The Kentucky Bar Foundation's Chief Justice John D. Minton Award Dinner is on Thursday, February 4, 2027 at 5:00 p.m. CT. The event will be held at La Gala, located at 601 State Street in Bowling Green. This year's award recipient is R. Harvey Johnston, III, of Bowling Green. The event begins at 5:00 p.m. CT with cocktails. Dinner begins at 6:00 p.m. CT. Individual tickets are available for $75; sponsorships are available for $600 and $1,200. A Platinum Sponsorship is also available for $5,000. The program will feature inspiring remarks, opportunities to connect with fellow members of the legal community, and a celebration of the values exemplified by both Chief Justice Minton and this year's honoree.
Ticket Reservations | Deadline: January 15, 2027
Reserve your seats for the Minton Award Dinner by completing the Ticket Reservation Form. Payment by check is required.
Sponsorship Reservations | Deadline: January 15, 2027
Reserve your sponsorship by completing the Sponsorship Reservation Form. Payment by check is required.
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Tickets may also be purchased through Eventbrite. Please be aware that Eventbrite processing and service fees apply and will increase the total purchase amount.
About the 2027 Minton Award Recipient
The Kentucky Bar Foundation honored R. Harvey Johnston, III, with the Chief Justice John D. Minton Award for his outstanding contributions to the legal community and his commitment to the legal profession, legal education, and service to others.
Johnston is an attorney and partner in Reynolds Johnston Hinton, LLP, a firm he established with law school roommate C. Mike Reynolds in 1976 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. His practice focuses on real estate and commercial transactions. He is a member of the Bowling Green/Warren County Bar Association, the Kentucky Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He is a Life Fellow of the Kentucky Bar Foundation and the American Bar Foundation.
A native of Louisville, Johnston earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Sewanee—University of the South in 1969 and his Juris Doctor degree from The Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville in 1971. Following law school, he served in the United States Air Force in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate at Castle Air Force Base in California. He received an Honorable Discharge and was the recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal.
Throughout his career, Johnston has been recognized for his professional and public service. He received the Warren County Bar Association Gwyneth B. Davis Outstanding Public Service Award in 1997 and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni by the Brandeis School of Law in 2007. In 2015, he received the Lawrence Grauman Award as the law school's outstanding alumnus. He served on the original Dean's Advisory Council at Brandeis until 2025 and, in 2021, received the Kentucky Bar Association Bruce K. Davis Bar Service Award.
Johnston has continued to stay involved with Brandeis by attending and hosting law school functions, recruiting prospective students, and mentoring them through law school. He is a longtime supporter of the partnership between Central High School Law and Government Magnet program and The Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. Working with former Dean Laura Rothstein, he co-hosted the premiere of A Pathway Forward with Kentucky to the World in 2024, a documentary celebrating that partnership.
From 2012 to 2019, Johnston served on the Kentucky Bar Foundation Board of Directors and as President in 2017. As President, he worked extensively with then Executive Directors Amelia M. Adams and Guion L. Johnstone, traveling throughout the Commonwealth to recruit major donors and Bar Fellows.
Harvey is married to his wife, Sarah, and is the father of five children and six grandchildren.