Biography
Clay Graham has devoted his career to helping people, both as a lawyer and businessman in Zanesville, Muskingum County, and the surrounding region. He was exposed to the law for as long as he can remember. His father and grandfather were both attorneys and now is guaranteed a fourth generation, with his nephew Josh Graham and son-in-law Travis Jones to help carry on the family’s legacy of providing passionate advocacy and counsel.
FAMILIES FIRST
When it comes to serving people with legal needs, Clay brings a caring attitude to all that he does. He firmly believes that legal matters cannot be treated properly without understanding a person’s life—their goals, values, achievements, and families.
“My clients are neighbors, friends, and community members,” says Clay. “When I get to understand their lives, values, and family histories, there’s a good chance I can give them advice and direction to better themselves or their families.”
As the managing partner of Graham & Graham, Clay emphasizes the firm’s diversity, experience, and expertise, which includes a successful blend of providing legal advocacy in contentious disputes, trial lawyering in both civil and criminal cases, and counseling clients from a personal or family standpoint.
PASSION AND SKILL
“Clients appreciate our passion and skill,” explains Clay. “You have to be a master at what you do. If you’re not passionate as a lawyer, then you really can’t advocate for the interests of your client. We want to be each client’s friend and counselor, not just their lawyer. The best evidence that we achieve this is that our clients become clients for life.”
Clay considers it a privilege to serve his clients and is grateful for the positive results he has obtained on their behalf over the years, all of which has contributed to his upstanding reputation and character. Clay is also proud of his successful federal court clerkship for the Honorable Joseph P. Kinneary—the namesake of the Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse—early in his legal career, as well as his notable work as a trial attorney and now life-member of the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Conference.
COMMUNITY
A lifelong resident of Zanesville, Ohio, Clay excelled in academics and sports at Zanesville High School, where he was a captain and All-Conference player on the golf and basketball teams—holding a single season free throw shooting record for over 35 years! Today, he is an avid supporter of recreational and art programs throughout the region, and in 2014, received the Muskingum County Community Foundation’s Dick Johnson Civic Leadership Award. In 2015, he was inducted into the Zanesville High School Hall of Fame.