Jim Bright has been practicing law, with the same firm, since 1976. He is a graduate of Princeton University (A.B.) and Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.). He advises individuals and families on estate planning, tax planning (including income and estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes), and charitable gift planning. He also provides counsel to trustees of private foundations on administration, initial formation, and tax qualification. Prior to the formation of Schneider Bell, he served as President of Spieth Bell McCurdy & Newell Co., L.P.A.

Jim is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and is listed in Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers. He has served on the Board of Directors/Trustees of many charitable institutions in Cleveland, including the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Cleveland Play House. He has also been a member of the Princeton University Planned Giving Advisory Committee since 2002, and he spent years as a partner with Social Venture Partners Cleveland. Additionally, Jim has served as Honorary Consul for the Duchy of Luxembourg since 1995 and is a past President of the Cleveland Raquet Club. 

His interests outside the practice of law include spending time with family, traveling the world, following the Cleveland Guardians and Ohio State football, and playing tennis (ranked 14th in the United States in the over 75 age group in 2024).

Practice Areas

  • Probate and Estate Administration
  • Trusts and Trust Administration
  • Estate Planning
  • Fiduciary Representation
  • Tax Law and Planning
  • Charitable Planning and Giving

Education

  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. (1976)
  • Princeton University, A.B. (1971)

Admissions & Associations

  • State of Ohio

Professional Involvement

  • American Bar Association, Member
    • Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section
    • General Practice Section
    • Taxation Section
  • Ohio State Bar Association, Member
    • Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Member
    • Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section
  • Estate Planning Council of Cleveland, Member
  • The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), Fellow

Awards & Honors

  • Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent®
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2006 for Practice Areas:
    • Trusts and Estates
  • Ohio Super Lawyers® (2006 - present)
  • Cleveland’s Top Rated Lawyers

Community Activities

  • Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Investment Committee, Chair (2010–present)
  • Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Board of Trustees (2004–present)
  • Cleveland Social Venture Partners (2004–present)
  • Princeton University, Planned Giving Advisory Committee (2002–present)
  • Plymouth Church of Shaker Heights, Foundation Committee
  • Duchy of Luxembourg, Honorary Consul (1995–present)

Articles & Presentations

  • Considerations for Individual Professional Trustees, The Estate Planning Council of Cleveland, January 2020
  • Social Security, The CMBA’s Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Law Section’s 44th Annual Estate Planning Institute, 2017
  • Social Security, Ohio ACTEC Meeting, 2017