KMK Law Congratulates the Participants of the Inaugural Diversity Case Competition for First Year Law Students

The Cincinnati law firm of Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL (KMK Law^®), in partnership with the University of Cincinnati College of Law’s Center for Professional Development, hosted the first ever Diversity Case Competition for tri-state area first-year minority law students at the offices of KMK Law on January 18 & 19, 2019.

This program is a part of an ongoing commitment to inclusion and diversity by KMK Law. The competition simulated the real-world associate experience, complete with the evaluation and feedback processes used in most law firms. Using the case model students competed for cash prizes by displaying their analytical, problem solving and communication skills – all skills that are key to success in the legal industry.

The competition also exposed students to practicing attorneys and Fortune 500 corporate counsel, who served as coaches and judges. In addition, members of the Cincinnati Legal Community engaged in networking and participated in a professional development panel.

“The feedback we received from student participants, our clients and leaders in the legal community was overwhelmingly positive,” said Julie M. Mulhern, Director of Legal Recruiting & Professional Development. “We look forward to hosting the competition in years to come and remain dedicated to providing activities and programs that support the growth of diversity in the legal profession.”

Prizes were awarded to the following:

First Place ($3,000) – University of Cincinnati College of Law Team 1

• Elizabeth Gatten
• Sol Ouzounian

Second Place ($2,000) – University of Cincinnati College of Law Team 4

• Kanisha Ervin
• Sarah Ochieng
• Ja’nae Powell

Third Place ($1,000) – The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law Team 14

• Zeynep Kart
• Thomas Pope
• Keri Richardson

Thank you to all those that participated in the Inaugural Law Student Diversity Case Competition.

Law Schools:

• Cleveland Marshall College of Law
• Indiana University, Maurer School of Law
• Indiana University McKinney School of Law
• Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law
• The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
• University of Kentucky College of Law
• University Cincinnati College of Law

Volunteer Judges, Panelists, and Legal Community Participants:

• The Honorable Timothy Black, U.S. District Judge, Southern District Ohio
• Jim Burke, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Emily Bae, Assistant Vice President, Senior Counsel, Fifth Third Bank
• Tanya Brady, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Phillips Edison & Company
• Joe Bruemmer, Associate General Counsel, Garretson Resolution Group
• Joel Chanvisanuruk MPA, JD, Assistant Dean of Academic Success and Bar Programs, University of Cincinnati College of Law
• Steve Coffaro, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Paul Dorger, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Belcan, LLC
• Folarin Dosunmu, Counsel, GE Aviation
• Alan Fershtman, Managing Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Renee Filiatraut, Litigation Counsel, AK Steel Corporation
• Catherine Glover, Executive Director, Cincinnati Bar Association
• Tom Hankinson, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Dan Izenson, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Mina Jefferson, Esq., Associate Dean & Chief of Staff, University of Cincinnati College of Law
• Dara Kendall, Director & Associate General Counsel, The Procter & Gamble Company
• Shelly Kendricks-Buford, Corporate Counsel, Fujitec America, Inc.
• Ken Kreider, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Max Langenkamp, Vice President of Human Resources, Cintas Corporation
• Shannon Lawson, Associate, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Joe Lehnert, Associate, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Rob Lesan, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• S. Elizabeth (Betsy) Malloy, Andrew Katsanis Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law
• James McLean, Associate General Counsel, Duke Energy
• Lisa Wintersheimer Michel, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Julie Muething¸ Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Julie Mulhern, Director of Legal Recruiting and Professional Development, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Erica O’Brien, Senior Labor & Employment Practices Counsel, Cintas Corporation
• Bill Posey, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Bethany Recht, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Keturah Reed, Legal Counsel, The Procter & Gamble Company
• Adrienne Roach, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Bob Sanker, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Kate Solomon, Vice President of Community Relations, FC Cincinnati
• Ben Stewart, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Jason Stitt, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Kelley Brandstetter Tracy, Partner, Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL
• Anitra Walden-Jacobs, Labor and Employment Counsel, Speedway LLC
• LaDonna Wallace Smith, Director of Community Engagement, Cincinnati Bar Association
• Matt Whitlow, Vice President, Real Estate Law, Macy’s, Inc.
• Verna Williams, Interim Dean and Nippert Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law
• John J. Williams, Associate General Counsel, FirstGroup
• Danyelle Wright, Vice President, Employment and Labor Law and Chief Diversity Officer, The E.W. Scripps Company

About Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL

The law firm of Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL (KMK Law^®), based in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a nationally-recognized law firm delivering sophisticated legal solutions to businesses of all sizes—from Fortune 100 corporations to start-up companies. Chambers USA: America’s Leading Business Lawyers^® 2018 recognized KMK as a leading law firm in Ohio in Corporate and Mergers & Acquisitions, General Commercial Litigation, and Bankruptcy & Restructuring. KMK Law earned five National Rankings in Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Land Use & Zoning Law, Project Finance Law, and Venture Capital Law as well as 37 Metropolitan Rankings in the U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers publication of its 2019 “Best Law Firms” Report. Founded in 1954, KMK has 118 lawyers and a support staff of approximately 120 employees. Additional information is available at www.kmklaw.com.