OSBA to honor Judge William Klatt, Judge Ron Cable at Ohio Judicial College Annual Meeting
Lead Summary
By
Ohio State Bar Association-
On Thursday, Sept. 2, Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) 2021-2022 President David Lefton will be recognizing judicial excellence and innovation when he presents the 2021 Thomas J. Moyer Award for Judicial Excellence to Tenth District Court of Appeals Judge William A. Klatt and the 2021 Innovative Court Practices Award to Akron Municipal Court Judge Ron Cable for RISE Court, a specialty docket program he founded which supports adult survivors of human trafficking. Both awards will be presented at the Ohio Judicial Conference Annual Meeting.
Thomas J. Moyer Award for Judicial Excellence
The Moyer award was established in 2010 by the OSBA in honor of the late Chief Justice, who was posthumously given the inaugural award. It seeks to recognize a current or former Ohio state or federal judge in the Moyer-mold who displays outstanding qualities of judicial excellence including integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, professionalism, ethics, creativity, sound judgment, courage and decisiveness.
The clear choice this year was Judge William A. Klatt of the Tenth District Court of Appeals.
Judge Klatt earned his law degree from Notre Dame University. He previously worked as a litigation partner at the firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey (now Squire Patton Boggs) and went on to serve as first assistant attorney general for former Attorney General Betty Montgomery. He was chief legal counsel for Governor Bob Taft who, in 2002, appointed Judge Klatt to the Tenth District Court bench, to which has been re-elected three times.
“Judge Klatt became a lawyer because he knew inherently that the law could be both rewarding and a catalyst for making a difference, and he found his true calling as a judge,” Lefton said. “Throughout his career he has been known for applying the same rigor and discipline to every case no matter how large or small because he knows that real lives are impacted by his decisions.”
In addition to his work from the bench, Judge Klatt has held many impactful leadership positions within the legal community. He has helped advance access to justice efforts through his involvement with the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation (formerly the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation) since he joined the board of directors in 1995. There, he has worked on several initiatives to increase access to justice and contribute to the mission of the foundation to ensure that there are adequate resources available to address the unmet civil legal needs of low-income and underserved Ohioans.
Judge Klatt was also appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court to the Board of Professional Conduct and is serving his third term as a commissioner, promoting the highest standards of legal ethics. He has also served as a mentor for countless other judges and attorneys has been active in both the state and his local bar association, including having served on the OSBA Council of Delegates as well as the Board of Governors of the Columbus Bar Association.
“Despite his numerous decorations and accomplishments, he remains a humble public servant,” Lefton continued. “This is the hallmark of a great judge.”
Innovative Court Practices Award
The Innovative Court Practices Award, sponsored by the OSBA Judicial Administration and Innovation Committee, seeks to highlight and bring greater visibility to exemplary programs in Ohio’s courts and to facilitate the transfer of those programs to other jurisdictions.
Award submissions are evaluated on criteria including creativity, the newness of the program, its effectiveness and whether the program addresses significant issues that are regional in scope. The work of the Akron Municipal Court Restore Individual Self-Empowerment (RISE) Court most inspired the selection committee this year.
Shortly after he was elected to the bench, Judge Ron Cable initially established RISE in 2018 as a court-sponsored initiative aimed at helping adult, woman victims of human trafficking, prostitution and sexual exploitation gain expungement of their charges. As of November 2020, the RISE program is an Ohio Supreme Court-certified specialty docket.
Fifteen women are currently enrolled in the RISE program, which is the Akron Municipal Court’s sixth specialized docket and the first of its kind to serve adults in Summit County. Through partnerships with outside agencies, RISE provides services such as trauma therapy, drug rehabilitation, housing assistance, vocational services and other community support.
Most of all, the program seeks to create a bond among participants via bi-weekly meetings and outings (including an upcoming equine therapy session) so the women know they are not alone and that there are people out there who want to help them.
“In establishing RISE, Judge Cable filled a great need in his community,” President Lefton said. “He recognized that when we see a female charged with domestic violence, theft or drug possession, there is often much more to their stories. RISE seeks to deal with the root causes of what brought them to court and to help them create new paths and better lives.”
Judge Cable has also worked diligently to educate the public and fellow judges in an effort to raise awareness about the human trafficking epidemic. The OSBA is hopeful this recognition will further these efforts.
Judge Cable serves as the Akron Municipal Court’s administrative/presiding judge as well as presiding judge for both RISE and the Family Intervention Court. He earned his law degree from the University of Akron School of Law.
