The League of Women Voters of Greater Dayton, the NAACP Dayton Branch, and the Dayton Bar Association have come together to voice their commitment to democratic values and to celebrate those who stand up for the rule of law.
That voice and those who stood up will be celebrated during the Heroes and Hardships presentation at Sinclair College on Tuesday, Feb. 10. 2026.
Local attorney Gary Leppla, who is also a member of the League of Women Voters, the NAACP and past president of the Dayton Bar Association, tells us what to expect at the event.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Gary Leppla: First of all, we're going to highlight some of the real heroes in support of the rule of law, including the state of Ohio League of Women Voters, which has been so active on voting amendments in the legislature and challenges. And the law firm WilmerHale, whose largest single office in this country is actually in Montgomery County. And finally, the great Jesse Gooding, who was one of the all-time civil rights pioneers and lives among us, and we will honor him as well. So the three organizations have a chance to collaborate with all three of us together for the first time. And secondly, to highlight some individuals and organizations that should be highlighted for their tremendous work.
Mike Frazier: What was the catalyst for this event?
Leppla: We've tried to refocus on DEI efforts and other positives such as the rule of law. And be more active. And there's been a persistent feeling among the DEI section of the Dayton Bar that we wanted to reach out beyond that. We reach out to the larger community. And various individuals within that group do some good brainstorming. And one of the thoughts was, my goodness, Jesse Gooding is among us. And we should be recognizing him. We felt for a long time that WilmerHale, which has acted very courageously under a lot of pressure, ought to be recognized, and we so appreciate them in our legal community. And finally the League of Women Voters of Ohio, which has worked with the ACLU and other groups persistently and consistently to support the right to vote, the rule of law and related issues.
Frazier: You mentioned pressure that was placed on the WilmerHale law firm. Can you elaborate on that a little bit?
Leppla: They've done a lot of things that show great courage and they've taken up causes and support of the rule of law that shows great courage. There was a time when various law firms in this country were challenged in their right to access federal meetings and related matters were challenged. Some made deals and WilmerHale went to court. And prevailed. They're not the only ones. But they prevailed in a fashion that, regardless of how anyone feels about the politics of it, showed great courage. We have for a long time felt that we need to stand up and recognize that courage.
Frazier: Tell us about Jesse Gooding.
Leppla: My goodness, I have a friend on the executive committee of the NAACP who says he is a walking history of the civil rights movement. Correct. Nearly a century of life. He's a Wilberforce graduate back in, frankly, the year I was born. And he's consistently been supportive. He appears at events, he speaks at events, and he is absolutely an inspiration to everyone who knows his story. One of the real pioneers and one of the real heroes to come out of our community.
Frazier: And I take he'll be at this event.
Leppla: Yes, he will.
Frazier: So this is a celebration of the good fight. Is that a proper way of putting it?
Leppla: Well, yeah, you know, we've got heroes that we're recognizing. There's hardships. There's issues ongoing every day, every weekend, it seems that there's something else that causes people to be very concerned about the rule of law and what's ahead. So we're lawyers, my goodness, if we're not going to stand up and speak out on this, nobody will. So the rule of laws are strengthened by those who stand firm in challenging moments. We want to bring together the legal community, civic leaders, the two other organizations that are co-sponsoring this with us and recognize people who have taken that stand as well as have an opportunity to reflect on that. And it's to honor people, but at the same time, I'm personally very excited by the collaboration of those three groups, which is long overdue for us all to work together.
Frazier: And who's invited? Anybody can come.
Leppla: Anybody can come and this is open to the public - there's no charge. I think alone, recognizing what the state League of Women Voters has done, and the courage of WilmerHale, and the history and greatness of Jesse Gooding, including the program part of the event hosted by Federal Judge Walter Rice, who's always important to hear from, with all three presidents of those three organizations making remarks. It makes for a very rich program, and we're excited. We hope to see a lot of folks there. And we really hope to charge up the community about these kinds of issues.
Register for the event online at the Dayton Bar Association's website.
Leppla Associates is a financial supporter of WYSO.
