The Cincinnati Bar Association recently presented Supreme Court of Ohio Justice Patrick F. Fischer with the Themis Award, which recognizes extraordinary service by an attorney to the legal profession and the broader community.

Justice Fischer was presented with the award at the Cincinnati Bar Association’s annual meeting. The award is named after the Greek goddess Themis, known in modern times as “Lady Justice,” and is typically depicted blindfolded and holding a scale and a sword.

Prior to becoming an appellate judge and then a justice, Justice Fischer was a practicing attorney in Cincinnati. He is a past president of the Cincinnati Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Association, and a member of the American Bar Association. He urged all attorneys to join a bar association to help cultivate professional relationships.

The bar association stated that those who nominated Justice Fischer for the award emphasized his dedication to serving the community, noting his service to Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Resources, VISIONS Community Services (a nonprofit organization serving young parents and children from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods), and to the Cincinnati Children’s Museum as a founding board member.

“Justice Fischer’s peers notice his devotion to giving back to the community; he represents the values of justice, integrity, and compassion in all his endeavors,” the bar association stated.

When accepting the award, Justice Fischer stressed the importance of professionalism. Prior to serving on the Court, he was a member of the Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism and drafted the Cincinnati Bar Association’s civility guide.

He said holding a certain office does not make an attorney a professional, rather professionalism is about showing respect for others so that they, in turn, respect you.

“Always treat everyone with respect. And when I mean everyone, I include the court reporter, the bailiff, and all others from whom someday you may need their help,” he said. “The law and the professionalism within the law have made us the great country we are today, and the great city, state, and nation we can be tomorrow.”