Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation Past President Jan Roller has three passions that she pursues with maximum intensity: her career as a trial lawyer, her commitment to raising a family, and her drive to serve the community. In today’s My BarStory, this Living Legacy Award Recipient tells us how she did it, and how she wants to be of service on a global scale. She sat down in our Studio at the Bar with her old friend CMBA Director of Member and Donor Engagement Mary Groth.
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation Past President Jan Roller has three passions that she pursues with maximum intensity: her career as a trial lawyer, her commitment to raising a family, and her drive to serve the community. In today’s My BarStory, this Living Legacy Award Recipient tells us how she did it, and how she wants to be of service on a global scale. She sat down in our Studio at the Bar with her old friend CMBA Director of Member and Donor Engagement Mary Groth.
Becky Ruppert McMahon (00:05):
Welcome back everyone. I'm C M B A C E O. Becky Rupert McMahon, Cleveland Bar Foundation. Past President Jan Roller has three passions that she pursues with maximum intensity. Her career as a trial lawyer, her commitment to raising a family and her drive to serve the community. In today's my bar story, this Living Legacy Award recipient tells us how she did it and how she wants to be of service on a global scale. She sat down in our studio at the bar with her dear friend, C m b, a director of Member and donor engagement, Mary Growth.
Mary Groth (00:40):
I'm privileged today to interview Jan Roller. Jan is a past president of our Cleveland Bar Foundation. She was president for two years in 2005 and 2007, and I'm pleased to be able to interview her for this Living Legacy podcast. Jan, how are you today?
Jan Roller (00:57):
I am very good and certainly very honored to be here, and especially with you, Mary, who we've known each other for a long time. We
Mary Groth (01:03):
Have. We go way back. Yes, we do. To the Davis and Young Days. Yes. You know, you were a crusading woman attorney at Davis and Young First, first partner, first
Jan Roller (01:12):
Woman, first partner, Uhhuh <affirmative> woman partner, right? Oh, yes. Yes. Right.
Mary Groth (01:16):
You're somebody that's been in our legal community, at least I look, I've looked up to 'cause you, your skills are outstanding, but you've also been a mentor to so many and an inspiration to so many. So it's great to have you here today.
Jan Roller (01:27):
It's so nice to hear <laugh>. Thank you so much. Yeah, I'll talk about your career. I appreciate that. So, Jen,
Mary Groth (01:31):
When and how did you decide to go to law school?
Jan Roller (01:34):
<Laugh>? That's, that's a good question. And, and I, and in thinking about that, I had to search back. I mean, I grew up on a farm. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> in a town of 500 people in Michigan. We had a blinker light in the middle of town everybody. Well, there were no, certainly no there was no diversity except for the migrant workers that came up to pick the crops that I was familiar with. Picked the crops on our farm because my father worked for the HJ Heinz Company growing cucumbers that were turned into pickles, and he was in charge of the Pickle Station In my large extended family, I'm certainly the only lawyer. So where, where did it come from? And, you know, I trace a lot of it back to the fact that I loved my weekly reader.
Jan Roller (02:17):
The weekly reader would come to our mailbox and my sister and I, we'd run and get it, and it, it told about the world. You know, I lived in such a small, confined area with again, no diversity, no, no big buildings, nothing. And, but yet it said about the world beyond. Mm-Hmm. And so that piqued my curiosity. My father and my uncle were both in World War ii, and so, you know, what was that all about? And so just history, government law, politics was something that I just was very interested in. Then I, I got to college. I thought, oh, I'd be a teacher that, that's what I, I'd like to do, be a teacher, probably a history teacher. But my boyfriend, who later turned out to be my husband, said, no, what you should think about the law. And that's how it happened. I went to Denison University, then to Case law school, and it went on from there. And
Mary Groth (03:05):
You met at Denison? Your
Jan Roller (03:07):
My, no, we, my husband and I are high school sweethearts. Oh, that's right. Yeah.
Mary Groth (03:10):
Okay. Very good. So he grew up in a small town as well.
