Login | April 20, 2026
Family, colleagues remember attorney James E. Davis
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: April 17, 2026
As a young boy growing up in Barberton, Ohio, James (Jim) E. Davis started playing the cornet, learning that instrument and then mastering and developing a lifelong passion for the trumpet.
“One of my most prominent memories of my dad was him practicing scales and playing along with records which simulated being part of a band,” said his son Christopher Davis, a music manager and concert producer for classical and pop musicians in New York City.
While Davis would go on to land quite a few professional jobs, music was only one of his loves.
In fact, family and colleagues said his commitment to helping people led him down a different career path—the legal profession—though he never stopped practicing and performing.
“Jim had three loves--his family, music and practicing law,” said Bill Chris, managing partner at Roderick Linton Belfance, where Davis spent the last part of his career.
“He was especially fond of the people at Roderick Linton Belfance,” Chris said. “He was always encouraging people to join the firm, and he did things to boost morale at the firm.
“Jim would often buy lunch for the whole office because he thought it was important for the attorneys and staff to break bread together.”
But on Feb. 14, Davis passed away after a short illness. He was 92.
“Jim was a renaissance man,” said Chris Esker, of counsel at Roderick Linton Belfance. “He viewed the law as a profession and never as just a job.
“Earlier in his career he did a lot of work in the banking sector, but later he moved into business law and business litigation.
“He was very smart and detail oriented, and also personable and funny,” said Esker. “He was a very good friend.”
“My dad loved being a lawyer,” said Davis’s daughter Susan Mellin. “It was his identity and the way he thought about everything.
“Even though it was his calling, he never tried to influence my brother or me to be a lawyer,” said Mellin, chief advancement officer at the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. “He was very supportive of our decisions to go into the arts.”
“Our dad was very encouraging of whatever we were interested in,” said his son Christopher. “He didn’t care what we did for a profession as long as we were happy.
“He was always there if we needed advice and counsel,” Christopher said.
“I think my decision to go into music was due to the exposure I had growing up to my parents’ records,” said Christopher. “They both loved music and had an eclectic record collection ranging from classical music and jazz to bands like The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and Jefferson Airplane.”
Born on Jan. 17, 1934, he was the elder of Barberton Mayor Earl L. Davis and Carrie Lawver Davis’s two sons.
In 1951, he graduated from Barberton High School, where he was a member of the marching band. While in high school, Davis earned money by performing at local churches and social organizations.
He then enrolled at The Ohio State University, working his way through college, and receiving his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1955.
As a prominent member of OSU’s marching band, he was given the rare honor of performing solo taps before an audience of 80,000 at Ohio Stadium.
“Dad was totally serious about his music and thought it would be his career,” said Mellin.
“When he first started at Ohio State, he was planning to major in music,” said Mellin. “He switched because he wanted something more stable.”
Davis earned his juris doctor from the institution then known as Cleveland-Marshall Law School in 1961. At the time it was an evening program, and he worked full time to put himself through school.
He began his legal career as an attorney at the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in Columbus, where he focused on administrative law matters.
He returned to the Akron area in 1963, sharing office space on West Center Street with several attorneys, including Robert Blakemore and Max Rothal.
“We not only became business associates, but personal friends,” said Rothal, a retired law director for the city of Akron. “Jim was an expert in public utilities law, and I had more of a general practice.
“We did work together on one land appropriations case,” said Rothal. “He was very thorough and was well liked by lawyers and judges.
“Jim loved music and the law,” said Rothal. “He was also interested in politics and had a good sense of humor. I miss him.”
Davis also worked with attorney John Quine.
In the 1970s, Davis was the law director for the village of Richfield.
In 1984, Davis and Akron attorney Samuel Goldman won a landmark decision before the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Raymond Bertolini Trucking Company v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 736 F.2d 1120 (6th Cir. 1984).
The trucking company appealed the tax court’s ruling disallowing a deduction for kickback payments made to an employee of the general contractor. Reversing the tax court’s decision, the federal appellate court determined the payments were “ordinary and necessary business expenses,” thus the company was legally entitled to take the deduction.
After Quine passed away, Davis practiced with Goldman, Rosen, Davis, Tsarnas & Hendler, before joining Roderick, Myers & Linton (now Roderick Linton Belfance) as a partner on Jan. 4, 1993.
He became of counsel at the firm in January 1999.
Kathy Davisson, now an administrative assistant at Roderick Linton Belfance (RLB), was a former assistant to Davis two years before he started at Roderick, Myers & Linton.
“I came to RLB with Mr. Davis when he joined the firm,” said Davisson. “He stopped practicing in 2019. However, he still came into the office on a weekly basis until he was unable to physically come into the office.
“Mr. Davis, as I called him, was very ‘old school,’” said Davisson. “He was conscientious and a very hard worker, who was proud of the way he conducted his business.
“He had good relationships with all his clients; some became his friends,” she said.
“Mr. Davis wanted to make sure the younger generation understood the practice of law. Even when he was no longer actively involved in matters, he would make a point of speaking with young associates about their cases. He loved sharing his knowledge and encouraging others.
“He was a good boss, and we had a good working relationship,” said Davisson. “He is going to be missed.”
“Jim never really retired, and he never stopped caring about his clients,” said Esker. “I saw him about a week before he passed, and he reminded me to make sure that a particular client of his was taken care of.”
A longtime member of the Akron and Ohio State bar associations, Davis served on the board of the Akron Bar Association and as president of the Akron Bar Foundation, where he was also a board member.
His efforts earned him the Akron Bar Association’s 2014-15 Senior Lawyer of the Year Award.
In addition to practicing law, Davis continued to play the trumpet, performing at various venues around the state.
After joining Local 24 of the American Federation of Musicians, his family said he worked so much that music almost became his second career.
One of his most notable jobs was with Cab Calloway at the Akron Civic Theatre.
Davis even landed a gig with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the former Richfield Coliseum.
He also founded and performed in the Akron Brass Quintet and was a member of several Tuesday Musical Association committees in Akron.
“When my dad had an interest, he went ‘all in,’” said Mellin.
His children said Davis was very proud of the fact that he had the opportunity to study trumpet with Bernard Adelstein and Jack Sutte, renowned members of The Cleveland Orchestra.
In 2013, Davis published an instructional book entitled, “Fundamental Exercises for Trumpet Players or How to Strive for Perfection.”
In addition to the law and music, Davis enjoyed eating at so-called “joints” in the Akron-Cleveland area, including the Diamond Grille, Fred’s Diner, Bob’s Hamburg, the Main Street Saloon and Hamburger Station among others.
On his first day at Roderick Linton Belfance, Bill Chris was introduced to the concept when he joined Davis and attorney Fred Corns for lunch at Hamburger Station.
“They called it the station, and I thought we were going to Quaker Square,” said Chris. “It turned out to be this place that served little onion covered burgers just like White Castle, but better.
“Jim ate some of the craziest food and didn’t do much exercise, yet he managed to live to 92.”
“My father liked his joints,” said his son Christopher. “They were part of his lunch social ritual.
“He would also go to fancier restaurants like Keens Steakhouse and the Old Town Bar in New York City because they were older establishments and he felt they had character,” said Christopher. “He was not attracted to trendy restaurants.”
A celebration of life will be held for Davis in Akron over the summer.
He is survived by his wife Betty; his daughter and son-in-law Susan and Reimer Mellin; son Christopher Davis; grandson Alexander Mellin and his brother and sister-in-law Thomas A. and Jean Ann Davis.