Duane was born in Shelby County and has called it home his entire life. He grew up as a farm boy blessed with a solid, hard-working family background in a community, a neighborhood where people “looked out” for each other. He studied from age 14 until 25 in a religious community; living and learning in such varied places as Chicago, Illinois, Salzburg, Austria, Rome, Italy, and Washington, D.C. Before attending law school, he worked in community outreach on the south side of Chicago, with the Christian Appalachian Project in Kentucky, and as a corporate representative of Mohasco in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. During law school he worked as a clerk for the United States Attorneys for the Southern District of Ohio in real estate matters and creditor’s rights.



As graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law, he began practicing in Shelby County in 1982 as a private attorney during which time he was a partner, as well as a managing partner from 1992-2002. He has held positions as assistant Public Defender, assistant Prosecuting Attorney and served 9 years as Municipal Judge of Sidney Municipal Court. Duane works in matters of wills, probate, real estate, business relationships and employment relations.