CLEVELAND- The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio is pleased to announce that Susan J. Becker has been named president of the Board of Directors. Becker is a law professor at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and has been integral in coordinating high-profile litigation involving sexual orientation discrimination. She has served on the ACLU’s Board of Directors since 2004 and has also served in leadership positions in other not-for-profit service and professional organizations.
“Susan provides a wealth of knowledge and experience on a whole range of core civil liberties issues. She has dedicated her life to reducing discrimination, ensuring fairness in the legal system, and educating others about the courts. Her dedication and passion for defending the most vulnerable in our society will guide our organization as we continue the long journey towards restoring our Bill of Rights,” said Christine Link, executive director of the ACLU of Ohio.
Becker said, “I am honored to assume this new leadership role. The ACLU is entering a critical time in its struggle to continue preserving and extending the civil liberties promised by our Constitution to all Americans. Our nation is at an auspicious juncture — concern over national security, government imposed morality and discrimination against historically disenfranchised groups remains at the forefront of important civil liberties issues. The world-wide economic crisis casts a deep and foreboding shadow but also provides opportunities to redefine the way rights and privileges are distributed in this country. Many of us believe the time is right to start repairing the grievous injuries inflicted on the Constitution in recent years and re-animate this country’s commitment to civil liberties. I am proud to stand with the ACLU as we embark on a new and dynamic chapter in U.S. history.”
Becker’s undergraduate degree is in journalism and she worked as a newspaper reporter and a photographer prior to law school. After graduating from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1983, Becker clerked for Judge Robert Krupansky of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and then worked for five years as a litigation associate at the Jones-Day law firm . During her tenure at JonesDay, she litigated cases in state and federal courts in Ohio, Texas, California, New York and other jurisdictions. She joined the faculty of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1990.
Other officers elected include: Robin Traywick of Dayton, vice president; Terri Enns of Columbus, secretary; Laura Hartmann of Columbus; treasurer; Lloyd Snyder of Cleveland, general counsel; Karyn Leitzell of Portsmouth; associate general counsel; Toni Clarke of Ada, diversity officer; and Scott Greenwood of Cincinnati, national board representative.
