Judge D. Chris Cook and attorney Patrick M. McLaughlin will continue to lead the Board of Professional Conduct as chair and vice-chair.

Judge D. Chris Cook and attorney Patrick M. McLaughlin will continue to lead the Board of Professional Conduct as chair and vice-chair.

The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct today announced the reelection of Judge D. Chris Cook as chair and attorney Patrick M. McLaughlin as vice-chair. Commissioners Cook and McLaughlin will serve their second, one-year terms in their respective positions beginning Jan. 1.

Judge Cook has served on the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas, General Division, since 2016. Before his judgeship, Cook’s practice included acting as bar counsel for the Lorain County Bar Association where he prosecuted disciplinary cases before the conduct board. Judge Cook has served on the board since 2018, including as vice-chair from 2021 to 2022.

McLaughlin, a former United States attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, has practiced law for 46 years. He is also a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. McLaughlin has been on the conduct board since 2017 during which he has served on the board’s rules and advisory opinion committees and as a member of a probable cause panel.

The Board of Professional Conduct consists of 28 volunteer members appointed by the Supreme Court of Ohio justices. 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.