Jan Roller (03:13):
Well, that we moved when I was from this small town of 500 people to the metropolis of Fremont, Ohio. 18,000 people. So that was, that was a big move, and that's where he was from. Got it. So I went to junior high and high school in that town where he was.
Mary Groth (03:26):
And then Denison is in beautiful Grandville, Ohio. Oh, yeah.
Jan Roller (03:29):
Wonderful.
Mary Groth (03:30):
Which is kind of wonderful school. It's a rural but close to Columbus. It's a beautiful and a terrific school.
Jan Roller (03:34):
Yeah. Small, private liberal arts. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> meeting people that are very different than me from all over the country. That was the first time really, really opening the world to me. I went to Denmark for my junior year and traveled all around Europe, and again, just opening the world farther and farther. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>. And that was a great experience. Terrific.
Mary Groth (03:52):
Yeah. That's interesting. It's funny too, my first aspiration was history teacher as well. I have a history degree. Oh, you do. You thought about teaching. Ah,
Jan Roller (04:00):
So there you
Mary Groth (04:00):
Go. We're very sim similar in that regard. So law school, how did you enjoy the experience? And what did you do right after law school? Where did you practice first? Yeah.
Jan Roller (04:10):
I, I enjoyed law school very much. I was very, because I knew I wanted to be a trial lawyer. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>, I wanted to be a litigator. I think, I think I have a bit of a, the ham in me, the, you know, the theatrical production. I've always thought of trial work as you know, you're, you, you produce the show. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>, you gather the the scripts <laugh> the evidence, and you present it, and you yourself participate in the show. In law school, I was very involved with the national court competition mm-hmm. <Affirmative> and was a, a finalist in the national court competition there. We got married that summer and my husband went to law school in the Boston area and followed him there and became, because I wanted to be a trial lawyer, I knew criminal law. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> was where I'd get a lot of really great experience, which I did at the District Attorney's office in Boston.
Jan Roller (04:55):
However, if I may, Mary <laugh>, here's, here's part of that story. All the women were put in the appellate division. The men that were hired went right to the trial level, even though, of course we wanted to right all be trial lawyers. And the group of women who were in the appellate division, we went to the Mass Commission Against Discrimination, and they said, we'll, take your case. This isn't right. But because I was making the poultry sum of $8,600 a year, and my husband was at Harvard Law School, I couldn't afford to do, to stay with that effort and went down to Plymouth County. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> the and, and had a wonderful experience, had a, had trial work there in Plymouth County, and had a wonderful mentor the district attorney there. He was great to me. And that, that was a great experience. Yeah. So
Mary Groth (05:44):
You got to do the trial work. So we both came into the law, I think at times when women were very much the minority. And things have changed. Some <laugh>.
Jan Roller (05:56):
I have stories,
Mary Groth (05:57):
Stories I can imagine. Do many stories. Yeah, I can imagine You do. I as well. You know, it's amazing now that women make up more than 50% of our law school classes. Yeah. Yet there are still challenges and issues.
Jan Roller (06:08):
Yeah. You know, it's funny, I was asked to go back to a meeting at, at Case law School, and they said it was my year of graduation, which was in 79, that it really began to turn mm-hmm. <Affirmative> to much greater numbers of women in the law. And, and certainly you know, there was a healthy population in my year, but again, trial experience, I often was the only woman except the court reporter. <Laugh>. Yeah. It's a adversarial system, can be very aggressive at times. And you gotta be in the game. Yeah. You gotta be tough. So I enjoyed it. Always enjoyed it. What
Mary Groth (06:41):
Types of cases did you litigate?
Jan Roller (06:43):
Once I left the criminal law mm-hmm. <Affirmative> when we came, then in 83, we came to Cleveland. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>, and I began at the law firm of, well, short time law firm in, in Beechwood. But then I wanted to work downtown. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>, I wanted to be part of the fabric of Cleveland. And so I joined the law firm of Davison Young. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>, it's a firm that started in 1922, mainly doing insurance defense work. By the time I was hired in 83, as I said, I was the first woman, then the first woman partner. It was all litigation, and it was all medical, medical-legal. I tried a lot of cases because the insurance industry is quite frugal to be polite. You really couldn't have two lawyers on a case. I'd be the only lawyer. I always was the only lawyer representing my client. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. And so you had to do, had to do it all, everything. Yeah. I kept track of the cases and I was, was almost, almost a hundred jury trials, common police jury trials. Wow. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>.
