The Enquirer: UC Law Dean among eight women honored by YWCA Greater Cincinnati

Verna L. Williams, dean and Nippert Professor of Law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, is among eight Cincinnati-area women being honored as 2020 YWCA Greater Cincinnati Career Women of Achievement. The Cincinnati Enquirer spotlighted the honorees in this story.

The award recognizes local women for their professional success, community service, leadership and vision. Williams, the first African American to lead UC’s College of Law and one of just a handful of African American women to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, joined the Cincinnati Law in 2001 and became known as an authority on family law, gender discrimination, constitutional law and social justice. The Harvard Law school graduate helped create The Help Center, Ohio’s only law school housed “law firm” that provides affordable legal representation and career experience for law school students.

“The law is tool of immense, albeit unfulfilled potential.  In practice, I challenged barriers to education confronting too many girls and women,” Williams said in The Enquirer story.

“As a professor, I researched and wrote about those barriers to urge change to law and policy.  As a dean, I seek to inspire students to recognize the great power they’re about to have to make change, as well as further this institution’s trajectory of community engagement.”

The eight will be honored at the 41st annual luncheon for honorees on May 6 at the Duke Energy Convention Center Downtown.

Read the complete story here.