Lakewood's Susan Jankite Named G.A.L. Of The Year

Lakewood resident and Attorney at Law Susan Jankite has been named "2009 G.A.L. of the Year" by the G.A.L. (Guardian ad Litem) Project of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. Guardian ad Litem literally means "guardian at law." A G.A.L. is an attorney appointed by the Juvenile Court to advocate for the best interests of a child (or, in some instances, an adult) in a juvenile court proceeding. Currently there are approximatley 100 qualified G.A.L.'s who have received special training from the G.A.L. Project.

Susan Jankite Company L.P.A. focuses on G.A.L. work along with employment disputes mediations. A self-described mid-life attorney, Susan graduated from law school and passed the bar in her forties. Her background includes child welfare social work, running a family preservation program, a court advocate program for YWCA, and working for county government in Texas. "I always wanted to be an attorney," Jankite said, "and thought it would take forever. It just demonstrates how amazingly fast those years fly by."

A member of the Ohio Women's Bar Assocation, the Lake County Bar Association, and the Guardian ad Litem Advisory Board, Susan Jankite has lived in Lakewood Ohio for 16 years, and has served the Lakewood community as a leader of the Lakewood Chapter of the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area. Currently co-president of the Cuyahoga Area LWV, she has had a variety of leadership roles in the nonpartisan organization, and is an experienced League moderator. In celebration of her G.A.L. Award, her colleagues in the League of Women Voters held a reception for Susan on January 7, at The Waterford in Lakewood.