Judge D. Chris Cook (left) and attorney Patrick M. McLaughlin (right) will serve as chair and vice-chair for the Board of Professional Conduct next year.

Judge D. Chris Cook (left) and attorney Patrick M. McLaughlin (right) will serve as chair and vice-chair for the Board of Professional Conduct next year.

The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct today announced the election of Lorain County Judge D. Chris Cook as chair and Cuyahoga County attorney Patrick M. McLaughlin as vice-chair.

Commissioners Cook and McLaughlin will serve one-year terms beginning Jan. 1.

Judge Cook has served as vice-chair the past two years and has been a member of the board since 2017. On the Lorain County Common Pleas Court bench since 2016, the judge’s prior work includes serving as bar counsel for the Lorain County Bar Association.

McLaughlin, a former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, has practiced law for 46 years. McLaughlin is a member of the advisory opinion and probable cause committee after being a part of the rules committee. The fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers has also been on the board since 2017.

The Board of Professional Conduct consists of 28 volunteer members appointed by the justices of the Supreme Court. The board conducts hearings involving allegations of ethical violations by Ohio lawyers and judges and recommends discipline for professional misconduct.

The board also engages in education and outreach activities that promote compliance with legal ethics rules and bring greater transparency to the disciplinary process.