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Chat with the Chair

When did you join the Local Government Law practice group? 

I joined the CBA in 2008 — I’ve been a member since I graduated from law school. I joined Local Government Law in 2017, when I was running [for law director of the city of Cheviot.] It was nice because I got more information about the practice and the position I was running for in those meetings which was helpful to me. 

 

I live in the city of Cheviot, and my neighbor, who is the auditor for our city said there was going to be an election to elect a new law director. She knew I was a lawyer and asked me to do it. I never thought I would do public service. I was practicing real estate law at the time; doing anything political was never really in my plans. I agreed to run, and I won. And once I was immersed in public service, it was such a great extra thing to do. To be involved in my community in that way has been really wonderful. The fact that it’s part-time has allowed me to focus on my private practice of family law. My true passion is family law, but I can also work this part-time position giving back to my community and that’s been a really wonderful experience.

Who should get involved in the Local Government Law practice group? 

If you’re working in a specific area doing one small portion of a local government practice, it’s easy to know just that one side of it. But often that small area can be affected by the broader practice. I think city attorneys would benefit from hearing how small municipalities and the county handle similar issues, and just having a larger network of contact outside of your practice group. For me personally, talking to people that work at the county and the city for things that have affected the city of Cheviot, that kind of advice and anecdotal experience has been invaluable for me. That kind of interaction is really helpful, especially if it’s a novel issue without applicable  case or statutory law. 

 

I think our practice group could be helpful to members of the CBA at large who may not consider themselves local government law attorneys but do practice in areas that might touch on local government law. It might be helpful to come to our meetings, talk with attorneys that practice in that area. We’re always open to ideas for our bimonthly meetings. 

What do you cover in Local Government Law? 

We see what’s going on in government law and plan ahead that way. We had a pretty in-depth COVID update over the summer. That’s really been something that’s been affecting a lot of my practice with the city of Cheviot. I imagine we’ll do another COVID update about how it’s affected local municipalities. We also do case updates, where we look at recent case law that’s come out that affects our group. We’re always open to suggestions from other members. So much can be considered local government, so if there’s something that’s touching someone’s practice, even if they think it’s something a city attorney would handle, we’re always happy to address that. 

 

What restaurant are you ordering from during the pandemic? 

I am so cliche and of course I started baking sourdough bread. When we get takeout, my go-to is the Public House — which is in Cheviot, of course. It’s a local bar and grill and they really have the best burgers. That’s our go-to when we’re not cooking at home. Get carry-out from them and they have a nice outdoor area we can bring our kids. 


Rohr is an attorney with Beth Silverman & Associates.  

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