UC Law Distinguished Alumni Awards Luncheon
Friday, May 23
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
UC College of Law - Dinsmore & Shohl Multipurpose Room
2925 Campus Green Drive
Cincinnati, OH
This event is currently sold out. Please contact Shelley Johnson with any questions.
The College of Law is proud to announce this year's distinguished honorees, who will be celebrated and recognized at the annual Distinguished Law Alumni Luncheon. This special event provides an opportunity to honor their outstanding contributions to the legal profession, their communities, and beyond. We are honored to host this gathering, uniting faculty, students, alumni, and the broader law community to recognize their achievements and inspire future generations. This May at Cincinnati Law we pay tribute to their lasting impact and legacy.
2025 Honorees
Barbara J. Bronson '73
Barbara has been a pioneer in the legal field for over five decades. She began her career clerking for the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office before joining James D. Ruppert & Associates, where she became the first female member of the Warren County Bar Association and the county’s first practicing female attorney. In 1978, she became a name partner at Ruppert, Bronson & Ruppert, dedicating her career to estate planning, probate, and real estate law while building a loyal client base.
Beyond her practice, Barbara held leadership roles including President of the Warren County Bar Association, Chair of the Lebanon Civil Service Commission, and Trustee of the Warren County Foundation. She has also chaired the Warren County Bar Association Scholarship Committee since 2005. Recognized for her contributions, she received the Warren County Bar Association’s Legacy Award in 2016. Since 2020, she has served on the Warren County Democratic Party Executive Committee. Barbara retired in 2024, leaving a lasting impact on the legal profession and her community.
Thomas L. Cuni '75
Tom has been a dedicated legal professional for nearly five decades, practicing in Ohio and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio since 1975. He has held key roles at multiple esteemed law firms, including Osborne & Cuni, Schwartz, Manes & Ruby Co., and Cuni, Ferguson & LeVay Co., LPA, and currently serves as Of Counsel at the Thomas Downing Law Firm. His expertise spans corporate law, business acquisitions, commercial real estate, litigation, and tax-deferred exchanges. Since 2014, he has also volunteered with ProKids, Inc., advocating for children in abuse and neglect cases.
Recognized for his contributions, Tom has received numerous honors, including the Cincinnati Bar Association’s Trustees Award, Ohio CASA’s Volunteer Attorney of the Year, and the Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. He twice served as President of the Cincinnati Bar Association and has been actively involved in the Ohio and American Bar Associations. Beyond his legal career, he has dedicated over a decade as a supervising attorney at UC Law’s Entrepreneurial and Community Development Clinic and served as Board President of ProKids, Inc. A committed community leader, he is also President of the Literary Club of Cincinnati.
Zahki D. Davis, Esq. '19
Originally from Newark’s West Ward, Zahki played basketball at Ohio Wesleyan University before earning his law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. There, he served as President of the Entrepreneurship Law Club and gained experience at Katz Teller, OCEAN Accelerator, and MORTAR, along with an externship with Judge Jeffery Hopkins at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
Professionally, Zahki was the inaugural fellow in the Fifth Third Bank/UC Law Fellowship program, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, and corporate governance. He later served as Legal Counsel at Fifth Third Bank and as an Associate at Taft Stettinius & Hollister, where he worked on major transactions, including the Paycor Stadium naming rights deal. Currently, he leads the legal department at Value Investment Group, overseeing its diverse portfolio, and serves as VP of Legal, Private Equity, and Operations. He also represents athletes and entertainers in legal matters.
A National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 honoree and Leadership Council on Legal Diversity alumnus, Zahki is active in his community, serving on the boards of the Cincinnati Ballet, Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation, MORTAR Cincinnati, and FundNoire.
Paul V. Muething '77
Paul is a distinguished attorney specializing in business planning, corporate law, and real estate development. He represented both public and private companies and served as Managing Partner of his firm from 1995 to 2017.
Beyond his legal career, Paul has been an active leader in the community. He is President and a Board Trustee of Cincinnati Southern Railway and has held leadership roles with Xavier University, Chatfield College, Ursuline Academy, and the Southern Ohio Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He also led the 2010 Catholic Inner-City Schools Education Fund (CISE) campaign and serves on the Board of Directors for Merus (formerly Al Neyer Corporation).
Recognized for his excellence in law, Paul holds an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2007. He was named "Cincinnati Best Lawyers' Securities/Capital Markets Law Lawyer of the Year" in 2020 and "Corporate Law Lawyer of the Year" in 2019. He was also an Ohio Super Lawyer (2004–2018) and a 2024 Ohio Leading Lawyer.
Through his legal expertise and dedication to education and philanthropy, Paul has left a lasting impact on his profession and the Cincinnati community.
