OHIO JUDGE'S PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY SELF-INSURANCE PROGRAM DEFENSE COUNSEL

*Amendment 1, resulting in Round 2, has been issued to extend the inquiry end date and closing dates. Bidders who have already submitted proposals under Round 1 of this solicitation will need to log into OhioBuys and submit their proposal under Round 2.

The Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS), through its Office of Risk Management (Agency), issues this Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking proposals from qualified, independent Ohio attorneys and/or law firms to serve as insurance defense counsel (Counsel) to judges (Insured Judges) covered by the Ohio Judges’ Professional Liability Program (Program). Insured Judges include sitting or assigned judges in the following courts: Supreme Court of Ohio, Appellate Courts, Court of Claims, municipal courts, common pleas courts, and assigned or retired judges appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio for activity conducted while in a judicial capacity. The Program provides coverage for professional liability and employment practices liability claims against Insured Judges in their individual capacities. Counsel will also be responsible for providing an attorney staffed judicial hotline program that provides limited advice to Insured Judges and their administrative staff in pre-litigation matters, with the objective of reducing the likelihood of liability and the future expenditure of insurance funds (Judicial Hotline). These services will be referred to as General Defense and Judicial Hotline Services.

Additionally, the Program provides limited coverage of disciplinary proceedings initiated under the Rules for the Government of the Bar, Rule V, through the probable cause stage. These services will be referred to as Judicial Disciplinary Proceeding Services.

Pursuant to this RFP, the state may award contracts for one or more of the following services:

1. General Defense and Hotline Services for Region 1, Region 2, or both.
2. Conflict Counsel for General Defense and Hotline Services for either or both Region(s).
3. Judicial Disciplinary Proceeding Services.
4. Conflict counsel for Judicial Disciplinary Proceeding Services.

Region 1: Hamilton, Darke, Miami, Champaign. Clark, Montgomery, Greene, Defiance, Henry, Paulding, Putnam, Hancock, Seneca, Van Wert, Allen, Hardin, Wyandot, Crawford, Mercer, Auglaize, Shelby, Logan, Marion, Union, Pickaway, Hocking, Athens, Washington, Highland, Ross, Vinton, Meigs, Pike, Jackson, Gallia, Adams, Scioto, Lawrence, Williams, Fulton, Lucas, Wood, Ottawa, Sandusky, Erie, Huron, Cuyahoga, Lorain, Medina, Summit, Wayne, Lake, Ashtabula, Geauga, Portage, Trumbull, Preble, Butler, Warren, Clinton, Madison, Fayette, Clermont, and Brown counties.

Region 2: Richland, Ashland, Holmes, Stark, Morrow, Knox, Coshocton, Tuscarawas, Delaware, Licking, Muskingum, Guernsey, Fairfield, Perry, Morgan, Mahoning, Columbiana, Carroll, Jefferson, Harrison, Belmont, Noble, Monroe, and Franklin counties.

OHIOBUYS TRAINING MATERIALS
OhioBuys training materials can be located at this site https://procure.ohio.gov/bidders-and-suppliers/resources/Bidder+and+Supplier+Training/02_OB+training
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