Page 5 - May June 2023 CBA Report

The Hon. Janaya Trotter Bratton in her courtroom at the Hamilton County Courthouse.
Cover Article
Perseverance:
A Personal and Professional Journey to the Presidency
By Leyla Shokoohe
“Just keep going.”It’s a phrase the Honorable
Janaya Trotter Bratton lives by in all aspects of life — educational pursuits, legal career, and now, her agenda as the incoming CBA president. She recalled her late mother, Donna McKee, sharing with her: “You have two options: to fall apart or to keep going.” And after her mother’s untimely death, she chose the latter, waging a successful campaign to become a county judge at just 39 in the immediate aftermath. This 2023-2024 bar year, as she becomes the Cincinnati Bar Association’s first Black female pres- ident in its history, she is poised to go further than ever.
A Cincinnati native, Trotter Bratton was exposed to the legal field at a young age through her uncle, attorney George Fred Crawford, who was a litigator before focusing on tax law. Trotter Bratton was drawn to litigation’s potential for justice.
“[I liked the idea of] doing something different every day,” said Trotter Bratton. “Litigation felt like a chance to stand up for what was right and push the needle to change things I didn’t like. It helps that I like interacting with people.”
Trotter Bratton started pushing the needle against injustice early on. As a senior at Winton Woods High School, she was present at a basketball game where the opposing team called the Winton Woods students racial slurs. A Winton Woods player and coach responded to the taunting and were disciplined for their response. Trotter Bratton was upset with the school’s handling of the situation and wrote a letter to her principal, the district’s superintendent, and the board of education condemning the school’s failure to act
Trotter Bratton got the result she sought — complaints were filed on behalf of the Winton Woods students.
After graduation, she headed to Miami University, where she had early acceptance and a full-ride academic scholarship. But the on-campus atmosphere didn’t feel particularly welcoming.
“It was a complete culture shock to me,” she said. “My high school was so diverse. At Miami, I did not see many students who looked like me. There were classes where I was the only Black person. I was not used to it, and I certainly was not prepared for it.”
Soon thereafter Trotter Bratton transferred to Ohio State University. After graduating in 2005, she attended the Salmon P. Chase College of Law (as did her uncle.) She took a role with General Electric through the Minority Corporate Counsel Program during her first law school summer and was offered a position with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for her second summer. At the U.S. Attorney’s office, she was given perspective from now U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Kenneth Parker, that would shape the future course of her career.
“Ken Parker asked me what I wanted to do after I graduated,” said Trotter Bratton. “I said, ‘I want to be a defense attorney,’ and he’s like, ‘Why are you at the U.S. Attorney’s Office?’ and I said, ‘Because I need to know how you all think!’ And then he asked me a question that I have carried with me throughout my career: ‘Who is the most powerful person in the courtroom?’ And I said, ‘The judge,’ and he explained to me that once the case was in the judge’s hands, then yes, the judge has the power, but before that, it’s the prosecutor who has power. The prosecutor decides whom to charge, what to charge, what to dismiss or reduce, and when to stand firm on the original charges. He made me realize that there
THE REPORT | May/June 2023 | CincyBar.org 5