In 2018, Orthwein was honored by San Francisco Pride with its Heritage of Pride - Pride Freedom Award for their legal work, which included launching the detention project at the Transgender Law Center.
That same year the San Francisco Business Times named Medina one of its OUTstanding Voices.Last year, Orthwein and Medina were criticized by fellow board members of the local LGBTQ bar association for their "pervasive personal attacks" in emails the two had sent to individuals and the full board, leading to as many as seven to resign or opt not to seek re-election to their seats.Orthwein and Medina are no longer on the board of the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom.