In-Person - Course Description

Savory Insights (2026): Delving Into the Complexities of Estate Planning, Probate, and Elder Law is made possible by Reminger Co., LPA, Rischitelli & Poulos, LLC, and the Estate Planning, Probate, & Elder Law Section of the Akron Bar Association and Foundation.

In this Three and a Quarter-Hour (3.25) General CLE course, legal professionals receive a comprehensive update on critical developments and best practices in the Summit County Probate Court. The Course is divided into four (4) distinct modules, each focusing on a specific area:

Module 1 - View from the Bench and Top 20 List
Module 2 - Case Law Update
Module 3 -
Module 4 -

Registration Deadline: Fri., Jun. 26, 2026, before 7:45 am ET.

Course Schedule

8:15 am - 8:25 am - Check in
8:25 am - 8:30 am - Welcome
8:30 am - 9:15 am - Summit County Probate Court Update
- View From the Bench - Hon. Elinore Marsh Stormer
- Top 20 List - Chief Magistrate Steven S. Elliott, Esq.
9:15 am - 10:15 am - Case Law Update (2025) - Jessica S. Forrest, Esq
10:15 am - 10:30 am - Break
10:30 am - 11:00 am -
11:00 am - 12:00 pm -
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm - Q&A
12:30 pm - Luncheon With Networking

Menu

Chef de Cuisine, Larry G. Poulos, Esq., and the Crew

Appetizers - Spanakopita and Tiropita;
Main Course - Grecian Village Salad and Chicken Souvlaki;
And Dessert - Baklava.

Speaker Biographies

Hon. Elinore Marsh Stormer, Summit County Probate Court

Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer graduated from Davidson College’s Honors College. She received her Juris Doctorate from The University of Akron School of Law. Judge Stormer practiced law in the private sector until 1989 when she was appointed General Counsel to the Summit County Executive.

In her many years of service, Judge Stormer has been a trailblazer who transformed systems at nearly every level of judicial practice. Judge Stormer remains a leader in bringing the concept of therapeutic jurisprudence to Ohio. She was elected to the Akron Municipal Court and re-elected in 1993 and 1999. She began the first Municipal Drug Court and the first Mental Health Specialty Court in Ohio.

As a judge, she has led the effort to provide specialized treatment for offenders. In November 2004, Judge Stormer was elected to the Summit County Court of Common Pleas. In keeping with her commitment to intelligent sentencing and a “smart on crime” approach, in 2006, she began Summit County’s first Reentry Court to assist felons returning from prison to become law-abiding citizens. She was reelected in 2010.

The General Division Judges elected Judge Stormer as Administrative Judge for 2007, 2008, and again in 2009. In this position, she oversaw budgetary and personnel matters for a court of 157 employees.

After her 2012 election to Summit County Probate Court, Judge Stormer started a Mediation Program and a free Help Desk. She created the Senior Visitor and Volunteer Guardian Programs, both serving indigent wards under this Court’s jurisdiction some of our most vulnerable citizens.

In January 2016, Judge Stormer began the New Day Court, the first of its kind in Ohio, to help those under civil commitment avoid returning to the hospital by providing a path to recovery for those suffering from severe mental illness. Judge Stormer currently serves on the national Board of Directors of the Treatment Advocacy Center, a U.S. non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating legal and other barriers to the effective treatment of severe mental illness. New Day Court has quickly become a national model with frequent visitors from across the state and country attending the court to learn best practices.

Judge Stormer is currently a member of the Probate Section of the Ohio Judicial Conference. She has served on many Boards including Akron Children’s Hospital, Women’s Network, Weathervane Playhouse, Oriana House Advisory Board, and The Salvation Army Advisory Board as well as the Supreme Court of Ohio Advisory Committee on the Mentally Ill in the Courts, and numerous other community organizations.

In September of 2022, Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer was awarded the 2022 Thomas J. Moyer Award for Judicial Excellence. The Ohio Bar Association declared Stormer as the clear choice for this year’s award due to her innovations that have reshaped judicial practices and created innovative firsts in Ohio and Summit County throughout her career. The Moyer award annually recognizes a judge who displays outstanding qualities of judicial excellence including integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, professionalism, ethics, creativity, sound judgment, courage, and decisiveness. The Ohio State Bar presented the award on September 15, 2022, at their annual meeting at the Ohio Judicial Conference in Columbus.

Judge Stormer has received many community awards including the 2022 Community Medal from The Salvation Army of Akron and Summit County, 2018 Harvey L Sterns Lifetime Achievement Award from Direction Home, the 2018 Russ Pry Community Leader of the Year Award from The Summit County Developmental Disability Board, the Compass Award, from PEGS foundation, formally the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, for her long-term contributions that have made an impact in mental health, the Vantage Aging SOAR/Ed Kaufman Leadership in Aging Award in 2017, the 2016 Akron Bar Association Liberty Bell Award, the 2015 Woman of Achievement Award from Women’s Network, the 2014 Pinnacle Award of Summit County and the Spirit Award from Stewart’s Caring Place. In 2013, she received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Akron Law School and the Fred Frese Advocacy Award, the ATHENA Award for Leadership, the HEROES Award from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the statewide OCCO C. J. McLin Award, the Urban Light Award for Public Service, the Outstanding Leadership Award from Mental Health America of Summit County and the Public Official of the Year Award from the DAR.

