I’m a native of North Olmsted, a suburb of Cleveland. I didn’t always know I wanted to be an attorney. At first, I wanted to be a teacher. But I had an advisor who really pushed me to look at graduate school rather than go right into teaching, and about the same time my best friend started talking about law school. Once I looked into it and saw all the opportunities a JD would present, it was an easy decision. So, I stayed in town (having come to Cincinnati to go to Xavier University) and graduated from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2015. I started at Frost Brown Todd later that fall and have been there ever since, having just been named a partner in 2022.
I joined the CBA in law school by just signing up (probably to snag the free cup or giveaway), but after graduating, I wanted to get more involved in professional life and get to know more lawyers in the community. So I attended a YLS event and signed up for the Social Committee.
My history of whimsical signups panned out. After helping plan events with the Social Committee for a couple years, I was asked to chair it with Cindy Moore, who was an awesome co-chair. I really enjoyed planning and attending all the different events and getting to know young lawyers who had been around longer than I had, as well as the new folks coming up behind me. I also helped with planning initiatives for a retooled Diversity and Inclusion Committee, judging or coaching Mock Trial for the past 7 years, and some of our Community Service activities.
As co-chair of the Social Committee and then in other executive committee roles, I saw all the excellent work past chairs had done, and I wanted to build on that and leave my own contribution. The YLS did so much for me early in my career — especially in terms of connecting me to other young (and more senior) professionals — I felt the need to give something back. I hope I can do that through a productive term as chair.
My theme for the YLS this year is Re-engagement. Previous chairs David Boyles and Jabari Shaw did a great job leading us through and out of the pandemic, and I want to continue that energy, capitalizing on folks’ willingness to hopefully get back out of the house (or home office) and connect in person. I also want to engage with the more senior members of YLS to keep them involved in YLS and then help them stay involved in all the great things the CBA has to offer even after their time with YLS comes to an end. We’re going to try some new events this year as well (or at least new twists on old events) to hopefully increase the appeal of YLS to inactive or even non-members. Each YLS board committee has excellent leadership this year, so I’m excited to see what new ideas each of them brings and implements.
YLS is important for young attorneys because it helps them build connections (both socially and professionally) early in their career. Even after a short time practicing, you get to know that while the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky legal community is not small, it often feels so because it’s close-knit. So YLS helps you get to know and work alongside the people who will likely soon be your employer, co-counsel, or even adversary. But that camaraderie helps ensure our legal community is going to be professional, courteous, and even kind to each other. YLS is important to the CBA as a whole for pretty much the same reason — by fostering those connections and values early in lawyers’ careers, YLS helps ensure a better bar for decades to come.
It might seem old-fashioned, but I view the CBA as the cornerstone of the Greater Cincinnati legal community. It provides a space in every way — literal and physical, as well as virtual and metaphorical — for attorneys to gather and get to know each other. The CBA helps regulate the practice of law in the region and helps maintain the high ethical standards of the profession through several committees. It encourages collaboration between our numerous elected judges and members of the bar. It also helps educate junior and senior lawyers with CLE opportunities, and it provides a space for service to many groups, including paying clients, pro bono clients, and to the community as a whole through local non-profit partners.
The Littlefield in Northside (my neighborhood): their food is outstanding, the drinks are spectacular (try their Cherry Street Manhattan or their rotating monthly cocktail that contributes to a local charity), and you can’t beat a sunny patio in summer to enjoy them both!
Two things: (1) There are a lot of people at the CBA (both attorneys and staff members) who work really hard every day to make this an excellent organization; please remember that and don’t hesitate to say “thank you” often. (2) You can be a member of YLS through age 36 or your first 5 years in practice (whichever is later), so if you meet either criterion, I hope you’ll join us and that I’ll get to meet you soon.