Kathleen Trafford elected to Board of Regents of American College of Trial Lawyers
Kathleen Trafford, a partner in Porter Wright’s Litigation department and Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group, has been elected to the Board of Regents of the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL). Trafford will serve as the Regent responsible for the states of Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky. The Board of Regents is the governing board of the ACTL.
Founded in 1950, the American College of Trial Lawyers is widely considered to be the premier professional organization of trial lawyers in the United States and Canada. The College is dedicated to elevating the standards of trial practice, the administration of justice and the ethics of the profession. Membership in the College is extended by invitation only and may not exceed one percent of the total lawyers admitted to practice in any state or province. The College includes lawyers from all types of civil practice as well as prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers. The diversity of its membership allows the College to provide an important and balanced perspective on issues affecting the judicial system.
As one of 15 Regents, Trafford is responsible for governance and oversight of the affairs of the College and the admission of new fellows in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Trafford concentrates in the areas of governmental and regulatory litigation, constitutional law and complex commercial litigation. She represents private parties in disputes with governmental agencies and also serves as special counsel to a number of state and local governmental agencies. She handles cases involving constitutional challenges to state and local laws or orders, First Amendment claims, rate making and price discrimination, licensing disputes, trademarks, professional ethics, public records, injunctions, and special writs in the Ohio Supreme Court. In addition to representing parties in federal and state courts, Kathleen also has experience arbitrating disputes. Prior to joining the firm in 1988, Trafford served as Deputy Chief Counsel to the Ohio Attorney General.
She is a past President of the Columbus Bar Association, a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America®. She is recognized among the top 50 women attorneys in Ohio and the top 50 attorneys in Columbus by Ohio Super Lawyers® and was selected as one of the first female litigators named to the inaugural Benchmark Top 250 Women in Litigation guide. Trafford also has been recognized as a "Leader in their Field" for Commercial Litigation in Ohio by Chambers USA every year since 2006.
