The following LBA members have been recognized for notable contributions to the Louisville legal community and beyond. The LBA will be honoring these members at the 2019 Awards Luncheon on Friday, December 6
at The Marcus Lindsey at 11 a.m.
To purchase tickets to the luncheon, CLICK HERE or contact Marisa Motley at mmotley@loubar.org or 583-5314.
Please RSVP by Monday, November 25.
Judge of the Year
Hon. Joseph H. McKliney, Jr.
Hon. Joseph H. McKinley Jr. has served with distinction as a trial judge in both state and federal courts. A graduate of the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, he was elected to Daviess Circuit Court in 1991 where he presided until his appointment as a U. S. District judge in 1995. During more than two decades on the federal bench, he has overseen civil and criminal cases in every division of the Western District of Kentucky – Bowling Green, Louisville, Owensboro and Paducah – forging a reputation as a “lawyer’s judge” who runs an orderly and efficient courtroom and is fair and reasonable in his rulings. A past president of the Sixth Circuit District Judges Association, he was the Western District’s chief judge from 2011-2018. Now on senior status, he continues as a jurist hearing cases primarily in his hometown of Owensboro.
Justice Martin E. Johnstone Special Recognition Award
Robert "Bobby" Haddad
Robert “Bobby” Haddad, who passed away in September, practiced criminal law for more than 50 years before retiring earlier this year. The son of a Lebanon-born butcher raised above the family’s meat shop, he earned his law degree by attending night classes at the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law. He never forgot his roots and was as friendly to janitors as to judges. A consummate professional who many considered the “King of District Court,” he was renowned for his quiet kindness and endless humor. He was instrumental in founding what later became the Kentucky Lawyer Assistance Program which helps lawyers struggling with depression, substance abuse and compulsive gambling. Along with his older brother, Frank, he also mentored dozens of young lawyers who have gone on to successful legal careers.
Judge Benjamin F. Shobe Civility & Professionalism Award
K. Gregory Haynes
K. Gregory Haynes, senior counsel at Wyatt Tarrant & Combs, is a master and past president of the Louis D. Brandeis American Inn of Court which promotes legal skills and values with a special emphasis on ethical and responsible advocacy in state and federal courts. A commercial litigator with over 40 years of experience, he has been lead counsel in many class action, shareholders derivative and complex securities cases involving multiple parties and counsel. Yet he has always found time to serve both the legal profession and the community at large in leadership positions ranging from chair of Citizens for Better Judges to board member of the Kentucky Opera. A graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law, he was also LBA president in 2011.
Paul G. Tobin Pro Bono Service Award
James P. "Jay" Dilbeck, Jr.
James P. “Jay” Dilbeck Jr. is a graduate of the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law and a partner at Dilbeck & Myers where his practice focuses on insurance defense, subrogation and general civil litigation. For the last several years, he has been a steadfast volunteer in the LBA’s Call A Lawyer program which enables members of the public to speak by phone with attorneys about legal issues, big and small, on the third Tuesday of every month. He has also volunteers at Metro Christian Legal Aid clinics held around the city and mentors a refugee family he met through Refuge Louisville.
Daniel M. Alvarez Champion for Justice Award
Sadiqa N. Reynolds
Sadiqa N. Reynolds has worn many hats since graduating from the University of Kentucky College of Law just over 20 years ago: public defender, private practitioner, inspector general of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, Jefferson District Court judge and chief of community building for Louisville Metro government. Now as president and CEO of the Louisville Urban League, she draws on all her past experiences to help African Americans, other minority groups and the disadvantaged attain social and economic equality and stability. The League’s free expungement clinics – at which volunteer lawyers help people clear their records of old misdemeanor and low-level felony convictions keeping them from employment, housing and other opportunities for advancement – are a case in point. She is currently spearheading an effort to build a sports and learning complex on a rehabilitated vacant lot in Louisville’s west end that promises to revitalize an area of the city that has long been neglected.
Frank E. Haddad Jr. Young Lawyer Award
Lana M. Fazio
Lana M. Fazio joined the juvenile trial division of the Louisville Metro Public Defender’s office in 2014 and immediately distinguished herself with her strong work ethic, passionate advocacy and dedication to clients. Now as deputy division chief, she supervises a team of nine attorneys while representing children charged with public offenses in district court, status offenses in family court and as youthful offenders being tried as adults in circuit court. Her service extends beyond the courtroom to a subcommittee of the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee, part of the Louisville Metro Criminal Justice Commission. She is a graduate of the Thomas M. Cooley Law School at Western Michigan University.
Gavel Award
Tom Loftus
Tom Loftus recently concluded a journalistic career that spans 43 years, the last 35 at The Courier Journal. As Frankfort bureau chief, he held politicians of both parties accountable with dogged and accurate reporting that sometimes drew their ire – a sure sign that he was doing his job well. A member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, he was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Carrollton bus crash. He is a graduate of Ohio State University.
Committee of the Year
Audit Committee
Bruce Brightwell, Chair
The Audit Committee is responsible for ensuring that the combined financial statements of the Louisville Bar Association and Louisville Bar Center are independently audited on an annual basis. This includes engaging an auditor as well as reviewing the completed audit report. Earlier this year, the committee – composed of LBA board members Bruce Brightwell, Katherine Crosby and Dean Furman – put the auditing services out for bid, asking six different accounting firms to submit proposals; it then interviewed representatives from three firms before recommending one for engagement. As a result, the next audit will be conducted not only within generally accepted accounting principles but also at a substantial cost savings.
Section of the Year
Human Rights Section
Laura Landenwich, Co-Chair
Tommy Clines, Co-Chair
The Human Rights Section, co-chaired by Laura Landenwich and Tommy Clines, set an ambitious goal for this year: Establish a network of local volunteer attorneys to help undocumented immigrants win release from detention pending their removal hearings. When picked up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, immigrants in Kentucky without permanent legal status are typically held in the Boone County Jail. Many remain there indefinitely even though they are bond eligible and have significant ties to their communities. To address this dilemma, the section has conducted trainings to equip attorneys to represent undocumented immigrants in bond hearings.Having representation greatly increases their chances of release and, in turn, the likelihood that they can avoid deportation.