As an additional service to the community, she created the Curated Courthouse, a partnership between the Summit County Probate Court and the Curated Storefront. This Knight Arts Challenge is a matching grant awarded in 2019 to bring art of both established and emerging artists, as respite and representation, to the Historic Summit County Courthouse. This partnership was also the winner of the Arts Alive Collaboration Awards of 2020.

Chief Magistrate Steven S. Elliott, Esq., Summit County Probate Court

Chief Magistrate Steven S. Elliott came to probate via a non-traditional background, serving in the CIA prior to attending law school. He practiced probate law and civil litigation and worked in parole, assisting felons to return to society. In 2018, Elliott joined the Summit County Probate Court as a part-time Magistrate/Court Investigator and then assumed the role of a full-time Magistrate. “Steve Elliott’s unique background makes him an excellent addition to our Court and community,” shared Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer. “As Chief Magistrate, he is the “first responder” to questions, holds hearings, and decides cases.” Steve passionately advocates for seniors and works with outside agencies to protect the community’s most vulnerable adults. He supports the Court’s work for those living with a serious mental illness. He speaks frequently to community organizations about the Court and teaches Magistrates and law enforcement officers. A Canton native and graduate of Bowling Green and The University of Akron School of Law, he enjoys spending time with his wife Ann and their three children and can often be found coaching their teams.

Jessica S. Forrest, Esq., Reminger

As co-chair of Reminger's Estates, Trusts, and Probate Litigation Practice Group, Jessica focuses her practice on will and trust contests, beneficiary disputes, and fiduciary litigation. She also handles matters of trust and estate administration, guardianships, and estate planning. Prior to joining Reminger, Jessica worked at a small general practice firm in Akron, Ohio, where she gained significant experience in real estate, general civil litigation, small business law, and personal injury matters. Jessica’s well-rounded background allows her to spot unique issues and find creative solutions for clients in all types of probate litigation.

Jessica frequently lectures across the state on the topics of estate and trust administration and litigation. She participates annually as an instructor of the University of Akron School of Law’s Summer Trial Academy – a program unique in the nation for providing students with an intensive course of trial advocacy culminating in a full jury trial. Jessica combines her deep knowledge of estate and trust law with her honed advocacy skills to create results for clients – whether that be via motion practice, mediation, or jury trials.

Jessica serves on the OSBA’s Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law Section Council helping to create and sponsor estate and trust legislation. She is a former chair of Akron Bar Association’s Estate Planning, Probate & Elder Law Section. She currently volunteers as a mock trial team coach for Akron Law, leading teams to national finalist rounds, and occasionally guest lectures at Akron Law on estate planning and probate law. She is a Trustee and Treasurer for Highland Square Neighborhood Association, a 501(c)(3) group in Akron that plans the annual PorchRokr Arts & Music Festival in Highland Square, Akron, Ohio. She serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for her alma mater, Our Lady of the Elms School and is on the professional advisory committee for Ohio Living Home Health & Hospice Greater Akron.

Justine S. Winger, Esq., Atlas Guardianship, Inc.

Justine S. Winger, Esq., is an attorney practicing in the areas of Guardianship, Probate Administration, Estate & Trust Law, Elder Law & Eldercare, and Property Law. She primarily focuses on guardianship, conservatorship, and the representation of individuals with physical and mental health challenges and/or developmental disabilities. She personally serves as a court-appointed guardian for numerous adult individuals and advises clients who are serving as guardians themselves or interested in pursuing guardianship. Justine received her BA from Grove City College in 2007 and her JD from the UA School of Law in 2010. She is licensed to practice law in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the Federal Court in the Northern District of Ohio. She is a member of OSBA, the Akron Bar Association, and serves as a board member for the Ohio Guardianship Association. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family & cats, and riding her scooter.

Elliot Kolkovich - Summit County Prosecutor

Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich graduated from the University of Illinois with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees in Print Journalism in 2002 and 2003 respectively.

After working as a freelance writer and then interning in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, he enrolled at the St. Louis University School of Law in the Fall of 2006 as a part-time student. While attending law school, he interned at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office for a summer and worked part-time for a small personal injury law firm.

After graduation in 2010, he moved to Ohio after his wife accepted a job with the Ohio State University. While waiting to take the bar, he interned with the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office in the Criminal Felony Division and for the Ohio Attorney General’s Office in the Antitrust Division.

Upon passing the bar, he accepted a position in the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office Juvenile Division, prosecuting abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. He moved to the Criminal Felony Division in February 2012. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio for eight months before returning to the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office as the Community Outreach Prosecutor in May 2023.

Upcoming Events

Latest News

Ninth District Court of Appeals Announces Presiding and Administrative Judges for 2022

Ninth District Court of Appeals: Adopted Changes to Local Rules, Which Take Effect on Jan. 1, 2022