CHICAGO, Aug. 4, 2020 — Barbara J. Howard, founder of the divorce and family law solo firm by the same name in Cincinnati, Ohio, today became chair of the American Bar Association House of Delegates at the organization’s virtual Annual Meeting in Chicago.
The House of Delegates is the ABA’s policymaking body, and the two-year position of chair is the second-highest office in the association. There are 596 delegates in the House, including representatives of state and local bar associations, substantive legal sections and divisions of the ABA, and affiliated organizations and conferences of the Judicial Division, as well as former ABA officers, members of the Board of Governors, at-large delegates and state delegates. Action taken by the House of Delegates on specific issues becomes official policy of the ABA.
Howard is an experienced attorney with more than 40 years in the practice of law. Her firm, Barbara J. Howard Co., L.P.A., specializes in divorce, child custody, spousal support, collaborative law practice, prenuptial agreements, asset divisions, tax, guardians ad litem and estate planning.
Howard has a long history of service and leadership at the ABA. She became an ABA member upon graduation from law school in 1979, attending her first meeting as a delegate from the Cincinnati Bar Association to the ABA Young Lawyers Assembly. In 1986, Howard became Ohio’s Young Lawyer delegate to the House of Delegates and has been a member of the policy-making body ever since. She served as chair of the HOD’s Drafting Committee (2016-2018), Committee on Issues of Concern to the Legal Profession (2008-2010) and Select Committee (2000-2002). Additionally, Howard has been an ABA Nominating Committee member since 2010. She has chaired several ABA committees over the years including the Standing Committee on Specialization (2017-present), Standing Committee on Meetings and Travel (2014-2017) and Standing Committee on Membership (2011-2013), among others. Howard is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation and served as a member of the ABA Journal Board of Editors (2005-2011).
Outside of the ABA, Howard has held leadership positions with the National Council of Bar Presidents, American Judicature Society and Ohio State Bar Foundation. She also served as president of the Ohio State Bar Association (2009-2010), Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program (2011-2013) and Cincinnati Bar Association (2001-2002).
In recent years, Howard has been honored with the Ohio State Bar Association Ohio Bar Medal in 2013, Xavier University Distinguished Alumna Award in 2010, named a Ohio Super Lawyer (2004 -present) and listed in 2019 among Top 25 Women in Cincinnati, Top 50 Women in Ohio, Top 50 Lawyers in Cincinnati and Top 100 Lawyers in Ohio.
Howard received her J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1979 and her B.A. from the Xavier University in Cincinnati.
A biography of Howard can be found here. A photo of her can be found here.
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