Lorain County Bar Association Foundation to give out five awards at 100th anniversary gala Sept. 30

The Lorain County Bar Association Foundation will present awards to recognize outstanding individuals in five categories — Lifetime Achievement, Member of the Year, Courage, Rising Star and the Maude May Washburn Award — at the bar association's 100th Anniversary Gala at the Shipyards in Lorain on Sept. 30. The following award winners were announced Tuesday: Lifetime Achievement Award: Attorney Gayle Reeves Reeves is being honored for "noteworthy contributions during a legal career of at least 25 years; commitment to professional growth; and service as a role model or mentor promoting the advancement of the law in the community" and her "excellent leadership in elder law and her lifelong commitment to public service." A preeminent elder law specialist, Reeves currently is a partner with Dooley Gembala McLaughlin Pecora "where she provides exceptional counsel to individuals and families," according to the bar association. Reeves, who is retiring in December after 40 years of practice, is a past president of the bar association and served on the association's executive committee for more than a decade. She also served on the Legal Ethics & Grievance Committee, which she chaired for two years, and on the Bar Admissions Committee for more than 20 years. Reeves has served on the Elder Law Committee of the Ohio State Bar Association and the International Committee of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She has traveled to China, Iceland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom with a delegation examining the unique solutions adopted by other countries to manage the legal challenges facing the elderly. Reeves also has "always been willing to assist young attorneys through mentorship and education," according to the bar association. She previously chaired the Community Foundation of Lorain County and the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio, which under her leadership conducted "a very successful capital campaign that funded a new food distribution facility serving Northeast Ohio," according to the bar association. Reeves also volunteers on the Medical Ethics Committee for Kendal at Oberlin, and in retirement will continue to serve Second Harvest and on the board of the Community Foundation of Erie County. Maude May Washburn Award: The Hon. Melissa Kobasher, Lorain County Common Pleas Court This award honors a female bar association member "that has a distinguished legal career or is a rising star in the profession." Kobasher "has a passion for the law and community demonstrated by her myriad of commitments not only to the administration of justice, but the many nonprofit organizations and young people whom she mentors," according to the bar association. Before taking the bench in January 2023, she volunteered with the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters program and currently serves on the board of the Lorain County Urban League. Kobasher also serves on the bar association's Executive Committee and is a member of the Lions Club. "She has used her experience as a judicial officer and private practicing attorney to judge student mock trial competitions and remains actively involved in her own children's activities despite her busy schedule," according to the bar association. Kobasher is only the second woman to ever serve as a judge in the Lorain County Common Pleas Court's general division. "Her desire to hold office is motivated by her seemingly limitless commitment to public service, and an innate need to help others. Judge Melissa Kobasher embodies the attributes of Maude May Washburn and then some," according to the bar association. Member of the Year Award: Zachary Simonoff Simonoff is being honored for "exemplary service to the Lorain County Bar Association during the past year." Simonoff has been an active member of the bar association since his admission to the practice of law in 1998. The newest member of the bar association's Executive Committee, he has served on the Admission to the Bar Committee since 2011 and chaired the Fee Arbitration Committee since 2017 while continuing to serve as chairman of the Real Estate and Criminal Law sections. He has been a member of the New Lawyers and Solo/Small Firm Sections. As Chair of the Real Estate Section, Simonoff was instrumental in establishing the Eviction Avoidance Facilitation Program that assisted hundreds of landlords and tenants access COVID-19 relief funds. As chair of the Criminal Section, Simonoff continues to work to ensure that the court-appointed system distributes appointments fairly and that court-appointed attorneys are adequately compensated. Simonoff also participates in the bar association's Lawyer Referral Program and helped develop the Modest Means program for foreclosure cases. He has regularly planned and presented at Continuing Legal Education seminars offered by the bar association, has been a mentor to a number of attorneys in Lorain County and "is always available to offer advice to any attorney that asks." A military veteran, Simonoff also is active in the community, participating in a number of organizations and boards in Lorain County, according to the bar association.Courage Award: Let's Get Real Inc. This award goes to "any resident of or organization in Lorain County who has shown exemplary courage in aiding and supporting its citizens." Let's Get Real, Inc. is a nonprofit recovery community organization based in Lorain that opened in 2013. Since then, its programs have supported and served more than 843 persons from a multitude of counties and has grown exponentially, according to the bar association. Its mission is to provide information, education, and resource assistance to families and loved ones in their journey from addiction to recovery, as individuals seeking addiction assistance often have a very hard time finding it or being able to afford it. Let's Get Real "makes the process easier while providing emotional support, education, and awareness. They assist in finding detox and treatment, providing a family group and group for children impacted by substance abuse, as well as 12-step meetings," according to the bar association. The group has a resource library that keeps track of detox, sober living, faith-based groups, and inpatient treatment facilities, the method of payment they accept, the level of treatment, whether medication-assisted treatment is available, and if it is open to residents outside their county. Let's Get Real also provides peer mentors to all of the specialized court dockets in Lorain County, and assists with community re-integration after someone has been in prison under Director Kim Eberle. Rising Star Award: Attorney Tiffany Catherman This award goes to "an attorney early in their career but has already demonstrated a high level of achievement, innovation, vision, leadership, and service to the profession and their communities." Prior to accepting her current role as staff attorney/magistrate in Domestic Relations/Juvenile Judge Sherry Glass' court, Catherman was in private practice and "was always prepared and zealous in her representation of her clients," according to the bar association. Catherman "had no problems handling matters where opposing counsel had many more years of experience than she did. Tiffany handled many matters for Legal Aid on a pro bono basis because she wants to give back to the community and believes access to justice is important for everyone, despite their income status," according to the bar association. In her new job, Catherman "has kept the same passion. She is quick to respond, works well with all attorneys and pro se clients and manages her hearings very well," according to the bar association.