Ladder Down Cleveland

Hey! If you know any Ohio law students, please pass the word along and ask them to tell their friends—because some of our law schools can’t or won’t.

Hello?to our Law Student Friends of OWBA/OWBF! ? We’ve learned that some law schools are not willing or able to publicize our events and opportunities to you because of evolving policies around affinity groups and DEI, so we are asking YOU to please spread the word to your law student friends and classmates! ? The Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation (“OWBF”) is offering a need-based scholarship to 2 (two) female law students to cover the costs of a bar review course (to the extent bar review fees are not covered by law school tuition) and/or living expenses up to $2,500.?The purpose of this scholarship is to ensure that a future woman lawyer with non-profit, government, or uncertain employment plans does not experience financial hardship while studying for the bar exam. To apply, applicants should submit a 300-500 word statement by April 4th through the OWBF website. The statement should address the woman lawyer’s future employment plans, anticipated income (if known), and financial need, including the actual or anticipated cost of a bar review course (if not covered by law school tuition) and living expenses while studying. ? The award recipient will be officially recognized at the Ohio Women’s Bar Association / Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation Annual Meeting Luncheon May 9, 2025! ? Here is the link to apply?https://lnkd.in/gEBXKJpf ? Do you know an Ohio Female Law Student that could benefit from this opportunity?? Please help us spread the word by tagging them in the comments! ? #OWBA #OWBF #bettertogether #womenshistorymonth #owbfbarprepscholarship

All: For today only, your money will work TWICE as hard! Along with several #teamamtrust colleagues and friends, I'm raising money to fight pancreatic cancer in advance of the April 26 PurpleStride walk. Like some of you, I've lost friends and family members to this terrible disease, and a dear friend and AmTrust colleague lost her brave fight to this disease in January. Beginning at noon ET TODAY (Thursday - so, right NOW!), donations up to $250 will be matched, dollar for dollar, by the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation! But there's a catch! This match challenge will only last until the match hits $100,000. If you are inclined to help, please click on the link to my fundraising page (in the comments to the post) and donate as soon as you see this post. Every dollar truly counts, and for a brief time today, each dollar you donate will count TWICE! I understand that not everyone is in a position to donate. You can also help by simply reposting/sharing this message! Thank you.

We are proud to share that the OWBA 1-hour CLE, "Raising the B.A.R.: A Continued Discussion," was a resounding success! This engaging session provided valuable insights into advancing equity, inclusion, and leadership within the legal profession. A heartfelt thank you to the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association for co-sponsoring this impactful event and to our esteemed panelists: Kami Brauer, Bethany Studenic, Ann-Marie Ahern and Kelley Barnett Your expertise and thoughtful perspectives sparked meaningful dialogue on the challenges and opportunities facing legal professionals today. We appreciate your contributions and look forward to continuing these essential conversations to drive progress in the legal field. To learm more about the owba please visit our website www.owba.org #OWBA #CLE #RaisingTheBAR #WomenInLaw #LegalLeadership #EquityAndInclusion #ProfessionalDevelopment

Happy International Women’s Day! I was grateful to be invited to participate in the “Raising the B.A.R. (Bias, Awareness, Resources)” panel discussion hosted by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association with Kami Brauer, Bethany Studenic, and Ann-Marie Ahern, and sponsored by several organizations, including Ladder Down Cleveland | Women in Law | Women in Leadership and the Ohio Women's Bar Association. And a big shoutout to CWRU Law Professor and law school classmate Jennifer Cupar for sparking the idea for Raising the B.A.R. As I said during this panel discussion, I do believe that most law firms and organizations are trying. I do. I also believe that there’s a lot more progress to be made, and that these types of conversations are critical to continued awareness and progress. I’m so grateful to the many mentors I’ve had throughout my career and beyond, both men and women, from colleagues and leaders at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, Michael C. O'Malley, Frantz Ward LLP, and AmTrust Financial Services, Inc., to friends and family. Let’s work together to keep moving the needle forward for #womeninlaw and others. #IWD2025 #womeninlaw #AccelerateAction