Mary Groth (07:34):
Wow. Mostly here in Cuyahoga County
Jan Roller (07:35):
Mostly. Yes, yes. Mm-Hmm.
Mary Groth (07:37):
<Affirmative>. And then you moved to Giffin and Kaminski.
Jan Roller (07:40):
Yes. wonderful experience being with a woman owned law firm, 2015, I did that Davidson Young Split Apart mm-hmm. <Affirmative>. And I always had my eye on that wonderful woman owned law firm that Karen Kaminski and Karen Giffen started and had a wonderful experience and began to do more plaintiff's work. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> rather than just offense. And it was just a great atmosphere because yeah. Being in a law firm basically at, at the beginning, all men, I mean, they were, it was tough. It was tough. And to have that shared view of the world mm-hmm. <Affirmative> with my partners at G and Kaminsky was Yeah. Very good.
Mary Groth (08:22):
And they, like you are such you know, famed trial lawyers and, and did it the way you did it. I mean, just out there on their own.
Jan Roller (08:32):
Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. But it, you know, it's not only that, it's that when you're an insurance defense firm, especially as a young lawyer, it's the billable hour. It's how much work you can do and little time and little support is given to the individual lawyer to be active in the community. That was always, always a part of my life. I mean, it was the three parts of my life, my family, my work, and my community. And so I served on a lot of boards while I was at Davison Young. And that's where the, a lot of times there was a rub mm-hmm. <Affirmative>, you know mm-hmm. <Affirmative>, well, why are you going to these meetings sometimes seven 30 in the morning Right. Or after work. Instead, you could be working on a case, you could be billing. Yeah. That I, I hope that's changed. I don't know. It certainly was part of my life for many, many, many years. Yeah.
Mary Groth (09:19):
I think it's hard. I mean, I, you I see change, but I think it's slow change.
Jan Roller (09:25):
I don't know. I hope
Mary Groth (09:25):
Associates really, they'd like to get more involved in community activities, but feel reticent to do that, so. Oh, yeah. It's a culture that has not changed a lot in, in some firms and others. Oh. Quite a bit. And I think hopefully it's not generational and we have to kind of wait it out, but
Jan Roller (09:42):
Yeah. Yeah. That's,
Mary Groth (09:43):
I just think it's frustrating. 'cause You know, the community needs these bright
Jan Roller (09:46):
Oh. And individuals and lawyers add so much to nonprofits. I mean, you know, we're trained to get to an answer logically without a lot of time and waste and to help guide and, and lead. And that's what we're trained to do. And that's what a lot of nonprofits need. That's what I wish more lawyers participated in mm-hmm. <Affirmative>, they, that they did. Now, for me, it was very easy because again, that love of history and government and politics. I mean, it's a cliche, but I didn't go into the law to make money. I went into the law to be involved in my community and to give back. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>. And I remember coming home, what was it from fourth grade, seeing my mother crying and that John F. Kennedy had been killed. And remember, you know what he said, ask not. Right. You know, what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country that hit home and has been a part of my, my life. Social justice, but racial justice, so important and so critical, especially now. And who would've thought we've gone back so far.
Mary Groth (10:49):
I know. It, it's amazing to me. 2023 going on 2024 and, and we're taking steps backwards at, at such a
Jan Roller (10:58):
Horrible steps backwards in so many ways. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna have a, an event at my house on October 12th for the Reproductive Freedom Amendment. Always be there to support the causes we care about.
Mary Groth (11:09):
I think it's, it's, it's important. And I think that's one thing that I look at you again as a role model for lawyers to get involved in the community, to give back, whether it's through the Bar Association or through the nonprofit community in politics. You're out there. Mm-Hmm. I think you, you have a foot in all those places, <laugh>. But you can, you, you can be an advocate and have been a very good advocate for people to kind of get involved. And when you give back, you also get so much more than you give.
