One of the best pieces of advice and mentoring I have been lucky enough to receive in my career was to not only join the Cincinnati Bar Association, but to be actively involved. Without a doubt, the CBA has made a significant impact in my career. After moving to Cincinnati with essentially no contacts, it felt overwhelming, not to mention, confusing when people were asking me where I went to high school and whether I reside in the east or west side. The CBA became an important resource that immediately connected me to the Cincinnati legal community and to Cincinnati as a city.
Outside of the robust and flexible CLE program, which is a huge asset, the CBA offers so much more for its members. As a very new lawyer, the CBA provides speaker and leadership opportunities through the YLS and practice groups and continuing opportunities as careers develop. I was fortunate enough to start my involvement as part of the YLS social committee where I developed planning and organization skills and continued to build more relationships within the bar.
After becoming social co-chair for the YLS, I became an officer for the YLS and eventually chair and got to join the “big board,” which is how the YLS affectionately refers to the CBA board of trustees. Through the YLS, joining the board of trustees, and also the Cincinnati Bar Foundation Board of Trustees, I grew my relationships within the legal community. Additionally, I was fortunate to be a part of leading the labor and employment practice group where we planned bi-monthly legal updates, organized an annual seminar, and had many presentation opportunities. I also got to personally know many of the labor and employment practitioners in the area, which is extremely beneficial in practicing.
The best value-add from the CBA has been the many incredible relationships I have been able to develop with fellow practitioners and judges who have become my mentors and friends. I was a part of the CBA’s Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers (“CALL”) class in 2016, which was an incredible opportunity for leadership development and I was able to become a part of the CALL faculty for the February retreat for a number of years. My involvement with CALL helped to further solidify many relationships with practitioners and judges.
The CBA provides opportunities for leadership, presenting, community service, practice group knowledge, legal education, and networking, among many other benefits. To summarize, the CBA helps lawyers succeed. My focus this year is to ensure the newer attorneys get involved with the CBA and feel the strong sense of belonging and connection I have felt with the legal community.
Whittaker is a partner at Dinsmore and the 2024-2025 CBA president.