Login | August 28, 2026
Akron Shumaker associate to receive a 30 for the Future Award
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: August 28, 2026
As a teenager at Jackson High School, Massillon, Ohio native Michael J. Class was a competitive athlete, who played soccer, volleyball and track and field.
“Being an athlete was my identity until I got injured in high school and it no longer could be,” Class said.
Given his penchant for competition, Class decided to join the mock trial team instead, sparking a brand-new career interest as an attorney.
At The Ohio State University, he majored in political science and psychology, before earning his Juris Doctor from the school’s Moritz College of Law in 2020.
Class started his career at Black, McCuskey, Sours & Arbaugh, a smaller firm in Canton.
He later moved to Brouse McDowell, where he began focusing on insurance recovery matters, working under partner Amanda Leffler.
When a group of Brouse McDowell’s insurance recovery attorneys decided to transition their practice to the Akron office of the Am Law 200 firm Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, Class went with them.
He continues to work alongside Leffler and the other Shumaker litigation and disputes service line attorneys. He primarily represents insurance policy holders.
Class is a member of the Akron Bar Association, Stark County Bar Association and Ohio State Bar Association.
Outside of the legal profession, his main focus is assisting students with an interest in the law to gain a better understanding of the profession.
He is currently an assistant mock trial coach at his former high school and a consultant to the team at Ohio State.
“I participated in mock trial the entire time I was at Ohio State, both as an undergraduate and law student,” he said.
Class recentley learned he is among the 2026 recipients of the Greater Akron Chamber’s 30 for the Future Award.
First unveiled by the chamber in 2007, the award recognizes professionals ages 25 to 39 whose leadership and accomplishments have helped strengthen the region.
“I was very excited to learn that I had been selected,” Class said. “I am actively involved in the chamber, and I’ve been to two or three of these award ceremonies, so I understand the significance.
“It’s an honor for sure.”
“Michael’s selection as a 30 for the Future honoree is a well-deserved recognition of his talent, dedication, and commitment to both his clients and the greater Akron community,” said Leffler, managing partner of Shumaker’s Akron office. “He brings a thoughtful, solutions-focused approach to complex insurance recovery matters, and his service to students through mock trial reflects the kind of leadership and mentorship this award is meant to celebrate.”
In addition to a 30 for the Future Award, Class was added to Super Lawyers magazine’s 2026 Ohio Rising Stars list.
Class said he plans to continue his coaching roles and explore other potential opportunities to help with mock trial through the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education.
“I really enjoy working with the students,” Class said. “My mother is very involved in education as a former principal and now as a family support specialist with the Stark County, Ohio Educational Service Center. Anytime she learns that a student is interested in the law, she connects us.
“I am thrilled to be a 30 for the Future Award recipient and my goal is to make sure I live up to that honor,” said Class.
“In addition to mock trial, as I continue my career I will likely look to become more involved in the bar associations where I am a member and the Greater Akron Chamber.”