Jan Roller (11:36):
Exactly. Mary, you, I mean, I got so much more in return than what I ever gave. There's no question about it. There's so many wonderful nonprofits in Cleveland City Year, Cleveland mm-hmm. <Affirmative> the city Club of Cleveland, which is such a precious jewel that, you know, we're moving to a new building. A lot of, a lot of my time was spent in fundraising mm-hmm. <Affirmative>, because fortunately lawyers are they have capacity and they do have good hearts. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> mostly, so to tap on that in the legal community I'm on the board of Legal Aid and we had a wonderfully successful capital campaign. And again, lawyers stepped up, young lawyers to, to at the beginning of their career to get involved and, and not just work all those long hours and then just go home and come back and do the same thing. Think about what else is out there, who needs help, how they can help. 'cause They can help. So Yeah. So much
Mary Groth (12:30):
So enriching to meet, you know, people in the community that maybe you wouldn't meet. Oh, definitely. If you're practicing in a business setting, you know, to actually engage with people that need legal services or see the end result of what the nonprofit does. Get to go to events. And I mean, I, I think those things can really, they can change your life and your perspective so much. So I think people read bad news all the time, and it's like, there's a lot of good going on, you know, there's a lot of things that need to happen, but, but I get, you know, roll up your sleeves, get involved, you're gonna feel better, even if it's to do a, like I say, a Saturday brief advice clinic or Oh,
Jan Roller (13:08):
Yeah.
Mary Groth (13:09):
You know, we have taken cases here. And I, and I think the other thing is with younger lawyers, some are reticent. The the generation, they talk about reticent to join, we're not joiners. Yeah, yeah. Or Covid had a huge impact. Yeah. I think as well. But, but when they get involved, they come back and say, I really, I'm really glad I did that. Yeah. That you pushed me out there. Yeah. Because it, it, it, it's important as they develop,
Jan Roller (13:30):
But it's also important not just to be an empty suit. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> an empty chair mm-hmm. <Affirmative> that you're, you're just you're, you're filling the chair, but you're not doing anything. You need to contribute. You need to initiate, and you need to keep your word. I mean, if you say you're gonna do something, you gotta do it. And that's, that's how you gain a reputation as, as someone who's reliable. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>,
Mary Groth (13:51):
Who are people in your career that have inspired you, mentored you that you feel especially close to in terms of you are a mentor for many, but for you, did you have a mentor, mentor,
Jan Roller (14:02):
Mentor? Oh, yeah, sure. I, I mentioned the district attorney in Massachusetts bill O'Malley. He was wonderful and gave me substantive case work that, that really helped further my career. But of course Davison Young George Lutin and Marty Murphy. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>, I mean, by the time when I joined, it was a small firm. I was only the fifth lawyer. But we grew to 42. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> and their doors were always open to me. And we would sit and we would talk about the trials that I had. And I mean, they, they always gave me advice and support. So that was terrific. George McMonagle, you remember George McMonagle? Uhhuh <affirmative> I tried a case in front of him and he then recommended me for further work. And that was so important to me. But, you know, I was thinking about, well, what about any women?
Jan Roller (14:50):
And, and there were, there are two of them one of them when I first came to Boston and was an assistant DA in Suffolk County. There was a woman prosecutor, woman assistant da, and I would watch her trials. She was just marvelous. And she always used this phrase to when she was talking to the jury, you can hear it, the ring of truth, listen for it and you'll find it. And that's what your verdict should be. And so I've used that <laugh> phrase, listen and hear the Ring of Truth <laugh>, and you know, that's that actress in me Yes. Weaving it into my closing arguments. And another person, and she probably, I'm sure doesn't even know it is Diane Chapman, she's a lawyer at Baker and a lovely woman. Yes. And early on when I was at Davison Young, she, she was New Years older than me. We had a, a tough deposition. And it was all men. And she and I, and oh, I was so impressed with her. Oh, I thought she was tough and smart and good and sharp, and just taken no prisoners. And so she would've been someone I, I looked up to too. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>. And, you know, there've been others, but, but those are a couple,
Mary Groth (15:57):
Those are great examples. Let's talk a little bit about your bar involvement. You know, you, you were, remember, I remember at Davison Young, you were a member of the Bar Davis and Young was very supportive of our bar activities. But then really
Jan Roller (16:11):
<Laugh>, they were, I mean, really
Mary Groth (16:13):
'Cause of you.
