Dianne R. Newman, Attorney

Dianne R. Newman has been practicing law since November 1979. She had been a stay-at-home mom for 15 years when she went to law school at the University of Akron where she had received her undergraduate degree. At the time her four children ranged in age from 5 to 14. She started practicing law with Richard Sternberg at 411 Wolf Ledges, where the firm is now again located. Starting with bankruptcy law, she soon moved into Social Security Disability law because of the overwhelming medical issues her clients who were seeking to file bankruptcies were facing. She and Debra met when Debra started clerking at a law office on the first floor of 411 Wolf Ledges and though they were competitors before they were partners, always were friends. She met Scott when she and Debra hired him to be their law clerk.

Over the years, Dianne has restricted her practice to Social Security Disability and has pursued excellence in this one field of law by attending many courses and speaking at many as well. Over the years she has been given the honor of speaking on Social Security issues at the annual national conference of the Association of Trial Lawyers, now known as the American Association of Justice; at several Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers (Ohio Association for Justice) annual conventions, at meetings of Summit County Association for Justice, at the University of Akron continuing legal education series, at seminars put on by the Akron Bar Association and at local support groups for Post Polio syndrome, Arthritis, multiple sclerosis and others.

Social Security is a Federal program and Dianne handles the Federal appeals for the office, being admitted to both the Northern District of Ohio and Southern District of Ohio as well as the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of the United States. She has argued at least 25 times before the Sixth Circuit. Several of her cases from the district court and the Sixth Circuit have been published.

Dianne was given a Women's History Project Woman of the Year" award for creativity in 1994; she and Debra were given the Ohio Legal aid Association Fund's Pro Bono Award of the Year in 1999 for their work in getting children their benefits; University of Akron School of Law Outstanding Alumna in 2002 and she has been listed in Inside Business's issue on the best lawyers in Northeastern Ohio for the past six years. She received the Akron Bar Association Senior Lawyers' Award for Senior Lawyer of the year in 2007.

Besides work, Dianne enjoys travel, art, music, used to ski and may return to it! and loves being grandma to nine grandchildren with one more on the way from her four children. She and her husband Herb have been married for 47 years and currently lavish their affection on their two long haired daschunds. Outside of the practice of law Dianne believes in volunteerism and in philanthropy and has engaged in both for many years. She currently serves on the Akron Art Museum Board of Trustees as vice president, the University of Akron Foundation Board of Trustees as secretary, the Women's Endowment of the Akron Community Foundation Board of Trustees, and the Jewish Community Board of Akron Board of Trustees. In the past she has served as president of the Jewish Community Board, president of Jewish Family Service, trustee of Children's Concert Society, Junior Board of Akron City Hospital, board of Hadassah, Akron Bar Association Board of Trustees, Akron Law Library board of trustees and was a member of the Doggy Brigade at Akron Children's Hospital for one year with her standard poodle, Dudley.

• Helsel v. Heckler 1986