The Real Estate Law Section keeps its members up-to-date on issues relating to real estate law. We accomplish this by having monthly Section luncheon meetings featuring relevant topics and knowledgeable speakers. Additionally, the Real Estate Law Section coordinates the renowned two-day Real Estate Law Institute each fall, participates in the practice and procedures clinics and sponsors a half-day real estate seminar each Spring. The Real Estate Law Section provides many opportunities for our members to become involved and network with a diverse group of attorneys at the monthly meetings and through various working committees.
Click here to suggest topics and/or speakers for our monthly lunches.
The Real Estate Law Section shares the following information with their membership:
Voluntary Good Practices Guidance to Combat Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing
The ABA Task Force on Gatekeeper Regulation and the Profession has worked with other entities to develop voluntary good practices guidance for lawyers to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The Task Force has concerns about how mandatory gatekeeper provisions might affect confidential attorney-client relationships and other issues. Below are two publications from the ABA Task Force as well as a link to the Task Force’s website.
Publication here does not constitute the position of or an endorsement by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association:
Voluntary Good Practices Guidance for Lawyers to Detect and Combat Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing [PDF]
FAQs on the Gatekeeper Initiative and Voluntary Good Practices Guidance [PDF]
http://www.americanbar.org/groups/criminal_justice/gatekeeper.html
Laws involving the use and ownership of real property contribute to peace and stability in the United States and represent one of the most important foundations of our judicial system.
In keeping with this principle, the Cleveland Bar Association formed the Real Estate Law Committee in 1975, with its members appointed by the President of the Bar Association for 3-year terms. The Committee was formed to assist Cleveland’s real estate lawyers, considered one of the most knowledgeable and sophisticated in the country, to keep abreast of the developments and issues which pertain to real property. The present Real Estate Law Section was formed in 1979, at the time the Bar Association established various substantive law sections, and opened up membership to all members of the Association. The Chairs of the Real Estate Law Committee and the Real Estate Law Section since 1975 represent a “Who’s Who” of Cleveland Real Estate attorneys.
The Real Estate Law Section is one of the Bar Association’s larger sections, boasting a current membership of 345 attorneys. The membership includes highly respected real estate practitioners throughout Northeast Ohio’s large, small and boutique law firms. Many of its members are recognized for expertise in real estate nationally through The American College of Real Estate Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America, on the state level through Ohio Super Lawyers, and locally through Properties’ Leading Lawyers. In addition, many Section attorneys are active in or officers of various national real estate organizations and their local affiliates, such as the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), National Association of Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP), Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), Cleveland Real Estate Women (CREW), and Greater Cleveland Real Estate Organizations (GCREO).
The Real Estate Law Committee and Real Estate Law Section always maintained as a top priority the continuing legal education of its members. The first Real Estate Institute able to be confirmed was presented April 11, 1964 to examine recurrent practical problems incurred by real estate attorneys and was co-chaired by Alvin Kendis and Raymond Durn. It wasn’t until 1979 that the Section began sponsorship of the Real Estate Law Institute, with Robert Blattner as its first Chair. This two-day Institute has been presented annually since then and has grown to be one of the largest presented by the Bar Association. The Institute focuses on those issues which are relevant to real estate practitioners. For example, some of the subjects covered at the 2006 Institute included current developments, commercial condominiums, vacation properties, ground leases, and survey and title issues. Over 25 speakers presented topics of interest to the real estate bar. This year the Section will present its 33rd Real Estate Law Institute on November 10 and 11, co-chaired by Irene MacDougall and Lori Pittman. Over the past thirty years, over 450 attorneys and real estate related professionals have participated in presenting the Institute.
The Section also presents the Real Estate portion of the Bar Association’s annual Practice and Procedure Clinic, and it typically presents half day programs on matters of topical interest and new legislation. In addition, Section luncheon meetings are held monthly at which issues relevant to real property are discussed. The Chairs of the Section’s standing committees report on activities during the past month. A guest speaker discusses a substantive real estate or related topic to the Section at each meeting. Occasionally, the Section holds a one-hour CLE program after the lunch meeting.
In honor of the memory of Bob Rosewater, a former Chair of the Section, Co-Chair and an annual presenter at the Real Estate Law Institute, and Chair of the Section’s Recent Developments Committee and Model Forms Committee, his widow, Gail Rosewater, established in 2002 the “Bob Rosewater Memorial Award for Meritorious Service to the Real Estate Section of the Cleveland Bar Association.” The Section’s first award was given posthumously to Bob Rosewater and annually thereafter to the following recipients: James P. McAndrews, Richard Rosner, Jacob Rosenbaum, Robert Blattner, Thomas A. Mason, Robert D. Markus, Arthur V.N. Brooks, John W. Waldeck, Jr. and Robert V. Secrist, Jr.
The Section has continuously maintained several committees to keep abreast of developing laws and legal issues and to facilitate the practice of real estate lawyers. Currently the Section has eight committees including Web Site, Real Estate Law Institute Planning, Foreclosure and Evictions, Model Residential Forms, Common Ownership, Legislation and Recent Decisions, Construction Law and Section Meetings. All Committees are open to participation by all Section members. The Section’s top priority this year is the design and the development of the Section’s web page on the Bar Association’s web site.
All members of the Bar Association are invited to join and participate in the Real Estate Section.