For those who knew Brad Sinnott, CapLaw ’86, it would come as no surprise that he was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” by his Reynoldsburg High School classmates.
Brad was known for succeeding in everything he did. He graduated with honors in 1982 from The Ohio State University, where he earned a degree in political science. He achieved the highest LSAT score in the state. At Capital University Law School, he was executive articles editor of Law Review, a member of Order of Curia honor society and finished first in his class, graduating summa cum laude.
“He was an above-and-beyond kind of guy,” said his widow, Sandra Sinnott, who had known her husband since fifth grade. The two reconnected later in life after attending their 35th high school reunion in 2014. Sandra recalls Brad asking her out to dinner and “I ended up being treated like a queen for seven years.”
In March 2021, Brad was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that took his life less than two months later at the age of 60.
“He was the ultimate gentleman in all aspects of life,” said Sandra. “He was very self-disciplined. He just had a method of keeping life very regimented – very regimented in terms of being there for other people.”
A partner with the law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, Brad had a distinguished 35-year legal career and was recognized nationally for his work in employment law. In 2020, he was named by his peers as the Woodward/White Lawyer of the Year for Central Ohio workers’ compensation defense.
He served as chair of the Franklin County Republican Central Committee from 2004 to 2020 and was appointed by former Gov. George Voinovich to the Ohio State Medical Board. He served on the Franklin County Board of Elections for nearly 10 years, and was instrumental in many Republican political campaigns, including serving as treasurer for two gubernatorial campaigns for John Kasich.
Upon his death, Sandra wanted to tap his “inner circle” of friends to decide on a way to honor Brad’s legacy. As Brad had been a Capital Law full-scholarship recipient, their decision to establish the Bradley K. Sinnott Law Endowed Scholarship is one she wholeheartedly supports.
One of those members of Brad’s inner circle is fellow attorney Jonathan McGee. “The scholarship that Brad received enabled him to attend Cap,” McGee said. “This scholarship will assist good students like Brad in getting a law degree.”
Another high school and Law School classmate, Brad McCloud, said, in addition to scholastic aid, Brad Sinnot developed personal relationships with people at the school during the application process. “I think overall, Capital just felt like a warm and personal fit.”
Brad had grown up on his grandfather Harry’s farm in Union Furnace, Ohio, before moving to Reynoldsburg after his mother remarried. Harry, a Hocking County commissioner and state senator, instilled a passion for politics and public service in his grandson.
“I recall a picture of a young Brad sitting in his grandfather’s chair on the Senate floor,” McGee said.
The Bradley K. Sinnott Law Endowed Scholarship gives first preference to students from Hocking County and then other Ohio Appalachian counties.
Sandra said Brad had so many accomplishments, but the one he was most proud of was his law career. “That really was the basis for everything he did,” she said.
“He did not waste a minute of his 60 years. He had such intellectual gifts. He used those to the utmost and for good. I think he truly appreciated the education that he got at Capital. The opportunity at Capital was quite a blessing to him.”
McGee said that for Brad, “education opened doors, broadened his mind and world views,” adding that his friend was always learning.
Sandra sees the scholarship “as a way to give back to the law school that gave so much to him. I would like for it to be seen as giving forward.”
“What Capital gave to Brad, and in giving forward,” she said, “it gives a student who possibly could not afford to or struggles to get a law degree an opportunity.”
And for those closest to Brad, that opportunity pays tribute to the fact that he touched so many lives over the years, giving of his time and capital, said McGee. “He listened to people and never made anyone feel undeserving of his attention.”
The Bradley K. Sinnott Law Endowed Scholarship will enable that legacy to live on.