1980 HON. DAVID PORTER ’34
1981 HON. TIMOTHY S. HOGAN
C.R. “BOB” BEIRNE ’32 (POSTHUMOUSLY)
1982 HON. THEODORE M. BERRY ’31
LOUIS NIPPERT ’28
1983 WILLIAM J. KEATING ’50
HON. WILLIAM S. RICHARDSON ’43
1984 HON. OLIVE L. HOLMES ’43
PROF. RICHARD E. SPEIDEL ’57
1985 HON. GEORGE H. PALMER ’49
HON. JOHN W. PECK ’38
1986 AMBASSADOR RICHARD D. KEARNEY ’38
1987 JOHN W. HUDSON ’30
HON. JOSEPH P. KINNEARY ’35
1988 MARTHA H. PERIN ’48
JOHN J. GETGEY ’60 (POSTHUMOUSLY)
1989 CHARLES A. CORRY ’59
ROBERT G. STACHLER ’57
1990 STANLEY M. CHESLEY ’60
HENRY W. HOBSON, JR. ’48
1991 DR. H. ELSIE AUSTIN ’30
JOHN L. MUETHING ’48
1992 HON. WILLIAM O. BERTELSMAN ’61
JOHN S. STITH ’64
1993 DONALD P. KLEKAMP ’57
HARRY H. SANTEN ’57
1994 PROF. SAMUEL S. WILSON ’61
THOMAS C. SPRAUL ’50 (POSTHUMOUSLY)
1995 BRUCE I. PETRIE, SR. ’50
HON. CARL B. RUBIN ’44
1996 LLOYD H. O’HARA ’42
HON. JOHN W. KEEFE ’39
1997 HON. JOHN D. HOLSCHUH ’51
HON. RAYMOND E. SHANNON ’48
1998 PROF. ROBERT L. FELIX ’59
HON. DONALD C. WINTERSHEIMER ’59
1999 PROF. KENNETH L. APLIN ’59
HON. THOMAS C. NURRE, ’57
2000 FAY DANNER DUPUIS ’69
MILTON J. SCHLOSS, SR. ’37
2001 MARIANNA BROWN BETTMAN ’77
DOLORIS F. LEARMONTH ’78
2002 WILLIAM R. MARTIN ’76
BARBARA G. WATTS ’78
2003 JOHN D. ALTENBURG, JR. ’73
WILBERT L. ZIEGLER ’56
2004 NICHOLAS L. WHITE ’56
LEO J. BRESLIN ’53 (POSTHUMOUSLY)
2005 MICHAEL H. NEUMARK ’70
COLOMBE M. NICHOLAS ’68
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT 1880 (POSTHUMOUSLY)
2006 HON. WILLIAM M. BARKER ’67
MELANY STINSON NEWBY ’74
2007 JOHN P. WILLIAMS, JR. ’66
ANN MARIE TRACEY ’75
PROF. STANLEY E. HARPER, JR. ’48
2008 HON. RANDALL J. NEWSOME ‘75
PATRICIA MANN SMITSON ‘77
FREDERICK H. BRAUN ’56 (POSTHUMOUSLY)
2009 HON. SANDRA S. BECKWITH ’68
HON. MARK P. PAINTER ’73
JOHN F. PEYTON, JR. ’69 (POSTHUMOUSLY)
2010 NORMAN I. BARRON ’60 (POSTHUMOUSLY)
ANTHONY C. COLLINSWORTH ’91
WILLIAM P. MORELLI ’78
2011 GEORGE FABE ’81
LOUIS F. GILLIGAN ’68
COL. LEVATOR NORSWORTHY, JR. ’73
2012 DANIEL P. CARMICHAEL ’68
HON. CHERYL D. GRANT ’73
JAMES C. KENNEDY ’76
2013 DANIEL J. BUCKLEY ’74
HON. DENNIS S. HELMICK ’72
JAMES L. JOHNSON ’80
2014 BARBARA J. HOWARD ’79
SHARON J. ZEALEY ’84
2015 KATHLEEN M. BRINKMAN ’75
HON. ROBERT H. GORMAN ’60
DAVID P. KAMP ’81
2016 HON. MICHAEL R. BARRETT ’77
KEN K. PATEL ’90
CAROLYN A. TAGGART ’78
2017 JAMES B. HELMER, Jr. ’75
GARY P. KREIDER ’64
HON. BETH A. MYERS ’82
2018 KEVIN r. FLYNN ’83, ’87
HON. THOMAS M. ROSE ’73
SUSAN B. ZAUNBRECHER ’90
2019 WILLIAM J. KEATING, JR. ’79 (POSTHUMOUSLY)
JAMES L. O’CONNELL ’58
HON. HEATHER RUSSELL ’83
2020-2021 NATE LAMPLEY ‘88
KAREN LITKOVITZ ‘84
STEVE WOLNITZEK ‘74
2022 KATHERINE B. BLACKBURN ’89
GARY A. GARFIELD ’81
HON. ALICE O. MCCOLLUM ’72
2023 GERALD A. KAFKA ’75
SCOTT A. KANE ’97
SUSAN STREET WHALEY ’99
2024 HON. STEPHEN J. MARKMAN ’74
TED T. MARTIN ’82
TARA M. ROSNELL ’91
SARAH D. TOPY ’12 (YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD)
Thank you to our supporters!
Presenting Supporter
Table Supporters
Thomas & Sally Cuni
Zahki D. Davis, Esq.
Sponsorship Opportunities
- Prominent display of your company’s logo:
-On event web site
-In email marketing materials
-Featured in printed program - Name recognition during program
- Twenty company seats at reserved tables(s)
- Prominent display of your company’s logo:
-On event web site
-Featured in printed program - Company name included in email marketing materials
- Name recognition during program
- Ten company seats at reserved tables(s)
- Company name included in the following matierals:
-Event web site
-Email marketing
-Printed program - Name recognition during program
- Ten company seats at reserved tables(s)
Shelley Johnson
Senior Director, Alumni Engagement, College of Law