Cincinnati Bar Association’s programs create tomorrow’s advocates
Founded in 1872 and now with a membership that exceeds 3,600 members, the Cincinnati Bar Association (CBA) is considered one of the most venerable in Ohio, if not the nation.
Comprised of law students, attorneys in private practice, public service and corporate settings, the CBA is a voluntary, local nonprofit dedicated to supporting all its members at all stages of their careers and professional development. But it also offers programs that build leadership through community service while promoting the highest ethical standards and professional practices.
“One of the most important things we are doing today is to make sure our young members are engaged with the community and each other,” says Faith Whittaker, president of the CBA. “Our Young Lawyers Section offers programs and services to our younger lawyers to foster those things which are so important to the practice of law.”
The Young Lawyers Section is just one of the many programs the CBA sponsors that make a big difference in Cincinnati’s community. The Section plays an integral role in hosting the High School Mock Trial Competition, which attracts more than 350 students from approximately 22 area high schools.
“Students demonstrate the skills they have learned and practiced all year in school, while CBA members volunteer as judges, providing feedback and scoring for the student teams,” says Lisa McPherson, executive director of the CBA.
Like athletics, the winners locally move onto a regional competition and then to what eventually becomes the statewide finals.
But that is really just the tip of the iceberg. Each year the CBA’s leadership academy class or CALL (an acronym that stands for Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers) organizes a service project.
“One of those service projects just celebrated its 10th year,” says McPherson. “Hamilton County Youth Court is an early intervention program for first-time juvenile offenders who have committed low-level misdemeanors.
“The program has helped more than 500 juvenile offenders, ages 13-17, stay out of the juvenile justice system by choosing to have their case presented to a jury of their peers and reconcile their actions through sanctions that emphasize restoration, restitution and community service.”
Naturally, if you are in need of legal advice, there’s no better place to turn to for a referral.
The CBA’s Lawyer Referral Service opened in 1943 and was one of the first in the nation. The service is the primary way the CBA interacts with the public, making over 12,000 referrals annually. Its call center is staffed Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone in need to an attorney can talk to one of the CBA’s operators or they can get a referral 24/7 through its website at cincybar.org/LRS/Request-Form.
“The member attorneys on our service meet qualifications by area of law, carry malpractice insurance and are regular fee attorneys,” says McPherson. “Some will offer reduced fees for an initial consultation.”
The CBA has been training notaries in Ohio since 1961. When notary laws were changed in 2019, the CBA joined four Ohio Metro Bars and the Ohio State Bar to create Ohio Notary Services (ONS). ONS provides education and training to be a traditional Ohio Notary Public (think in-person, traditional stamped notarizations) and the new Ohio Online Notary Public of 2019. Ohio law allows for the online notarization of documents by authorized online notaries public. ONS is the Ohio secretary of state’s sole authorized provider for training and testing to become an online notary.
Of course, there is also a big election coming this fall. The CBA is sure to play a major role, at least locally. While the presidential election is always grabs the headlines, local elections can be even more important to the everyday life of the denizens of our town. That’s why the CBA is so actively involved.
“But we don’t make recommendations,” says Whitaker. “Our role is one of education and it’s very important that we remain neutral. We are really just supporting the process, the rule of law. We want to give people the education they need to make an informed decision.”
“We publish a judicial survey, asking our members to respond to questions about a judge or a candidate whom they have had contact with in the past four years,” adds MacPherson. “In partnership with other community organizations, we also invite all judicial candidates to participate in a live forum to provide an opportunity to meet the candidates.”
That live forum, which will take place in September, will also be recorded and live streamed.
When it comes to giving back to the community, the CBA is very well organized. The Cincinnati Bar Foundation is a separate nonprofit organization but is an integral part of the local legal community and the CBA.
With a mission of Promoting Justice & Changing Lives Through the Law, the CBF last year awarded 17 grants, three law school scholarships and supported a wide array of legally-related projects and organizations in the Cincinnati community, totaling more than $140,000.
“We empower nonprofits to help our legally vulnerable citizens because our community is stronger when we have confidence in our legal system,” says Bernice Walker, president of the CBF, who also leads its volunteer board.
“Through our grantmaking, we fund educational and charitable programs to serve the legal profession, the justice system, and the community. Grants are made twice a year.”
