From left: Cincinnati attorney Paul M. De Marco and Cleveland attorney William J. Novak.

From left: Cincinnati attorney Paul M. De Marco and Cleveland attorney William J. Novak.

The Ohio Supreme Court board that investigates judges and attorneys and conducts hearings about their ethical misconduct has elected its 2015 board chair and vice chair positions.

Cincinnati attorney Paul M. De Marco will serve as the chair of the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline. De Marco has served on the board since 2008 and served as the vice chair the previous two years. He has chaired the board’s Advisory Opinion Committee and the committee that led the search for new disciplinary counsel in 2013. De Marco practices at Markovits, Stock & De Marco, LLC.

“I’m very proud to serve on and lead a board of lawyers, judges, and lay people who work to make sure that the legal profession always deserves the public’s trust,” De Marco said.

Serving on the board since 2008, Cleveland attorney William J. Novak will serve as the board’s vice chair in 2015. Novak has previously served as a member of one of the board’s two probable cause panels. Novak practices at Novak, Pavlik, Deliberato, LLP.

Both De Marco and Novak will take office January 1, 2015, and will serve one-year terms in their respective positions.

Appointed by the Supreme Court, the board is composed of 28 members including 4 public members, 7 active or retired judges, and 17 lawyers from across the state. The board conducts hearings and issues findings and recommendations to the Supreme Court on ethical misconduct complaints lodged against Ohio attorneys and judges. The board also engages in efforts to promote a greater understanding of and compliance with professional ethics standards.