Page 10 - May June 2023 CBA Report

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2023 AWARD RECIPIENTS!
THEMIS AWARD
Extraordinary service by an attorney to the Cincinnati Bar Association, the legal profession and the general community, which displays a high level of commitment, dedication or courage.
ALPHONSE A. GERHARDSTEIN
Alphonse A. Gerhardstein exempli- fies the attributes of the Themis Award through his passion for improving our community. He zealously advocates for the rights of prisoners, minorities, abor- tion providers, and victims of excessive police force.
Gerhardstein graduated from New
York University School of Law in 1976 and began his legal career as a fellow at the Legal Aid Society of Cincinnati. He joined Bob Laufman and Maggie Quinn in 1978 and later Jennifer Branch joined him practicing as Gerhardstein & Branch. Currently, he is a partner at Friedman, Gilbert and Gerhardstein with offices in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. He is the founder of the Ohio Justice and Policy Center, a nonprofit agency that for more than 25 years has advocated for criminal justice reform.
Gerhardstein has successfully litigated many police, prison, and jail reform cases in his career. He helped create and implement the Cincinnati collaborative agreement, which became a national model for community-police relations. For many years he also represented the Sentinel Police Association and the Cincinnati African Amer- ican Firefighters Association in affirmative action litigation. He represented the family of Samuel DuBose after DuBose was killed by a University of Cincinnati police officer in 2015. This litigation led to reform within the university’s police force. In 2018, along with former law partner Judge Jennifer Branch, he represented the family of Kyle Plush, a 16-year-old who called 911 but died in the family van without rescue. This litigation also led to reforms now underway at the Cincinnati Emergency Communications Center.
Gerhardstein is passionate about advocating on behalf of the wrongfully convicted and prosecuted. He has worked with exon- erated individuals who have been incarcerated for decades. He has also litigated many other civil rights issues, including race, sex, and sexual orientation discrimination, disability discrimina- tion, prisoner rights, voting rights, and reproductive health issues. Notably, he was lead counsel in Obergefell v. Hodges, which estab- lished marriage equality for same-sex couples across the country. He was also counsel to the local Planned Parenthood affiliate for thirty years.
In their joint nomination letter of Gerhardstein for this award, Judge Jennifer Branch and Marianna Bettman wrote, “Al Gerhardstein has done so much beyond his legal service, teaching generations of teens in his church, championing his neighborhood of Kennedy Heights, teaching and training scores of law students, and giving back to his community. Even in his losses, he has made a difference.”
JOHN W. WARRINGTON COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
The John W. Warrington Community Service Award recognizes a CBA attorney member or members who have performed extraordinary volunteer service to our community. This annual award is funded through a donation to the Cincinnati Bar Foundation by the law firm of Graydon Head & Ritchey, and the award recipient is selected by the Community Service Board Committee of the CBA in honor of attorney John. W. Warrington.
DAVID C. HORN
David C. Horn is retired a executive
vice president, chief legal and admin-
istrative officer, and secretary of AK
Steel. Dave is highly respected attorney
and community leader who has demon-
strated the attributes of the Cincinnati
Bar Association’s John W. Warrington
Community Service Award through his
dedication to improving the lives of those
in the Cincinnati and Dayton communities with his work with the Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio (PBPO) and other organizations.
Horn was instrumental in the creation of PBPO, serving on a steering committee that helped gather support for the organiza- tion’s formation and later becoming a founding board member. He played a key role in bringing together the legal and corporate communities supporting PBPO’s mission, devoting hundreds of hours of his time to the cause. Since its founding in 2015, PBPO has provided over $6.1 million in free legal services and education to over 280 nonprofit clients, thanks to the help of over 830 attorney volunteers recruited by the organization. Today, he continues to serve PBPO as its Treasurer, helping to guide the organization’s financial position and fundraising efforts.
In addition to his work with PBPO, Horn has been an active participant in numerous other community service organizations, including the Volunteer Lawyers for the Poor Foundation and the Greater Cincinnati Minority Counsel Program. His commitment to community service has led him to serve on the boards of nearly ten different organizations, all of which are dedicated to improving the lives of those in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas.
Horn remains modest in the face of his many accomplishments, serving as a quiet force for good in the community, motivated solely by his desire to make a positive change. He has consistently demonstrated leadership in supporting social justice and equality movements and has been a steadfast advocate for those who need a helping hand. His selfless commitment to community service has earned him the respect and admiration of all who have had the privilege of working with him.
10 THE REPORT | May/June 2023 | CincyBar.org