Formerly, Diane served as the Regional Director for the Ohio Civil Rights Commission where she led investigations into discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations.  Diane has also been an adjunct law professor at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law where she taught in the housing law clinical program.

Diane received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and American Literature from Brown University where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa National Honorary.  She received a law degree from the University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law.

• Causes of Action for Handicapped Discrimination in Housing in Violation of the Federal Fair Housing Act [42 U.S.C.A. 3601 et seq.] and Related Federal Statutes, 22 Causes of Action 2d, West Publishing Co., June 2003 (co-authored with David Oakley and Edward Kramer)

Honors and Awards:

• Nirmal Sinha Commissioners Award, awarded by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, July, 2006
• United Way of Greater Cleveland “Spotlight Volunteer,” March 10, 2006
• Rosa Parks Congressional Medal, Awarded by The Ohio Civil Rights Commission, July 2005
• Certificate of Appreciation for 2004 Affirmative Direction Series, Bowling Green State University, October 20, 2004
• Fair Housing Achievement Award, issued by The Housing Advocates, Inc., September 19, 2003
• Resolution of the Cuyahoga County Commissioners saluting Diane E. Citrino Regional Director of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, Akron, September 10, 2003
• Individual Achievement Award, Northern Ohio Fair Housing Alliance (“NOFHA”), April, 2003
• Proclamation from Cuyahoga County Commissions recognizing Fair Housing Achievement, April, 2003
• Certificate of Appreciation, awarded by the Solon City Schools, for mentorship in law, June, 2001
• Year 2000 Ohio Civil Rights Commission Leadership Award by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, for outstanding contributions furthering civil and human rights, February 2000
• Selected as one of ten “Outstanding Women in the Law” by The Cleveland Bar Association, May, 1999
• Selected as one of ten “Lawyers of the Year” by Ohio Lawyers Weekly, December 27, 1999
• 1998 Fair Housing Award, issued by Fair Housing Contact Service, Akron, OH

Representative Cases:

• City of Cuyahoga Falls v. Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, 538 U.S. 188 (2003).  Co-counsel representing developer in fair housing dispute involving NIMBY ("Not In My Back Yard") opposition.  The housing was built after years of litigation although the U.S. Supreme Court did not allow fair housing damages to the developer due to free speech concerns.
  
• Eva v. Midwest National Mortgage Banc, 143 F. Supp. 2d 862 (N.D. Ohio 2001).  Lead counsel for plaintiffs in civil RICO case against predatory lenders and related entities.  Judge Nugent of the Northern District of Ohio allowed claims to proceed in precedent-setting summary judgment ruling for plaintiffs.
  
• Walker v. Crawford (N.D. Ohio 1999).  Lead counsel in civil trial representing multiple women and a fair housing agency against a landlord who sexually abused tenants over a period of years.  Jury verdict for plaintiffs, including attorneys' fees in excess of half a million dollars.
  
• Schorr v. Briarwood Estates Ltd. Partnership, 178 F. R. D. 488 (N.D. Ohio 1998).  Lead counsel in case representing disabled woman.  This case reports a precedent-setting protective order issued by Judge Solomon Oliver.
  
• Garnett v. Pearson, 96 CV 1719 (N.D. Ohio 1996) FH-FL Rptr. ¶ 16.181.1.  Lead counsel for man and his child harassed by neighbor due to father being HIV positive.  Bench trial before Chief Judge Matia in Northern District of Ohio resulting in injunctive relief and money for plaintiffs.
  
• Byrd v. Brandeburg, 922 F. Supp. 60 (N.D. Ohio 1996).  Lead counsel for family fire-bombed by white, juvenile gang members.  Case won by plaintiff's motion for summary judgment.
  
• Rosario v. Livaditis, 963 F.2d 1013 (7th Cir. 1992).  Second-chaired trial in Illinois for a class of 1,400 Spanish-speaking beauty school students defrauded of their Pell grant money and additional funds by fraudulent beauty school.

Community Involvement:

• Appointed to the Ohio Advisory Committee to the United States Civil Rights Commission, 2003 to present
• FBI Hate Crimes Task Force, committee member, 1999 to present.  Work on education and outreach committee about preventing and reporting hate crimes in Ohio
• Merit Selection Committee member selected to fill vacant bankruptcy judgeships in the Northern District of Ohio, June 2002, and reappointed to serve on committee to fill bankruptcy judgeship in Youngstown, Ohio in July 2003
• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Trustee, June 2006 to present