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                                                                       Exhibit 5
                                [CC&J letterhead]


                                April 3, 1997



FirstFederal Financial Services Corp
135 East Liberty Street
Wooster, Ohio 44691

         Re:  Registration Statement on Form S-4

Members of the Board of Directors:

         We have examined (i) the Agreement of Affiliation and Plan of Merger
dated as of December 30, 1996, by and between FirstFederal Financial Services
Corp (the "Company") and Summit Bancorp (the "Merger Agreement"), (ii) the
Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the "Registration Statement") filed by the
Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and the public
offering prospectus (the "Prospectus"), relating to the issuance by the Company
of up to 605,000 shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Common
Stock"), in the manner set forth in the Registration Statement and the
Prospectus, (iii) the Company's Articles of Incorporation and Code of
Regulations, and (iv) records of the Company's corporate proceedings relative to
its organization and to the issuance of the Common Stock.

         We have examined originals, or copies identified to our satisfaction,
of such corporate records of the Company and have made such examinations of law
as we have deemed relevant. In our examination, we have assumed and have not
verified (i) the genuineness of all signatures, (ii) the authenticity of all
documents submitted to us as originals, (iii) the conformity with the originals
of all documents supplied to us as copies, and (iv) the accuracy and
completeness of all corporate records and documents and all certificates and
statements of fact, in each case given or made available to us by the Company.
We have relied upon certificates and other written documents from public
officials and government agencies and departments and we have assumed the
accuracy and authenticity of such certificates and documents.

         Based upon the foregoing, and having a regard for such legal
considerations as we deem relevant, we are of the opinion that the Common Stock
will be, upon issuance, against payment therefor as contemplated in the Merger
Agreement, legally issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

         We consent to the use of this opinion, to the incorporation by
reference of such opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the
reference to our firm and our opinion under the heading "Legal Matters" in the
Registration Statement filed by the Company, and all amendments thereto. In
giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons
whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and
regulations of the Commission thereunder.

                                     CRITCHFIELD, CRITCHFIELD & JOHNSTON, LTD.


                                     By: /s/ Daniel H. Plumly
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