Who is Bill Gallagher
Has been a lawyer for 38 years
Graduated Law School with Honors
Admitted to the United States Supreme Court
Co-Founder of the Ohio Innocence Project
Founder and Executive Director of the non profit “Friends to the Indigent”
Board Member of Caracole which provides housing and assistance to our HIV+ friends and at risk in our community
Commissioner on the Public Defender Commission
Activist on issues of racial, identity and gender equality, bail reform, and criminal justice reform
Supporter of all Democratic values
Parent of three CPS graduates
Resident of Walnut Hills
Has tried hundreds of cases in state and federal courts, handled 13 death penalty cases, represented hundreds in oue community in appellate, post conviction and habeas litigation.
A former union member himself, Bill has been a strong advocate for workers in obtaining better benefits, work conditions and wages.
An advocate of DEI, he sits on the Bar’s committee for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
He is co-chair of the Bar’s Committee on Social and Criminal Justice Reform
Bill believes change only occurs if you stand up and demand it.
He organized a group of lawyers who represented the 556 people who were arrested for protesting after George Floyd’s Murder. All charges were dismissed after months of litigation. All of the legal work was done for free
He worked on the strategy which led to a lawsuit against the county demanding the public defender office change its level of representation. It then went from one of the worst in the state to what some belief is now the best in the state.
He worked on the strategy for first clean needle exchange program in Hamiilton County and successfully defended one of its workers who was arrested while assisting clients in need of services
He developed a legal strategy whcih led to the local court of appeals findng a same sex couple were “living as spouse” which was then used by couples in adoption and custdoy cases by same sex couples.
He was the first lawyer to work to bring the “Bail Project” to Cincinnati. This organization works to get community members released when they have no money to post for bail. It provides transportaion, services, court reminders and assistance. It has been a huge successs in keeping folks employed, families in tact and productive
Following the killings of Timothy Thomas in 2001 and George Floyd in 2020, Bill brought a national legal seminar on RACE to Cincinnati to discuss problems and solutions