Martin, Watts To Receive Law Alumni Awards

Two individuals whose efforts have added greatly to the quality of life in Cincinnati will be honored as the UC College of Law's 2002 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients.

William R. "Billy" Martin, a 1976 graduate of the college, and Barbara G. Watts, a member of the class of 1978, will receive their awards at the College of Law Alumni Association's Spring Alumni Luncheon on Wednesday, May 1 at 12:15 p.m. at The Phoenix.

Martin is currently a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm of Dyer Ellis & Joseph. Over the past year, he has served the City of Cincinnati as special counsel during a U.S. Justice Department investigation into allegations of excessive use of force by Cincinnati police officers, and during negotiations to settle a racial profiling lawsuit filed against the city. Martin began his career as a local prosecutor and Assistant U.S. Attorney in Cincinnati and Dayton. He later worked for the Department of Justice and as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Columbia.

Martin left government service in 1990 for a partnership in a Pittsburgh law firm, where he became involved in corporate and sports law. He became a nationally known figure when he was retained to represent one of the principal subjects in the Office of Independent Counsel's grand jury investigation of President Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Last year, he was retained by the parents of missing Washington intern Chandra Levy in their efforts to find their daughter.

Martin will be introduced at the luncheon by Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken, who was a classmate of Martin's at the College of Law.

Watts has served the College of Law for more than 20 years in the roles of academic dean, student advisor and teacher. She is currently the associate dean for academic affairs. A lifelong advocate for gender equality, Watts has mentored numerous students and helped establish the college's Joint Degree program in law and Women's Studies, the first such program in the nation. In 2000, she received the Ohio State Bar Association's Nettie Cronise Lutes Award, which recognizes contributions to the advancement of women in the profession.

In the community, Watts serves on the boards of the ProKids and ProSeniors organizations. She is an active member of the Cincinnati Bar Association, serving that group as a board member, secretary and chair of the Professionalism Committee. In 2001, she was appointed to the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Professionalism, and also received a Distinguished Alumna Award from Purdue University, where she earned her undergraduate degree.

Watts will be introduced by Beth Myers, a 1982 graduate of the college and a partner with Frost Brown Todd.

The luncheon and awards are sponsored by the UC College of Law Alumni Association. The luncheon is open to the public on a space-available basis. For more information on the event, contact Cheryl DelVecchio, coordinator of alumni programs, at (513) 556-0071. Or, on the web, visit www.law.uc.edu/grafsite/alum/sprlunch02/index.html.