The Ohio State Bar Association, founded in 1880, is a voluntary association representing approximately 26,000 members of the bench and bar of Ohio. Through its activities and the activities of its related organizations, the OSBA serves both its members and the public by promoting the highest standards in the practice of law and the administration of justice.
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Thomas J. Moyer Award for Judicial Excellence
The Moyer award was established in 2010 by the OSBA in honor of the late Chief Justice, who was posthumously given the inaugural award. It seeks to recognize a current or former Ohio state or federal judge in the Moyer-mold who displays outstanding qualities of judicial excellence including integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, professionalism, ethics, creativity, sound judgment, courage and decisiveness.
The clear choice this year was Judge William A. Klatt of the Tenth District Court of Appeals.
Judge Klatt earned his law degree from Notre Dame University. He previously worked as a litigation partner at the firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey (now Squire Patton Boggs) and went on to serve as first assistant attorney general for former Attorney General Betty Montgomery. He was chief legal counsel for Governor Bob Taft who, in 2002, appointed Judge Klatt to the Tenth District Court bench, to which has been re-elected three times.
“Judge Klatt became a lawyer because he knew inherently that the law could be both rewarding and a catalyst for making a difference, and he found his true calling as a judge,” Lefton said. “Throughout his career he has been known for applying the same rigor and discipline to every case no matter how large or small because he knows that real lives are impacted by his decisions.”
In addition to his work from the bench, Judge Klatt has held many impactful leadership positions within the legal community. He has helped advance access to justice efforts through his involvement with the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation (formerly the Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation) since he joined the board of directors in 1995. There, he has worked on several initiatives to increase access to justice and contribute to the mission of the foundation to ensure that there are adequate resources available to address the unmet civil legal needs of low-income and underserved Ohioans.
Judge Klatt was also appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court to the Board of Professional Conduct and is serving his third term as a commissioner, promoting the highest standards of legal ethics. He has also served as a mentor for countless other judges and attorneys has been active in both the state and his local bar association, including having served on the OSBA Council of Delegates as well as the Board of Governors of the Columbus Bar Association.
“Despite his numerous decorations and accomplishments, he remains a humble public servant,” Lefton continued. “This is the hallmark of a great judge.”
Innovative Court Practices Award
The Innovative Court Practices Award, sponsored by the OSBA Judicial Administration and Innovation Committee, seeks to highlight and bring greater visibility to exemplary programs in Ohio’s courts and to facilitate the transfer of those programs to other jurisdictions.
Award submissions are evaluated on criteria including creativity, the newness of the program, its effectiveness and whether the program addresses significant issues that are regional in scope. The work of the Akron Municipal Court Restore Individual Self-Empowerment (RISE) Court most inspired the selection committee this year.
Shortly after he was elected to the bench, Judge Ron Cable initially established RISE in 2018 as a court-sponsored initiative aimed at helping adult, woman victims of human trafficking, prostitution and sexual exploitation gain expungement of their charges. As of November 2020, the RISE program is an Ohio Supreme Court-certified specialty docket.
Fifteen women are currently enrolled in the RISE program, which is the Akron Municipal Court’s sixth specialized docket and the first of its kind to serve adults in Summit County. Through partnerships with outside agencies, RISE provides services such as trauma therapy, drug rehabilitation, housing assistance, vocational services and other community support.
Most of all, the program seeks to create a bond among participants via bi-weekly meetings and outings (including an upcoming equine therapy session) so the women know they are not alone and that there are people out there who want to help them.
“In establishing RISE, Judge Cable filled a great need in his community,” President Lefton said. “He recognized that when we see a female charged with domestic violence, theft or drug possession, there is often much more to their stories. RISE seeks to deal with the root causes of what brought them to court and to help them create new paths and better lives.”
Judge Cable has also worked diligently to educate the public and fellow judges in an effort to raise awareness about the human trafficking epidemic. The OSBA is hopeful this recognition will further these efforts.
Judge Cable serves as the Akron Municipal Court’s administrative/presiding judge as well as presiding judge for both RISE and the Family Intervention Court. He earned his law degree from the University of Akron School of Law.
The Ohio State Bar Association, founded in 1880, is a voluntary association representing approximately 26,000 members of the bench and bar of Ohio. Through its activities and the activities of its related organizations, the OSBA serves both its members and the public by promoting the highest standards in the practice of law and the administration of justice.
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