Login | December 22, 2024
BMD attorney honored for a lifetime of volunteerism
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: December 19, 2024
Brennan Manna Diamond Of Counsel Scott P. Sandrock believes individuals should give back to their respective communities regardless of their professions, and he’s made a point of doing so throughout his decades-long career.
“Whether you volunteer your time and talent or support an organization through philanthropy, I believe it’s important to do your part to prop up the nonprofits that improve the area where you live,” said Sandrock. “There are a lot of people who have this philosophy, including those in the legal profession.
“I’ve always donated my time without expecting anything back.”
Over the years Sandrock has served in numerous leadership roles at nonprofit entities.
He is a past president and previous trustee of the Rotary Club of Canton, Community Services of Stark County (now CommQuest), the Canton City Schools Foundation and a former president of the Boy Scouts of America Buckeye Council, where he was also an executive board member and unit leader.
He is a current trustee of the Austin Bailey Foundation and the Stark County Dental Society Charitable Foundation. He is also chair of the August M. Rocco Scholarship Fund and the Notre Dame Club of Canton Scholarship Fund, which are independent funds under the Stark Community Foundation.
In addition, Sandrock is one of the founders and a previous president and trustee of the Prescription Assistance Network of Stark County (now Beacon Charitable Pharmacy), which provides help to those who cannot afford their medications.
His efforts have earned him quite a few accolades from groups that benefited from his volunteerism, but none as prestigious as being chosen as the 2024 recipient of the Ohio State Bar Foundation’s Ramey Award for Distinguished Community Service.
The award is presented annually by the OSBF to an Ohio attorney who has dedicated his or her career to furthering the goals and values of the foundation through a lifetime of service to the public and community, while adhering to the highest ethical standards. The individual’s good works must be unpaid and unrelated to the practice of law.
“I was very surprised to be chosen and I appreciate it very much,” said Sandrock. “I was encouraged to give back by a colleague early in my career. Over the last four-plus decades, I’ve been the president of seven nonprofit organizations and a volunteer at another dozen or so.”
Sandrock was among a handful of legal professionals honored by the bar foundation at its 2024 All Rise Annual Celebration: Bright Stars of Justice ceremony, which took place on Oct. 25 at The Fives in Columbus.
In addition to individuals, the OSBF pays tribute to organizations and/or programs that are making a difference in the legal system.
This year’s other honorees included U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio Judge Jeffrey Hopkins (Ritter Award), C. Raphael Davis-Williams, director of equity, people, inclusion & culture at the ACLU of Ohio (Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award), Caitlyn Johnson, senior assistant attorney general in the health and human services section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office (Community Service Award for Newer Attorneys) and the Summer Work Experience in the Law program (Outstanding Organization or Program Award).
Since Sandrock was unable to attend, his assistant Rebecca Lowmaster accepted the accolade on his behalf.
In an email, OSBF Board President Belinda S. Barnes stated, “The Ohio State Bar Foundation is proud to present Scott P. Sandrock with the Ramey Award for Distinguished Community Service.
“Sandrock’s career exemplifies the profound impact one individual can have on both the legal profession and the broader community. He is a highly respected attorney,” she stated, adding, “His enduring contributions are reflected in his decades of selfless service.
“Sandrock’s tireless dedication to service and leadership have strengthened his community in countless ways.”
Brennan Manna Diamond CEO Jack Diamond echoed similar sentiments.
“Scott’s contributions to the legal field and his exceptional dedication to community service are nothing short of inspiring,” Diamond stated in a press release. “This recognition is a testament to his hard work, leadership and enduring commitment to serving others, both within and beyond his profession.”
Born in Massillon, Ohio, Sandrock grew up in the village of Navarre, where he later served as a councilman.
After graduating from Central Catholic High School in Perry Township, he majored in American government at the University of Notre Dame.
“I was initially thinking of pursuing medicine, but I decided early in my undergraduate career that was not the right path for me and I changed my focus and decided to go to law school,” he said.
Upon obtaining his juris doctor from the school now known as The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1978, he started as an associate at Black, McCuskey, Souers & Arbaugh, focusing primarily on corporate and healthcare matters.
In 2005, he joined Brennan Manna Diamond as a partner, transitioning to his current of counsel role in 2023.
“I really enjoy practicing,” said Sandrock. “I have been blessed to work with clients who share similar approaches to myself when it comes to achieving their goals.
“I have continued to focus on corporate and healthcare and I have some very longstanding clients,” he said. “I still represent a gentleman today who was my very first client when I started practicing in 1978.”
He said the continuing changes in the law related to healthcare have presented challenges over the years.
“Some of the changes are complicated, which can be difficult for the physicians and physician groups that I represent to keep up with,” said Sandrock. “It’s important that I help them navigate the rules so they can remain in compliance and keep meeting their patients’ needs.”
A longtime member of the Ohio State, Akron and Stark County bar associations, he is the vice chair of the Stark County Bar Association’s Bar Applicant Committee and previously served on its Disputed Fee Committee. For many years he was also a member of the Akron Bar Association’s Bar Applicants Committee.
He is a mentor for the Ohio Supreme Court Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program and a life fellow of the Ohio State Bar Foundation.
A graduate of Leadership Stark County, Sandrock is a former member of the Stark County Regional Planning Commission and the Jackson Township Zoning Commission.
In addition, he is a past chair and director of the local chapter of the American Red Cross, a former trustee and president of Stark County Parents Anonymous (now Stark County Family Council) and a previous member of the allocation council at United Way of Greater Stark County, where he also chaired the legal division campaign.
While he has been involved in numerous endeavors, Sandrock said helping to found and get Beacon Charitable Pharmacy off the ground was among the most gratifying.
“A number of Stark County nonprofits collaborated to develop a joint effort to meet the needs of people who could not afford medications,” said Sandrock. “To establish a totally charitable pharmacy required a change in Ohio law and working with legislators new provisions were made specifically to meet this need.
“It was one of the first charitable pharmacies in Ohio and is currently the only nonprofit charitable pharmacy in northeast Ohio.”
A resident of Stark County, Sandrock and his wife Marianne have two adult sons, two granddaughters and one grandson.
“I have no plans to retire at least for the time being,” said Sandrock, 71. “As long as my health holds out and my clients continue to tell me I’m not allowed to retire, I will practice.
“I am taking more vacations and not working weekends like I used to,” he said.