I am so excited to share Episode #4 of the In-House Counsel Chronicles Podcast ??? . In this episode, I interview Kelley Barnett, Senior Vice President and Senior Managing Counsel at AmTrust. Kelley shares her journey from a prosecutor to a partner at a law firm and eventually to her current role in-house. She discusses the importance of relationship-building ??including. "I'm a big believer in you don't need a title to lead. You can raise your hand ?? and get access if you're good at your job and you relationship build". She also shares how she views herself as a trusted advisor and how necessary this is if you want to be a great in-house lawyer.?Kelley also highlights her community involvement, particularly with Ladder Down Cleveland | Women in Law | Women in Leadership, a program aimed at empowering women lawyers. She offers valuable advice for new lawyers and those aspiring to advance in their careers, emphasizing the significance of networking and developing a personal leadership style. Here is a link to the full episode. listen ?? and follow ?? on spotify https://lnkd.in/d2QE4PiM or buzzsprout https://lnkd.in/gXkAWJyB https://lnkd.in/gF_un72G

We are proud to be a sponsor of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s International Women’s Day celebration beginning next week! Have you registered yet? #womeninlaw #IWD2025 #AccelerateAction Kelley Barnett Alanna Guy Meghan Lewallen Aanchal Sharma Lyndsay Flagg Lisa Woloszynek Brittany Kaczmarczyk Kirsten B. Mooney Abbey Kinson Brown Liz Phillips Anna Luczkow Samantha Cira Ildiko Szucs Deutsch

Celebrate International Women’s Day with the CMBA — and enjoy your favorite Starbucks drink on us! Join us for an empowering celebration of women in the legal profession at CMBA’s International Women’s Day Event! To make it even better, we’re offering a special incentive: Register by February 28 at 11:59 PM, and you’ll receive a QR code for a FREE Starbucks beverage of your choice!* Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and honor the incredible women shaping our community. Hurry! This offer expires February 28 at 11:59 PM. Let’s celebrate together! To register: https://lnkd.in/e9j_rqKi *Offer valid only on Friday, March 7! Also thank you to our event sponsors: Huseby Global Litigation Ladder Down Cleveland | Women in Law | Women in Leadership Dinsmore & Shohl LLP The Business and Banking Section of the CMBA

Proud to be part of an incredible panel with Kami Brauer, Bethany Studenic, and Ann-Marie Ahern for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's Women's Day Summit 2025 on International Women’s Day! This virtual panel is next Friday March 7. To open up the #IWD celebration, there's also a fantastic in-person reception on Thursday, March 6 at McDonald Hopkins LLC, and several in-person adventures to choose from following the virtual panel on Friday. For more information see below, and check out the link in the comments to this post to register! Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect, and celebrate. See you there! #WomenWhoLead #CMBA #IWD2025

This past Saturday the Ladder Down Cleveland | Women in Law | Women in Leadership Class of 2025 participated in their second Leadership Development session with Elizabeth Fitch, CIPP-US! The class discussed their TKI assessments and conflict styles, while Beth provided great insight and strategies for utilizing the five conflict-handling modes in our daily practice. These skills are invaluable as lawyers and leaders in the workplace. Thank you, Beth, for another great session! A HUGE thank you to Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP for hosting our second session in their beautiful offices and providing a delicious breakfast from?Luna Bakery & Cafe!?Co-Chair Alanna Guy and I also want to thank all of our 2025 sponsors: BakerHostetler, Frantz Ward LLP, Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP, Apelis Law (Erika Apelis), UB Greensfelder, Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC, Gallagher Sharp LLP, Roetzel & Andress, Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, Weston Hurd, Jackson Lewis P.C., Emerald Legal Search, LLC, Benesch Law, Reminger Co. LPA, Thompson Hine LLP, Capstone Search Advisors, Perez Morris, Lewis Brisbois, Ogletree Deakins, and Direct Recruiters, Inc.! Ladder Down Cleveland would not be possible without your support! Thank you to Executive Committee members Samantha Cira, Anna Luczkow, and Lisa Woloszynek for planning and attending the session and to the rest of the committee for all of your help - Aanchal Sharma, Abbey Kinson Brown, Kirsten B. Mooney, Lyndsay Flagg, Brittany Kaczmarczyk, Liz Phillips, and Ildiko Szucs Deutsch. Lastly, special thank you to Ladder Down founders Elizabeth Fitch, CIPP-US and Alison R. Christian and Cleveland founder Kelley Barnett for your never-ending support! Next up – small group sessions with Beth!? #womeninlaw #womenempoweringwomen #womensupportingwomen #womenleaders #LadderDownCLE