Page 5 - November December CBA Report

What’s the
largest animal
you think you
could beat in
a one-on-one
fight?
By Jon Kelly
Ground rules: You must fight the animal in its natural habitat,
you can’t, for example, fight a whale on land, and you may use a
weapon only if the animal could use the same weapon; a knife
fight with a chimpanzee, for example, would be allowed.
Fighting animals probably isn’t how you expected the Young
Lawyers Section (YLS) Chair to start an article talking about the
group, but I used it to begin our annual YLS board retreat, which
kicked off what I have affectionately referred to as my “reign of
terror” as Chair. In case you were wondering, I think I could take
a deer. Two of our members said they could take a giraffe. I’m a
little skeptical about the giraffe but it goes to show how ambitious
attorneys can be.
One of my favorite things about YLS is that I can ask ques-
tions like this during our meetings. We are professionals, and
we’re clearly full of ambitious new and new-ish attorneys. But
working with folks who are in the same stage of their careers
offers a camaraderie and degree of familiarity that is not always
available when you find yourself working with seasoned partners
at a law firm or on a local board of directors.
At its heart, YLS is a group of attorneys and law students who
are interested in meeting their peers, serving their communities,
and growing as attorneys. We’re all in the early stages of our legal
careers, and YLS provides an avenue for us to talk to each other
about our experiences and our challenges. We also want to be
leaders in the legal community, and YLS provides that avenue as
well. We plan events. We give and get advice from one another.
And yes, we talk about fighting giraffes sometimes. The point is
that YLS helps us achieve our professional goals without having
to necessarily “be professional” all the time.
One of the biggest benefits YLS provides is networking oppor-
tunities, and happy hours are our specialty. My favorite event is
our annual summer social, which brings attorneys and summer
associates together over drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Every year I
leave the event with a new batch of colleagues. I’ve even scored
some good recruiting opportunities for my firm, which is saying
something because the event historically takes place at another
firm’s fancy rooftop patio.
I’ve benefitted enormously from being a YLS member. I’ve
met attorneys from every kind of background and practice area;
we’ve got Cincinnati locals, transplants, prosecutors, civil liti-
gators, in-house counsel, and more. It’s given me contacts in
the community that I never would have had if I only dealt with
lawyers in my firm or opposing counsel in my cases. I even credit
YLS for getting me to my firm, since it’s how I met my future boss
and mentor, Faith Whittaker (Hi Faith!).
Our membership is open to attorneys in their first 10 years
of practice and law students. We chose this group because we’re
all in that developmental stage. We’re looking to expand our
networks, find opportunities, and figure out ways to build our
careers. YLS provides those opportunities, and I consider my
career to be a testament to that.
So whether you’re looking for leadership opportunities, to
meet people, or just want to tell people how you could absolutely
fight a dolphin, YLS has what you’ve been looking for. We hope
to see you soon!
Jon Kelly is chair of the CBA YLS and an associate at Dinsmore.
THE REPORT | November/December 2025 | CincyBar.org 5