Contact: Leyla Shokoohe, Director of Communications

513.699.1391 | lshokoohe@cincybar.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HON. JANAYA TROTTER BRATTON FIRST BLACK WOMAN PRESIDENT OF CBA

Trotter Bratton will be sworn in April 25 at the Hilton Netherland Plaza

CINCINNATI—The Hon. Janaya Trotter Bratton is the first Black woman to serve as president of the
Cincinnati Bar Association in its 151 years. A Hamilton County Municipal Court judge, Trotter Bratton is
also the tenth woman to serve as CBA president.

“I am excited to continue to push the CBA toward its goal of creating an increasingly diverse legacy as
the first Black woman to serve as CBA president,” said Trotter Bratton. “It is important to me that the
next generation of attorneys of color see the CBA as their bar, a place where their voices matter, where
they belong, and where they lead.”

A Cincinnati native, Trotter Bratton is a graduate of the Ohio State University and received her J.D. from
Salmon P. Chase College of Law. She began her career with the City of Cincinnati as a prosecutor. Trotter
Bratton ran her own law practice, Trotter Law, from 2011 to 2016. In 2016, Trotter Bratton joined the
noted civil rights law firm of Gerhardstein & Branch, where she stayed until 2019, when she won her
current seat on the Hamilton County Municipal Court. Trotter Bratton has also served as an adjunct
professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law teaching civil rights litigation.

Trotter Bratton is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She is an avid volunteer who serves on
the Salmon P. Chase Law Alumni Council; and has notably served on the Dress for Success and Ohio
Justice and Policy Center Boards of Directors, Cincinnati Zoo Planned Giving Committee, and Hamilton
County Tax Levy Review Committee. She has been a CBA member since 2005 and served on its Board of
Trustees for seven years.

“The Cincinnati Bar Association fills a crucial role in the local legal community,” said Trotter Bratton.
“We offer myriad continuing legal education opportunities, exclusive networking events, and programs
in a collegial atmosphere that is invaluable for strengthening connections in our field.”

Trotter will be sworn in with the 2023-2024 board members on Tuesday, April 25 at the Hilton
Netherland Plaza. Award recipients include Alphonse “Al” Gerhardstein, Themis Award; David C. Horn,
John W. Warrington Community Service Award; Randolph Freking, John P. Kiely Professionalism Award;
and Jack F. Fuchs, Volunteer Lawyer of the Year Award. Details here. For a complimentary seat at the
luncheon, please contact the CBA.

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About Cincinnati Bar Association
As one of the oldest and largest local legal associations in the United States, the Cincinnati Bar Association is
committed to serving its members and providing information to the public regarding the legal community and
legal education. For more information, visit www.cincybar.org or call 513. 381.8213.