Lee Fisher

Lee Irwin Fisher (born August 7, 1951) is an American attorney, politician, and academic.

Fisher graduated from Oberlin College in 1973 and earned a Juris Doctor from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1976.

After graduation from law school, he was a law clerk for Judge Paul C. Weick of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (1976–1977).

In 1978, he joined the Cleveland law firm of Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP, and was an instructor in Legal Research, Writing, and Advocacy at Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law during the 1978 school year.

During his 10 years in the state legislature, he continued to serve as of counsel to the law firm (1978–1990).

At the age of 29, Fisher was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1980.

Named after P. Kelly Tompkins, a benefactor and 1981 graduate, the program places an emphasis on leadership as a necessary component of law.

He served as a state representative for two years before being elected to the Ohio Senate in 1982.

He was named " Outstanding Freshman Legislator" by Columbus Monthly magazine in 1982.

He served as a state senator for eight years.

In 1983 he was named a Chase Public Leadership Fellow and attended the Harvard Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.

Fisher was elected Attorney General of Ohio in 1990, defeating Paul Pfeifer in the only statewide election in Ohio history to trigger a statewide recount.

Fisher served as attorney general from 1991 to 1995, narrowly losing his bid for re-election in 1994 to Republican Betty Montgomery.

In 1992, Fisher was elected a presidential elector for Ohio.

He rejoined Hahn Loeser & Parks as a partner in 1995 and served as a partner until he was selected CEO of the Center for Families and Children in 1999.

He graduated from the Weatherhead School of Management Professional Fellows Program in 1996.

In 1998, Fisher ran for governor but lost to Republican Bob Taft, 50%–45%.

He has served on two public company boards: Rex Stores (now Rex American Resources) and Office Max (before it was sold to Boise Cascade).

In 2004, he received his master's degree in nonprofit organization from the Case Western Reserve University Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations.

Joining the ticket of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland, Fisher was elected lieutenant governor in 2006.

A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 64th lieutenant governor of Ohio, with Governor Ted Strickland, from 2007 until 2011.

The Ohio gubernatorial campaign was captured in the 2008 documentary film Swing State, which was directed by (his son) Jason Zone-Fisher, John Intrater, and H. Spencer Young.

In February 2009, Fisher announced his campaign to replace George Voinovich in the U.S. Senate.

On May 4, 2010, Fisher won the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, defeating Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.

In the general election on November 2, 2010, Fisher faced the Republican nominee, Rob Portman, a former Cincinnati congressman and Bush administration official.

Portman received 57% of the votes to Fisher's 39%.

Fisher carried only six of Ohio's 88 counties and three of 18 congressional districts.

In 2016, Fisher was appointed Interim Dean of Cleveland State University's Cleveland–Marshall College of Law (now the Cleveland State University College of Law) for the 2016–17 academic year.

He has served as Dean of Cleveland State University College of Law since 2017.

On May 3, 2017, Fisher was named permanent Dean after a national search.

His selection was somewhat unconventional as the search committee opted for someone without a history in academia.

During his time as Dean, Fisher has focused on a number of initiatives.

These have included a focus on leadership in the law, establishing the Cleveland-Marshall Hall of Fame, increased fundraising, and raising the school's national profile.

In the fall of 2017, Fisher led the effort in establishing the Cleveland-Marshall Hall of Fame.

The now-annual fundraiser honors members of the CM-Law community who have had a positive impact on the school either through their reputation or as benefactors.

Honorees include Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, and former Cleveland Mayor Carl B. Stokes among others.

In addition to notable alum, the CM-Law Hall of Fame also highlights those who have been benefactors that have not graduated from the school including federal Judge Dan Polster and Judy and Robert H. Rawson, Jr.

He is married to Peggy Zone Fisher, the president and CEO of the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio.

Beginning in the fall of 2018, Fisher began teaching a course on leadership.

That same year, the CM-Law P. Kelly Tompkins Leadership and Law Program was established.