Jan Roller (16:13):
Well, because of me, <laugh>
Mary Groth (16:16):
Because of you, you changed their culture. Right.
Jan Roller (16:18):
I, I hope so. And as
Mary Groth (16:19):
They grew also too. Yeah.
Jan Roller (16:21):
I hope so. Yes. You know, they had
Mary Groth (16:22):
More resources and more people involved in, in the bar mm-hmm. <Affirmative>. But in terms of the Bar Foundation, I, I look back, you, you joined us at a critical time.
Jan Roller (16:31):
It was a critical time
Mary Groth (16:32):
When we were totally, like, we basically were, we blew up the old model mm-hmm. <Affirmative> for the foundation mm-hmm. <Affirmative>, and we're creating what we hoped would become a modern partner to the Bar Association, a true foundation. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> very well, very well organized. The model that we had before had the immediate past president of the association as president and two trustees. The past President <laugh> was always really too tired. I mean, that's, to go from one to the other Yeah. Takes up a lot of time and energy. We were lucky that we had, at the time, Jack Libber, Barbara Smith, and then they involved Bill Joseph and Poel Chenko in sort of the creation. We sat and dreamed, you know, on, on paper, you know, what, what could we make this into? And you were one of those founding members and then became P President and the third president of the Cleveland Bar Foundation. Yeah.
Jan Roller (17:20):
Well, it, it, it fit me so well because, you know, there's that little bit of the rebel in me, the little bit of the progressive liberal person that, you know, lawyers, you know, the way I grew up. I never knew a lawyer. They were rich fat cats as far as I was concerned. And so I felt the, excuse me for saying, but I felt that the bar those lawyers should give back, should give back and be, and participate in helping others. And the foundation really was the answer to that. So yeah, that new model was to create a, a very hearty, strong, independent organization in and of itself. At that point in time, when I joined financially, it was in bad shape. And the fellows then were created and the Halloween run, and, and then we had the Big Bash mm-hmm. <Affirmative>. And so, I mean, as ways to raise money. Right. And so the foundation to me was very important within my legal career, because I, it answered that yearning that I had. At
Mary Groth (18:25):
One point, I think we had $40,000. Now our endowment is, it's at about just under $3 million. That's great. That's great. And our fundraising activities, I mean, we we're in great shape and we keep growing. Yeah. No, that's great. And that goes back, I think, to that, to that group of really smart and you know, determined individuals, you know, so dedicated. Yeah. Yeah. Very dedicated. And then when we united with the county bar, the two foundations were put together mm-hmm. <Affirmative> and now we have the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation, and, and we're off now on our Legacy one 50 campaign. Oh, great. So, and you're involved on the Emeritus Council Best President. Wow. And happy to do so. We're excited about celebrating our anniversary as well. If you had not become an attorney, you talked about maybe a history teacher mm-hmm. <Affirmative>
Jan Roller (19:09):
Or a social worker.
Mary Groth (19:10):
Social worker,
Jan Roller (19:11):
Rockstar, <laugh>
Mary Groth (19:13):
Politician. You weren't interested. Oh, certainly. Everything about running for office.
Jan Roller (19:16):
Well, you know, I, I thought about that very initially. And <laugh> story. I went over to the democratic chair who's now in prison, and at the time, at the time. And he said well, why would I support you? All of the, all the judges are Democrats, so you'd be running against another Democrat. So, you know, no, I'm not really not interested. Which is such a shame, because certainly a bench should have been created and to keep people involved. And, you know, and after that, and I actually, even though I, I am involved a lot in raising money. I really don't like asking people for money and to ask money for myself. Oh, that would be awful. So, I've, I've never, never gone that way. But
Mary Groth (19:58):
You certainly are an advocate for many causes, and, and you get other people involved,
Jan Roller (20:02):
Which is, you know, which is certainly a lot easier
Mary Groth (20:03):
Making those connections and mentoring people in a lot, lot easier. So, do you have any advice for law students coming outta law school? Is law still a desirable career?
