Ep. 53: Ian N. Friedman on creating a new life

Cleveland Criminal Defense lawyer Ian N. Friedman got a new grip on life after he lost his arm in a motorcycle accident.

The moment he hit the guardrail and flew 100 feet has been with him every day since June 17, 2011. The metal tore through his neck and severed the nerves to his arm. He calls it the best thing that happened to him.

Having the use of just one arm has slowed down and deepened his life. It takes a lot longer to shave, button a shirt and tie a shoe. He’s grateful for the fresh canvas he got for the second half of his life and talks about what to write on it if you get one.

Ian is founding partner of Friedman and Nemecek, L.L.C. and an adjunct professor of law at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.

Tips & Takeaways:

  • The biggest crime in life is wasted time.

  • Treat everyone the way you would want your own child treated.

  • Listen to your intuition, that small still voice that is your own personal warning light.

 Bio and links:

Ian N. Friedman is founding partner of Friedman & Nemecek, L.L.C., Founding Partner at www.iannfriedman.com

Accolades Include:

  • After his presidency in 2011, he was honored as the first ever “Lawyer of the Year” by the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

  • Mr. Friedman has been rated by his peers in The Best Lawyers in America as "Lawyer of The Year" for 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio for Criminal Defense: General Practice.

  • In 2010, he was inducted into the prestigious American Board of Criminal Lawyers (ABCL), which is a Fellowship of the top two-hundred criminal trial lawyers in the United States. In 2018, he was elected to serve as President.

  • The Best Lawyers in America, which is a strictly peer related survey, has continually recognized Mr. Friedman in the area of Criminal Defense.

  • Mr. Friedman was the 2019-2020 President of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. The CMBA is comprised of more than 5,300 lawyers across Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

  • In 2010, the CMBA honored Mr. Friedman with the William K. Thomas Professionalism Award for his ethical contributions and professional conduct in the legal profession.

  • He is a former President of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Alumni Association. In 2017, they recognized Mr. Friedman as its "Alumni of the Year".

  • He has been named in Ohio Super Lawyers since 2009 and is routinely named into the Top 100 lawyers in Ohio and Top 50 lawyers in Cleveland.

He has lectured to lawyers all over the United States of America and in Europe, has been published in countless mediums, and has appeared on several national television programs in his expertise. Additionally, he was invited to Rome, Italy to teach Italian Law Students how to most efficiently present a case in court. Mr. Friedman’s continued contact with his law students after graduation made it abundantly clear that the schools were not equipping the prospective lawyers with the practical skills necessary to most effectively represent clients in today’s legal world.

As a former president of the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, he worked with his colleagues, including those from the defense bar and representatives of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorney’s Association to draft a new version of Ohio Criminal Rule 16, more commonly known as “Open Discovery.” The new rule was made effective by the Ohio Supreme Court on July 1, 2010. As a result of his effort, accused persons in Ohio must now be provided all evidence intended to be introduced by the government against them at trial.

Regina Brett