Kurt Matthew Young

Kurt is one of the first Ohio State Bar Association Board  Certified Specialists in Ohio Workers' Compensation Law. He has been named a 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Ohio Super Lawyer (recognizing him as one of the Top 5% of Ohio's attorneys in the area of Workers' Compensation Law), having been previously been named in 2005. 2006 and 2007, Law as an Ohio Super Lawyer Rising Star (recognizing him as one of the Top 5% of Ohio's attorneys in the area of Ohio Workers' Compensation Law under the age of 40 or with less than 10 years in the practice of law).

He has argued over 19,000 hearings before all levels of the Industrial Commission of Ohio and has litigated cases before various Courts of Common Pleas and District Courts of Appeals throughout Ohio and has over a dozen published Court of Appeals and  Ohio Supreme Court decisions.  Kurt has been an adjunct instructor of Administrative Law (Social Security Disability and Workers' Compensation) at Stautzenberger College in Toledo and his firm still serves as an externship site for this program.  He also regularly presents to the Legal Assisting Program at the University of Toledo as well.

 He is the past Chair of the Toledo Bar Asscoiation's Workers' Compensation Committee; past President of the Northwest Ohio Claimant's Attorneys; Past Chair of the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, now known as Ohio Association for Justice, Workers' Compensation Executive Committee and former board member and PAC board member; Past Ohio Captain of the Work Injury Law & Advocacy Group (national workers' compensation attorneys organization) and a member of the Ohio State Bar Association Workers' Compensation Committee and is currently serving a three year term on it's Section Council.

 Kurt has presented seminar topics to the Toledo Bar Association Yearly Workers' Compensation Seminar, Akron Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Committee Seminar and Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers Fall and Summer Seminars, serving as co-moderator for it's 2005-2007 workers' compensation seminars. 

 Kurt is also a member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International (where is the former Justice of the John Hay and Cleveland Alumni
Chapters and former District XIV District Justice)), Phi Kappa Psi(social fraternity), and Omicron Delta Kappa (national leadership
honorary). 

Kurt served as Chariman of the Lucas County Democratic Party until 2020.  He is a member of the Executive Committee, and served as the chair of it's Policy and Bylaws Committee.  He is also a precinct committeeman in Toledo and served as Ward Chair of Ward 10.  He is a past member of the Wood County Democratic Party's Executive Committee, a past member of the Central Committee of the Cuyahoga and Summit County Democratic Parties.  Kurt was a delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Committee. He was awarded a Shoemaker Fellowship in Democratic Leadership by the Ohio Democratic Leadership Institute in 2013. He previously served on the  Executive Committee of the Ohio Democratic Party as well. 

 In 2017 Kurt was appointed to an unxpired At Large term on Toledo City Council.  He was then confirmed as the Chair of the Public Safety and Crminal Justice Reform Committee and Vice Chair of the Water Quality Streets and Infrastructure Committee.  During his brief tenure, he chaired a number of hearings on controversial, but vital topics.  He also passed legislation to permanent enshrine the Police Civilian Review Board, along with operating legislation covering most of the city's budget. 

In 2019, Kurt was appointed as one of the two Democratic Board Members of the Lucas County Board of Elections, and is the ranking Democrat on that body.  During his tenure, the Board was able to move to new offices, finishing a nearly decade long project to consolidate the board's operations to one campus. 

 His undergraduate degree is in Political Science from the University of Akron.  The Ray C. Bliss Institute at the University of Akron awarded him a certificate in Applied Politics (campaign and interest group management) in 1991 and he was the first Democrat awarded that certification.  He was the endorsed Democratic Candidate for the Fourth District Ohio House Race in 1998.  He has served as all levels of campaign staff from volunteer to campaign manager.  In 2012, Kurt served as Deputy Campaign Manager and General Counsel to the Zimmann for Congress Campaign.  He also has served as a consultant to several issue and candidate campaigns from School Board to Congressional.