Trine alum earns honors for legal work

By Nate Ware
Communication ′24

Ben Syroka has a passion for public service, and his commitment to his profession and community has led to impressive achievements.

A proud Trine University graduate, the 2016 alumnus works as an attorney for the U.S. Federal Courts. In his role as a judicial law clerk, his responsibilities include legal research and analysis, case management, and preparation for various court proceedings.

During his time with the judiciary, Ben has worked on interesting cases all over the country: “I’ve worked on drug-trafficking conspiracies in Tulsa, Oklahoma; contested life-insurance benefits in Boise, Idaho; medical kickback schemes in Dallas, Texas; and excessive‑force cases in Pasadena, California.”

Outside of the courtroom, Ben has established himself as a leader in the community. He was recently honored with the 2023 Distinguished Pro Bono Service Award at the annual U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio (“NDOH”) State of the Court Luncheon.

Ben has also received the 2023 “20 Under 40” Toledo Leadership Recognition Award. The highly competitive “20 Under 40” program aims to showcase leaders who distinguish themselves in the Toledo community.  

Ben serves the legal community in numerous leadership roles, including appointments to the prestigious NDOH Advisory Group, the Federal Bar Association (“FBA”) NDOH Board of Directors, and the FBA National Federal Judicial Law Clerk Committee. And he spends his evenings teaching upper-level writing at the University of Toledo College of Law, where he volunteers as a faculty advisor to several students. 

Also an active writer, Ben serves as the Senior Proof Editor of the FBA’s Editorial Board, and has been published in several local and national periodicals on topics such as prisoner rights, recidivism, inflation/consumer protection, and labor rights. His proposal for breaking down cost barriers in the clerkship-interview process to create opportunities in the judiciary for first-generation law students won first place in the 2023 Hon. Constance Baker Motley Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Essay Competition.

Likewise, Ben frequently speaks at community events on topics such as American government, the Federal Judiciary, Constitutional rights, and artificial intelligence in the law. 

“I moved back home for law school to play my part in Toledo's growth and transformation. This city has given me so much, and it’s awesome to be in a position to give back,” Ben said of the “20 under 40” recognition.

He credits his success to his boss, the Honorable Jack Zouhary: “Judge Z taught me from day one, back when I was an extern, that just punching the clock as a government employee wasn’t good enough. We’re here to serve others — to make our district a better place to practice law, and to make our community a better place to live.”  

Even before law school, Ben had a high appreciation for the profession. In his own words: “The law has always felt ubiquitous to me. It’s all around us — in contracts and agreements, in the workplace, and even in traffic. But the law is a mystery to most people, and I loved the idea of being someone who had the answers.”

He credits Trine University with playing a crucial role in preparing him to have the answers — both in law school and practice. His involvement with the men’s basketball program taught him to be diligent in his craft and to manage his time effectively. And more important, “great professors, like John Milliken, exposed me to the nuts and bolts of the legal field so that I could hit the ground running,” Ben said.  

Although his “night job” — moonlighting as a men’s college basketball referee in several Division I, II, and III conferences throughout the Midwest and East Coast — keeps him on the road much of the year, Ben recently accepted an appointment to the Trine University Alumni Association Board of Directors and “can’t wait to be involved back on campus!”