About Pat DeWine

Pat is a 1990 graduate of Miami University. Pat received a bachelor of arts with a major in History and a bachelor of science in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs, maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average and receiving summa cum laude honors. At Miami, Pat was awarded the academic Alumni Scholarship three times, received recognition as the top student in the political science department and was a national Truman Scholarship finalist alternate award winner.

Pat received his law degree from one of the nation’s top law schools, the University of Michigan, where he graduated in the top ten percent of his class with cum laude and order of the coif honors. During his time in law school, Pat worked a stint in the Greene County Prosecutor’s office. Pat had the honor of being selected and serving as Executive Editor of the University of Michigan Law Reform law school. In addition, he was a moot court semifinalist and received academic awards as the top student in his Property and Legal Writing classes. In addition to his academic achievements, during his third year in law school, Pat finished second in the Toledo marathon, with a time of 2:30:53, one of the top marathon times in the state that year.

After law school, Pat had the honor of being selected for a clerkship on the United States of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, one of the most prestigious and sought after positions a young lawyer can receive. Pat served under the Honorable David A. Nelson, who had been appointed to the Sixth Circuit by President Ronald Reagan. During his clerkship, Pat performed extensive legal writing, analysis and research on civil and criminal matters. .

Following his clerkship, Pat accepted a position with one of Cincinnati’s top law firms, Keating, Muething & Klekamp, P.L.L, where he has practiced law for the past 12 years. Pat has a broad range of litigation experience, including securities fraud litigation, the defense of personal injury claims, constitutional and voting rights claims, the defense of labor and employment claims, tax appeals, zoning and property rights matters, contract disputes, trade secrets, bankruptcy matters, securities arbitrations and complex commercial litigation. Pat has experience in appellate argument and litigation, representing clients in matters before appellate courts in Ohio as well as in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth and Third Circuits. He has also prepared responses to petitions in the United States Supreme Court.

For the past several years, Pat has specialized in mass tort bankruptcy matters, advising clients across the country and appearing in proceedings in New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut.
 

Pat DeWine's Public Service

Pat will bring a unique perspective and a familiarity with the concerns of local communities to the bench because of his public service as a County Commissioner and a member of Cincinnati City Council.

Pat has served as a Hamilton County Commissioner since January of 2005. On the Commission he has focused on reforming County government, improving public safety and protecting tax dollars. He has been a tireless advocate for the taxpayers, leading efforts to defeat a $777 million sales tax increase and he successfully reduced several property tax levies, saving taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. He has worked to reform the criminal justice system and increase the number of jail spaces available within existing resources. He has helped initiate neighborhood probation substations and supported efforts to allow the prosecutor to target the most violent criminals. He has helped reform the department of Jobs and Family Services and initiated important reforms in the foster care system. He also successfully blocked the use of County tax dollars to fund abortion services. Last year, Pat was honored by the Reason Foundation by being named an “Innovator In Action,” along with such leaders as Rudy Giuliani and Jeb Bush, for his efforts to reform County government.

From December 1999 to December 2004, Pat served as a member of Cincinnati City Council. He served as stint as chairman of the Law and Public Safety Committee, working to improve public safety. After the riots, Pat initiated legislation that increased the police presence on the streets. He also initiated a focus on neighborhood quality of life and order issues, that included crackdowns on such nuisances as abandoned cars, weeds and litter. Pat took the lead in creating a largely private sector $100 million loan fund that served as a catalyst for investment in new housing in the City. He successfully led the fight to rollback city property taxes and saved millions by rooting out waste and abuse in such areas as overtime, and unnecessary take home cars and cell phones.

Pat lives in Pleasant Ridge and is the proud father of three sons, Michael (12), Matthew (10) and Brian (6).