advisory Committee on the Rules of Criminal Procedure and served on the Legislature’s Criminal Law Advisory Committee. Hjelm also was the Court’s liaison to a number of committees and boards that regulate the Maine bar, including the Overseers of the Bar, the Board of Bar Examiners, and the Lawyers’ Fund for
Client Protection. Hjelm was a member of Maine’s State-Federal Judges Council and served on its Executive Committee. Hjelm has also been involved in matters of judicial ethics, having taught judicial ethics to newly appointed judges for nearly a decade and serving on the Advisory Committee on Judicial
Ethics, which provides guidance to judges on specific ethics questions. He also was a judicial member of the Advisory Committee on the Maine Rules of Evidence.
For his first two years after law school, Hjelm held clerkships with the Superior Court and the SJC. Hjelm then worked as a trial lawyer with a Bangor law firm. In 1987, he became an Assistant Attorney General and prosecuted murder cases, before becoming a District Court judge.
Justice Hjelm and his wife live in Camden and on North Haven Island.
John P. Kellogg, Esq. is Program Director Master of Arts in Music Business at Berklee Online
and retired Assistant Chair of Music Business/Management, Berklee College of Music in Boston,
Massachusetts. In his 40 plus years as an entertainment lawyer specializing in music law, his
clients have included Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees The O’Jays, the late Gerald Levert,
and LSG.
A musician, songwriter, former recording artist and vocalist with the group Cameo, John began his academic career at University of Colorado, Denver as Assistant Professor Music Business. He advocates for the rights of artists through his teaching and writings, which include his best-selling book Take Care of Your Music Business, now in its Third Edition. He has written several peer-reviewed academic journal articles and both developed and taught the first free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the music business, Introduction to Music Business, a top ten finalist for the edX Prize for exceptional contributions for online teaching and learning and another MOOC, Foundations of the Music Business available through Coursera.org. The courses have enrolled over 100,000 national and international students. An active Online educator, Kellogg authored and instructs two other Berklee Online courses.
The former president of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA),
John is a Hall of Fame member of the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association
(BESLA), a panelist and frequent commentor on radio, TV, and other media outlets in the US
and abroad. He has served as judge on the New England Emmy-Award winning TV talent show Community Auditions and was a featured guest in The Story of the Songs which aired on the
Reelz cable network. A long-time member of the Grammy Organization and a volunteer grader
for the Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Competition for law students, John was twice recognized for supporting Grammy’s education, advocacy and human service initiatives.
A graduate of Syracuse University, John received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a
Master of Science, Television and Radio degree from the University’s Newhouse School of
Communication. In 1980 he was awarded his Juris Doctor from Case Western Reserve
University Franklin Backus School of Law. He also completed the Harvard University Graduate
School of Education Management Development Program.
In honor of his late father, who graduated from Western Reserve University School of Law in 1948,
John cofounded the law school’s annual John Wragg Kellogg Prize, to recognize an outstanding minority student.
Susan Racey has devoted 36 years to the practice of estate planning and administration, building a career grounded in thoughtful counsel and steady leadership. Susan began her legal career at Arter & Hadden, the oldest large law firm in Cleveland, until its closure—after which she joined 35 fellow partners in founding Tucker Ellis LLP, carrying forward their shared commitment to excellence and client-focused service.
Susan earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from CWRU School of Law in 1989, where she was an Editor of the Law Review and inducted into the Order of the Coif. She is admitted to practice in Ohio and Florida and is an OSBA Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law.
Susan’s practice includes complex estate and business succession planning, trust administration, contested probate litigation, equine law and the preparation of marital agreements. She played a key role in passing Ohio’s Senate Bill 210 legalizing postnuptial agreements and has testified multiple times before the Ohio Legislature supporting legislation that has improved Ohio residents’ lives. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the OSBA Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section and chairs several subcommittees. Previously, she chaired the Marvin R. Pliskin Advanced Probate Seminar and Cleveland Estate Planning Institute.
An active community leader, Susan has served on numerous charitable boards, including the Cleveland Zoological Society, Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center and its Foundation, Susan G. Komen NE Ohio, Arabian Horse Foundation, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation. She also participates on advisory and planned giving committees for CWRU School of Law, Cleveland Metroparks, College Now, Hattie Larlham, and University Hospitals Diamond Advisory Group. She was humbled to receive the 2024 Estate Planning Council of Cleveland Exceptional Service Award for her community involvement.
David C. Shall has been a television executive for over forty years. He is currently Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel of Beverly Hills-based Tornante Television, a division of The Tornante Company, founded by Michael D. Eisner, former Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. Tornante
Television develops and produces original television shows and digital productions, including the adult-animated series, Bojack Horseman, Tuca & Bertie, Long Story Short and Undone. Tornante Television also produces Scrambled Up, Crime Expose and Judge Faith for syndicated television.
David previously served as Executive Vice President, Business Operations/General Counsel, Fremantle, in Burbank, California, one of America’s foremost producers of reality-based entertainment programming, including American Idol (ABC), The Price Is Right (CBS), America’s Got Talent (NBC) and Family Feud (syndication).
Prior to joining Fremantle in 2003, David was Executive Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs and New Business Development at Twentieth Television, a division of The Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., in Los Angeles. He oversaw all business and legal affairs for such Fox classics as America’s Most Wanted, Cops and Divorce Court. During his ten-year tenure at Twentieth, David also was responsible for all legal matters relating to the off-network syndication sales of Twentieth Century Fox Television’s hit series, including The Simpsons, Family Guy, Malcolm in the Middle and X-Files. Earlier in his career, David served as a business affairs executive at Tribune Entertainment in Chicago and Paramount Pictures in Hollywood.
David is a native of Northeastern Ohio and received his Bachelor of Arts in English and History, and Juris Doctorate, from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He currently resides in Marina del Rey, California, with his wife, Tana Suarez Rivas, dog Maddie and cat Lincoln.
Patricia A. Shlonsky serves as Partner-in-Charge of UB Greensfelder’s Cleveland office, where she leads strategic development, client service, and operational initiatives. With more than 30 years of legal experience, Patty is a trusted advisor in employee benefits law, guiding clients through the complexities of plan establishment, compliance, executive compensation, ERISA litigation, and HIPAA privacy issues.
Patty’s distinguished legal career has earned national recognition. She holds an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell®, is ranked in Band 1 among Ohio’s “Leaders in Their Field” in Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation by Chambers USA and is consistently included in The Best Lawyers in America®.
Patty is active in the legal and employee benefits communities as a member of the American Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and WEB (Worldwide Employee Benefits). She is a Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel and formerly served as Vice President and Trustee of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries Benefits Council of Cleveland.
In addition to her professional achievements, Patty is deeply committed to public service and civic leadership. She received the Ohio State Bar Foundation’s 2025 Ramey Award for Distinguished Community Service, recognizing her longstanding contributions to the community and the 2022 Nettie Cronise Lutes Award, for her efforts to advance and support women in the legal profession. She currently serves as President of the Board of Trustees of the Cuyahoga County Public Library and as a board member of United for Libraries and Bellefaire JCB. Patty is also Secretary of the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio and a member of the Retirement Fund Committee of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.
Patty’s prior community leadership roles include service on the boards of Dress for Success Cleveland, The City Club of Cleveland, BVU: The Center for Nonprofit Excellence, The Center for Community Solutions, and College Now.
Beyond her legal practice and community involvement, Patty is an avid reader and editor of a book review blog.