Page 16 - January February 24 Report

PRACTICE/INTEREST GROUPS
For more information about becoming involved in a CBA group or committee, contact Membership at (513) 699-1406 or mymembership@cincybar.org.
WITH THE
ELIDA KAMINE SOLO/SMALL FIRM PRACTITIONERS
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am originally from Cincinnati and grew up with two lawyer parents who have a long history with the CBA. I left Cincinnati for college and law school, and then I practiced at Proskauer Rose in New York for almost six years before moving back to Cincinnati where I worked at Dinsmore, then in the public sector. Now, I am a partner at Kamine & Schilling LLC along with my dad. My prac- tice focuses on general corporate, small business, non-profit, and individual services as well as outside general counsel work. I do anything that broadly involves a contract or other similar docu- ment. Our firm also does estate planning and probate.
Why did you become involved in the Solo/Small Firm practice group?
I came into this role a bit backwards. I have been serving on the CBA’s Board of Trustees, but quickly realized that I was the only person in the room in a small firm. Solo and small firm lawyers are the backbone of our legal community but are currently underrepresented in CBA leadership. I felt compelled to do my part to strengthen this practice group and hopefully help create more of a pipeline through this committee to CBA leadership. There is a need for solo and small attorneys to build their legal networks, learn from peers about various practice management topics, and have access to programming tailored to those of us who spend a lot of time running businesses in addition to prac- ticing law. Personally, not having gone to law school and starting my career in Cincinnati, I am excited about the opportunity to meet more attorneys and build my network. As a practitioner outside of the urban core, I want to make sure we are connecting to our colleagues across the entire region.
What conversations do you like to have with your fellow practice group members?
This is one of the most diverse groups of attorneys in our community. At our first event this year we had more than a dozen practice areas represented and people of all career stages, back- grounds, interests, and experiences. Hearing from other attorneys about what they encounter and have overcome running their firms is both interesting and helpful.
What’s on the horizon for the next bar year for the Solo/Small Firm practice group?
Our steering committee focuses on providing programs that support solo and small attorneys as they run their businesses. Another focus is building a community where business owners can learn how to be better managers. We are planning an exciting calendar of events for 2024 focusing on practice management topics that will take us to different locations around the city and encourage networking among our members. In addition, we are hoping to provide volunteer opportunities specifically for our solo/small community and CLEs on topics that are specific to this group. If you have a space that would be great for hosting or ideas for programs let us know!
What do you do for fun?
I spend a lot of time volunteering as a board member or committee chair for various organizations, most significantly the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. One of the reasons I moved back to Cincinnati was that I missed the culture of giving back to the community. That is how I grew up and so much a part of who we are as a city. My husband and I also foster facility therapy dogs through a local non-profit called Circle Tail.
16 THE REPORT | January/February 2024 | CincyBar.org