A tribute to Paul Wright

By Peggy Kirk Hall, director of agricultural law, Ohio State University Agricultural and Resource Law Program

We mourn the passing of Paul L. Wright, an agricultural attorney, mentor, leader, professor, farmer advocate, and the founder of our OSU Agricultural Law Program. Wright passed on July 17, 2024, due to cancer.

Wright didn’t set out to become an agricultural law attorney, his passion for agriculture led him there. He grew up on a farm in Coshocton County, was active in 4-H and vocational agriculture, and decided to pursue a degree in agricultural education at Ohio State. He then began his career in 1959 as the county 4-H agent for OSU Extension in Madison and Clinton counties. While he was completing a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics, OSU Extension promoted Paul into a Farm Management Area Extension Agent position in Fremont.

Wright’s work as a Farm Management Specialist for OSU kept pulling him into legal issues, and that he felt compelled to try to solve those issues for farmers.… Continue reading