Jan Roller (20:11):
Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. Every case is different. You meet a different set of people in every case. The subjects can be very challenging, very interesting. The excitement of waiting for that verdict, there's nothing like it. We have three sons, the oldest went to law school, but decided not to practice. So he would've been good, I think. Yeah. But I just think it's a great, great occupation. And I, I always encourage people to, I mean, but some people don't like that. I mean, you know, they don't like the rough and tumble. And and you'd get that with litigation. Tell
Mary Groth (20:48):
Us about any major cases or deals. What's memorable to you? What, what's most memorable to you about your
Jan Roller (20:53):
Career? You know, it's interesting because you use the word deals. Certainly deals are made when you negotiate a settlement mm-hmm. <Affirmative> and these days, of course, because of the the expense and risk, you mainly settle cases. Right. But I certainly have had cases that are very memorable to me. I mean, one of them is the, probably the most memorable. And, and it, it, it hit me in so many ways. I represented as a, a plaintiff's attorney, a young man who went to Ohio University. He had a long story, but he had sex with a classmate, and he was expelled from the school, and nothing happened to her. So it was a Title IX discrimination and defamation case, because the school newspaper there was a a jury trial for sexual assault. And it was a hung jury.
Jan Roller (21:42):
And the Ohio University newspaper said that he was definitely guilty of the crime of sexual assault. So we had a defamation aspect to it. And the sex discrimination didn't win on the sex discrimination, but did on the defamation. And this young man, and I became very close, of course. And he was expelled. He then went to Ohio State, and within two years after his parents called me and he had overdosed and died, I had teenagers, boys. And I said, you know, here's what can happen. Be careful. Yeah. My caseload evolved and became, of course, because I was more senior, more experienced more sophisticated in its medical aspects and, and did a lot of med mal. And that can be very dense, very demanding, a lot of experts. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> you learn a lot. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative> and I, I recently just last year settled a matter that very emotional of course for the family, because it was a, a young woman who was developmentally disabled pretty significantly.
Jan Roller (22:49):
She was in a care home. There was negligence involved in her, in feeding her, and she choked. And now she was completely unresponsive except to lie in bed. They blamed it all on what happened at the care home, when in, in fact, when investigating it and looking at it medically, what happened was what happened in the hospital after she had gone back to baseline. And in that particular case, plaintiff's air, they did not sue the hospital. So I had to demonstrate it was really the hospitals, it got very involved, very interesting. We had a, a focus case on it. And it worked out very well, fortunately. But that was a lot of digging. I had a, a case that a big loser certainly you know, a seven figure case loss where we had one summary judgment, then it goes back to trial.
Jan Roller (23:41):
Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>, and then you lose it. And it was catastrophic injury. Worker threw a plank in construction, fell and had, was a C two quad. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>. And that jury trial was very emotional again, because he's there with a very large wheelchair, with a ventilator, he only could blink and move his tongue. And the jury, you know, the juries have a hard, hard time getting over, seeing tho those mm-hmm. <Affirmative> kind of injuries. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>, and it's the risk you take mm-hmm. <Affirmative> and sometimes you take it, sometimes you don't. But you know, when you feel your client's not responsible and they're begging you to Yeah. Support you, you, and represent you. Yeah. The line of that line of work tort work, medical legal can a lot of times gets you very close to people. Very emotional very tough.
Mary Groth (24:32):
Yes. You're doing a really hard job and a very emotionally charged <laugh> Yeah. You know, atmosphere as well. Yeah. Yeah. What accomplishments are you most proud of?
Jan Roller (24:42):
I guess I'd have to maybe take the long view and, and say I kept the course. I, growing up in the sixties before women were really supported. I had the career, I had the family, I have the family and, and, and the community. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. So I, that's the accomplishment that I survived. I, I, I stayed the course. I did it. I, I have no regrets. I've had a wonderful, wonderful experience in all three regards. And so I, I think if, to answer that question, that would be it. That's
Mary Groth (25:14):
Terrific. Like I said, not an easy task. <Laugh>
Jan Roller (25:18):
Juggle. Yeah. Well, I have to say, I have the most wonderful husband, and, and I had a nanny. Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. She was there. I mean, when I, he and I would go to early morning meetings, come home late at night. She was always there and owe a lot to her.
