Login | May 19, 2025
Retired judge Marvin Shapiro receives St. Thomas More award
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: May 9, 2025
When Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio served as a former magistrate to then-Akron Municipal Court Judge Marvin A. Shapiro, she said she admired his dedication to the job and the respectful way in which he treated counsel and litigants alike.
“Judge Shapiro always gave everyone the opportunity to be heard and he would consider their arguments very seriously,” said Judge Teodosio. “He also made time to talk with folks like myself who were, at the time, newer to the legal profession and offer advice.
“As busy as he was, both he and his wife found time to give back to the Jewish and greater Akron communities and they still do.”
So when Judge Teodosio learned that Shapiro, now a retired common pleas court judge, was this year’s recipient of the Akron Bar Association’s St. Thomas More award she wasn’t surprised.
The accolade pays tribute to St. Thomas More, the patron saint of lawyers, and goes to a legal professional, who has demonstrated outstanding personal integrity, professional excellence and a commitment to community service.
The Catholic Diocese of Cleveland presents the award during Red Mass as part of the Akron Bar Association’s celebration of Law Week.
“Judge Shapiro is very deserving,” said Judge Teodosio, a former recipient of the accolade. “He is what I consider a judge’s judge.”
Shapiro said he was thrilled when he learned the news though he didn’t quite believe it.
“My wife and I had just come back from visiting family in Florida and saw we had a message on the answering machine,” said Shapiro. “It was from the parish priest at St. Bernard Church and I could not figure out why he would call me.
“When I listened to the message, he said I was this year’s recipient of the St. Thomas More award.
“I said to my wife make sure I’m not dreaming,” he said. “We confirmed the message with several members of the bar association and then I knew it was real.
“I was very honored,” said Shapiro, who received the accolade on May 2.
“Marvin is incredibly deserving of this honor even if late in life,” said his wife Judy Shapiro. “He’s lived a life dedicated to integrity, ethics and service to his profession and our community.”
J. Dean Carro, professor emeritus at The University of Akron School of Law, introduced Shapiro during this year’s Red Mass.
“I’ve known Judge Shapiro for a long time as a colleague,” said Carro, a former recipient of the award and a member of this year’s nominating committee. “He is a man of principle and was a very attentive and intelligent judge.
“He served on the Ohio Supreme Court judicial mentoring committee, which provides critical training for new judges who would otherwise have little opportunity to receive guidance.
“He’s a strong family man who was always very involved in the community,” said Carro. “I think if you were going to create a model of a public servant, Judge Shapiro would be a good person to base it on.”
Born on Oct. 14, 1938, the lifelong Akron resident graduated from Buchtel High School in 1956, where he was a member of the golf team.
He majored in speech and minored in psychology at The University of Akron, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1960.
During his time at Akron U, he was also a member of the tennis and swimming teams.
“My initial plan was to become a famous radio and sports news announcer,” he said.
Shapiro was a news and sports reporter and a disc jockey at WAKR for almost a year leading up to and after his graduation from The University of Akron.
“It provided a reality check for me that I was not that talented,” said Shapiro. “So I began looking at other options.”
He settled on law school, attending the night program at Akron Law and working during the day, including as a Summit County deputy sheriff from 1963-1964.
After earning his law degree in 1965, he joined the Akron City Law Department as an assistant prosecutor in the criminal division and started his own practice, sharing office space with a number of attorneys over the years.
He then served as an assistant prosecutor in the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office and as an assistant Ohio Attorney General.
Jeff Heintz, a retired former managing partner at Brouse McDowell, first met Shapiro in the late 60s, when Shapiro was a young lawyer and the executive director of the Summit County Democratic Party.
“I was a freshman in college when I got a summer internship with the party,” said Heintz. “We worked together—me doing grunt work and Marvin working on strategies for the candidates. I got to know him well and developed a great deal of admiration and respect for him.
“When I became an attorney, I had one case with Marvin where we were opposing counsel on a trade secrets matter. He was a worthy opponent who fought hard but honorably for his client. After we settled the case, we congratulated each other and shook hands.”
Heintz said the two have been friends for decades, a friendship of which he is very proud.
“I can’t think of a more deserving candidate for the St. Thomas More award than Marvin,” said Heintz, who received the award in 2019. “He has been an indelible part of the Akron community in numerous capacities: Lawyer, judge, mentor, friend and role model.”
Shapiro met his wife Judy at a nightclub in the early 1970s.
They were married in 1973 and raised three daughters and one son. They have six grandchildren.
Shapiro continued to practice law as a sole practitioner until he took the Akron Municipal Court bench in 1991.
In addition from 1984-85, he was special counsel for the city of Akron.
During his time on the municipal court bench, Shapiro served as administrative/ presiding judge from 1997-1998 and presided over the drug court from 2000 to 2003.
He took the Summit County Common Pleas Court bench in May 2003.
Summit County Probate Court Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer met Shapiro while they were campaigning for Akron Municipal Court judge in 1991.
“Judge Shapiro and I both served on the Akron Municipal and Common Pleas Court benches together,” she said.
“Judge Shapiro is very smart and committed to the community,” said Judge Stormer. “We were colleagues, and we became friends.
“He had a long successful career as a lawyer and he brought that expertise with him to the bench,” she said. “He followed a number of best practices. He was available and respectful to lawyers and their clients’ time, but he always made time to chat. He adhered to the highest ethical standards.”
After Judge Shapiro retired from the common pleas bench at the end of March 2008, he continued to serve as a visiting judge, mediator and arbitrator through 2015.
A lifetime member of the Akron and Ohio State bar associations, he is a former chair of the Akron Bar’s inquiry & ethics committees and a past president of both the Charles F. Scanlon and Judge Samuel H. Bell American Inn of Court and the Akron Metropolitan Municipal Judges Association.
During his lengthy career, he was active in numerous organizations, including serving on the boards and as a past president of Akron Summit Community Action Inc., Victim Assistance and the Furnace Street Mission and the Brookwood Homeowners Association.
In addition, he is a former president of the Shaw Jewish Community Center (JCC), the Firestone High School Soccer Club and the Akron Jewish Federation, where he was the campaign chair in 1990.
He was also on the boards of the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, National Jewish Welfare, Jewish Family Service of Akron, Temple Israel, Beth El Congregation and the Fairlawn Country Club among others.
Shapiro is a former instructor for the paralegal program at The University of Akron and was a volunteer instructor at The Lippmann School.
“I’ve enjoyed helping the community and I’ve been recognized a few times,” said Shapiro.
In 1994, Shapiro was inducted into the Shaw JCC Sports Hall of Fame and he was presented with Akron U’s Varsity “A” Achievement Award in 2000.
He said he’s extremely proud to join the elite group of legal professionals who have received the St. Thomas More award.
“This group has demonstrated the utmost in professionalism and community service, which I believe is a necessary component of fulfilling your mission as a lawyer,” Shapiro said.
While Shapiro and his wife Judy have scaled back their volunteerism, they remain active in some local organizations.
In June, Judy Shapiro will become the president of JewishAkron and Shapiro delivers Mobile Meals every Tuesday.
They enjoy traveling to Florida, Georgia and Arizona to visit family and continue to play bridge.
Both are American Contract Bridge League Gold Life Masters.
“It was an honor and a privilege to be part of the greater Akron legal community for over 50 years,” said Shapiro.