Page 4 - JulyAugust24 Report

President’s Brief
Leveraging CBA Practice Groups for Legal Success
By Faith C. Whittaker
There are many benefits in belonging to the CBA and of the many offerings, involvement in the CBA practice groups is a signif- icant value-add. I joined the labor and employment practice group immediately and attended the meetings, which was a great way to connect with the local employment bar and gain substantive knowledge in my practice area. Involvement in the practice group also allowed me the opportunity for speaking engagements and presenting, even as a newer attorney.
I escalated my involvement after several years to join the leadership of the practice group, eventually becoming chair. In this lead- ership capacity, it became even more of a motivator for me to stay on top of the latest in my practice area to plan relevant meetings. In addition, I had the opportunity to engage with other practitioners to organize our panels and meetings. This further expanded my rela- tionships with the other employment lawyers in the area.
The CBA offers 20 practice groups: bankruptcy, business/corporate law, cybersecurity law, elder law, environmental law, estate plan- ning probate, family law, health law, immigration law, intellectual property litigation, labor and employment law, local government law, nonprofit law, real property law, social and criminal justice, social security, state and federal court practice, taxation, tort and insur- ance practice, and workers’ compensation. Read below to learn how practice groups have positively impacted CBA members’ careers.
Overall, my involvement in the practice group helped elevate my career through deepening relationships, staying relevant in my practice area, and building leadership skills.
Whittaker is a partner at Dinsmore and the 2024-2025 CBA president.
Steve Simon
Tobias, Torchia & Simon
Labor and Employment Law Practice Group
I have been an officer with the L&E group for all but a few years in the last two decades. It has been a game-changer for my career. My participation helped create my role as a leader in the local employment bar and cemented my relationships with fellow plaintiff attorneys as well as management counsel, who otherwise are my adversaries. In terms of developing a referral base, my affiliation with the L&E group has been second to none.
Stacy Cole
Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Practice Group
Being a part of the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy practice group has been a great experience, expanding my network of colleagues working in this evolving area of the law. The practice group is a resource that allows us to bounce ideas off each other and get useful, collaborative feedback. Having access to that is a significant value add for client work.
Maria Schneider
Musillo Unkenholt Law
Immigration Practice Group
The immigration bar is very collegial and being involved in the practice group gives us an opportunity to commiserate on cases and share ideas and strategies. I often come away from meetings with fresh perspectives and new ideas.
Paul Linden & John Bennett Frost Brown Todd
Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group
Participating in the IP Litigation Practice Group throughout our careers has been a consistent way for us to maintain connections with local IP practitioners and stay up to date on developments in IP law and federal court practice. The contributions and insights offered by our fellow group members have been invaluable over the years and we really enjoy catching up with everyone at each meeting.
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THE REPORT | July/August 2024 | CincyBar.org