Page 4 - May June24 Report

President’s Brief
Building Connections and Boosting Careers
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
By Faith C. Whittaker
fortunate to be a part of leading the labor and employment prac- tice 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 employ- ment 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 practi- tioners and judges who have become my mentors and friends. I
a city.
Outside of the robust and
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.
was a part of the CBA’s Cincin- nati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers (“CALL”) class in 2016, which was an incredible opportunity for leadership devel- opment 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 practi- tioners and judges.
f lexible 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 leader-
ship opportunities through the
YLS and practice groups and
continuing opportunities as
careers develop. I was fortunate
enough to start my involve-
ment as part of the YLS social
committee where I developed planning and organization skills and continued to build more relationships within the bar.
The CBA provides opportu- nities 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.
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
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THE REPORT | May/June 2024 | CincyBar.org