Justice Patrick F. Fischer receives the Ohio Bar Medal, the highest honor presented by the Ohio State Bar Association.

Justice Patrick F. Fischer receives the Ohio Bar Medal, the highest honor presented by the Ohio State Bar Association.

Justice Patrick F. Fischer received the Ohio Bar Medal, honoring those who have invested their time by taking prominent leadership roles on the bench and in the bar.

The bar medal is the Ohio State Bar Association’s highest honor and was presented to Justice Fischer during their annual meeting. Justice Fischer, the second person to have served as both a Supreme Court of Ohio justice and president of the state bar association, said he was deeply aware of the importance of the award.

“Justice Fischer epitomizes what this medal represents,” said retired First District Court of Appeals Judge Beth Myers in a tribute video. “It represents the selfless commitment of time and treasure to the betterment of the profession as a judge and as a lawyer.”

Justice Fischer’s daughter, Kathleen “K.C. Fischer,” a Hamilton County assistant prosecutor, also appeared in the video.

“He is so dedicated to his work, his profession first of all, to the bar association, to helping and being involved in the community, and yet as a child growing up, he was always there.,” K.C. said.
Several others also shared their thoughts in the tribute video from the bar association.

When accepting the award, Justice Fischer expressed his gratitude to his family, friends and colleagues who encouraged him along the way. But he focused his attention on imploring lawyers to lead efforts to restore civil discussion in American life.

“I wish to take a few moments to speak about an issue, I believe, is the most important one facing our nation today. That is the stubborn refusal, from all sides of the political spectrum, to listen to others with whom one may disagree.”

Justice Fischer said the inability to listen to each other’s viewpoints is having a “deeply negative effect on young people.” He noted several recent incidents at law schools, including a federal judge’s speech being disrupted by those in disagreement, and students who took a photo with a U.S. Supreme Court justice being harassed by classmates who opposed the justice’s views.  He called the behavior unacceptable.

“The entire structure of American governance is based upon the foundation that all reasoned arguments from the entire political spectrum must be heard. That is what made America great,” he said.

Justice Fischer told the association members that lawyers and judges are duty-bound to protect the U.S. and the nation’s 50 state constitutions.

“We must be our constitutions’ guardians or they will fall,” he said.

He called on the legal community to be the protectors of free speech and the right to be heard.

“If not us, then who?” he stated. “So, I ask every bar leader and judge, please, please stand up for and help the organized bar so it will lead this entire country back to listening to another, especially with those whom we disagree.”

The complete text of Justice Fischer’s remarks is available on the Supreme Court’s website.