Mary Groth (25:32):
Recently you were celebrated as a Living Legacy with an award from the Bar Association, which is terrific. So at Rock the Bar. So congratulations on that. Well, thank you.
Jan Roller (25:42):
Thank
Mary Groth (25:42):
You. As we're listening today to Jan's interview, you know, it just strikes me that you are, are most deserving of that. I, I, you are, again, a role model and somebody that has really put in more than a hundred percent, and those returns, I mean, that you were able to do and have such a great career and no regrets at this point. Yeah. And you're still working. Right? You're
Jan Roller (26:01):
Still at us. So, COVID got me ready, <laugh> to retire. And I'm, I'm not accepting really any new case, except if it really interests me. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>. And so that'll be basically on the side. And I have one going and, and I, but I have several pro bono cases. Terrific. Several pro bono. Again, give back. Give back. That's what's important.
Mary Groth (26:22):
Only lawyers can do those. Yeah.
Jan Roller (26:24):
We can work forever.
Mary Groth (26:25):
Only lawyers can do those. And there's, yeah. The court makes it easy for us now once we're retired, I mean, you
Jan Roller (26:29):
Gotta keep your, your fees up and your malpractice insurance and everything. But, but yes, we can do it. And, and it's a great way to feel that you're absolutely benefiting
Mary Groth (26:39):
People. Absolutely. There's a lot of need out there that's unmet. Certainly. And the last question, I guess, is anything interesting that you're doing in the future that you'd like to share?
Jan Roller (26:46):
Well, that's the hard thing to know when you go a hundred miles an hour and then <laugh> a major part of it, and your children are now grown. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> my our boys live in Singapore, Los Angeles, and Chicago, so they're not here, but the community activity certainly remains. And I will always continue with that. Certainly travel, that's something we love. And going to Singapore, Thailand and Laos at the end of the year and going to Italy next week or a week and a half. So one of the organizations I helped was Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries. I grew up mm-hmm. <Affirmative> that way. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> as a Lutheran went to a Lutheran school, very, very conservative in Michigan. And they have a program called Friend to Friend, where you can be a friend of a woman who's incarcerated. So I just signed up for that. And I, I wanna, I, I'd like to do a program that is international. So I'm, I'm investigating that. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative> Reading, learning. Mm-Hmm. <Affirmative>, continuing <laugh>.
Mary Groth (27:44):
Yeah. I don't think you're gonna slow down at all,
Jan Roller (27:45):
<Laugh>. I hope not. I hope
Mary Groth (27:47):
Not. I don't see it. Yeah, you'll just go full speed at, at whatever the next venture is, but
Jan Roller (27:52):
I hope not. Well, Mary, I have to say that. I mean, it was a surprise to me. Oh. And now I'll get all emotional myself that the bar would recognize someone like me. I, I think it says a lot about the bar, and I, I really appreciate it. It, it's a capstone for my career. <Laugh>. Aw, <laugh>. Sorry.
Mary Groth (28:12):
It's so nice to hear you say that. I mean, this is a, I don't know, I've, most of my career has been here, so I have, I'm obviously biased, but I think this is a, a kind of a unique bar association. We, we talk to our peers all the time at other metro bars Yeah. And other foundations. And we have something special here. But, you know, there's just no question. I mean, you, you're, you're somebody that means a heck of a lot to all of us here in Cleveland in so many different ways. And, and to be able to provide an award like that, and you know, good for you and you deserve it, you really do.
Jan Roller (28:47):
All I can say is thanks. You're welcome. Thank, welcome you so much. Thank you. Thank
Becky Ruppert McMahon (28:50):
You, Jan, for establishing a legacy that will inspire lawyers for generations to come. And thank you. Our listeners who continue to make my bar story, the Must Listen podcast for Cleveland's legal community. Of course, you can listen and download on your favorite podcast app, or visit cl metro bar.org/podcast. See you next week.