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CONTACT: Annie Yamson
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (May 7, 2021) – On Wednesday, May 5, 2021, Columbus-area lawyers were among 20 Ohio attorneys to graduate from the Ohio State Bar Association’s (OSBA) 2021 Leadership Academy.
The OSBA Leadership Academy is designed to nurture and prepare lawyers for effective leadership in the association, the legal profession and their communities. The interactive training program takes place across a five-month period in six sessions during which participants interact with a diverse group of seasoned attorneys and other professionals, learning about topics such as civility, ethics and professionalism. This year, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the sessions took place entirely online.
"It speaks volumes about this year’s Leadership Academy graduates that they chose to dedicate themselves to personal and professional growth during such an unprecedented time in the world," said OSBA 2020-21 President Linda Tucci Teodosio. "We’re not only proud of their hard work but also excited to see the creative ways in which these accomplished attorneys put their new skills to use in their practices and their communities.”
The Leadership Academy is limited to lawyers who have practiced law between one and 10 years. Attorneys are selected based on their stated commitment to the goals of the academy, a demonstrated history of interaction with the legal and their own communities and diversity.
The 2021 graduating class includes 13 attorneys from OSBA District 7, which encompasses Franklin County.
About the attorneys:
Nicholas Allen is an assistant state public defender in the juvenile department of the Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) where he provides legal assistance to youth currently serving commitments in the Department of Youth Services facilities across the state and is a member of the kids in adult prison working group. Allen also represents youth in post-dispositional matters. He joined the OPD in 2018 after working in trial-level criminal defense in Licking, Fairfield and Knox counties. Allen has also provided advocacy as a guardian ad litem in juvenile cases in both Licking and Fairfield counties. Allen earned his law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. *Download photo
Tammy Vanessa Chavez joined the Ohio Attorney General's Office Charitable Law Section in September 2017. There, she assists in civil investigations and enforcement involving charitable trusts and fiduciary duties, charitable fundraising and gambling. In addition, Chavez serves as a coordinator for the Ohio Attorney General’s Teen Ambassador Board. Prior to joining the Attorney General's Office, she served as a legal intern at the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office appellate division and as an instructor for the Law and Leadership Institute, which provides programming throughout the state for students interested in future law careers. Chavez also serves as a bar exam tutor at the University of Dayton School of Law, where she earned her law degree. *Download photo
Jessica Dury is a senior associate with Stockamp & Brown where she represents motor vehicle dealers and motor vehicle industry-related service providers and trade associations. She has expertise in developing comprehensive compliance programs and focuses on day-to-day regulatory compliance with the Truth in Lending Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and other consumer financial services laws. Dury is a member of the National Association of Dealer Counsel and the Women Lawyers of Franklin County. She earned her law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. *Download photo
Lauren Emery is an associate assistant attorney general in the Court of Claims Defense Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, where she defends state agencies and universities in civil suits filed in the Ohio Court of Claims and appeals to the 10th District Court of Appeals. Her practice areas include medical malpractice, wrongful death, negligence, inmate litigation, employment discrimination and contractual disputes. Emery earned her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law where she was a member of the Order of the Coif, the Order of Barristers and the Pro Bono Honor Society. *Download photo
John C. Ferrell is an associate attorney at the firm of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC where he previously served as a summer associate and is involved in complex litigation in areas including energy, employment and business law. In addition to the OSBA, he is a member of the Columbus Bar Association. He also served as former managing editor of the Capital University Law Review where he earned his law degree. *Download Photo
Christopher R. Green is a fourth year associate at the Columbus law firm of Crabbe, Brown & James LLP. He is a member of the firm’s litigation team, practicing in all areas of general civil defense litigation including insurance, employment and class actions. He also serves as associate general counsel to the National Fraternal Order of Police. Green previously served as an extern for U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson. He earned his law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where he rose to managing editor of the Ohio State Law Journal. *Download photo
Brian Kelso is staff attorney for Judge Michael C. Mentel of the 10th District Court of Appeals. He previously served as staff attorney for presiding Judge Lisa Sadler on the same court and for Judge Richard Frye of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. Prior to his work in the courts, Kelso practiced general litigation at the firm of Dagger, Johnston, Miller, Ogilvie and Hampson in Lancaster, Ohio. He earned his law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. *Download photo
Chandni Patel is an associate attorney at the Law Offices of Robert S. Gitmeid & Associates where she practices in the area of consumer advocacy. She previously served as an associated attorney at the Columbus firm of Levy & Associates LLC and as a legal intern for the U.S. Senate. Patel earned her law degree from the Capital University Law School. *Download photo
Ryan N. Sander is an attorney with the domestic team at the Legal Aid Society of Columbus (LASC) where he focuses his practice on family law and provides services in juvenile custody matters, divorce cases and represents victims of domestic violence seeking protection orders. Sander serves as a staff contact for LASC’s brief advice clinic and is involved as a volunteer for the Franklin County Teen Court Program. He is the 2017 recipient of the Ohio Hispanic Coalition’s Padrino Award. Sander received his law degree from the Capital University Law School. *Download photo
Kassandra J. Stewart is a solo practitioner focusing her practice on family law including divorce, dissolution, custody, post-decree modification, termination and modification of support, third party custody, paternity and appeals in central and southern Ohio, where she also serves as a Guardian ad Litem. Stewart also works as a contractor with the State of Ohio Department of Administrative Services. Stewart earned her law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where she was recognized for her work in public interest and alternative dispute resolution and served as the president of the Women’s Legal Society. *Download photo
Niyah Walters serves as in-house counsel for Columbus City Council and legal analyst in the council’s legislative research office where she staffs the Criminal Justice and Judiciary Committee, Public Service and Transportation Committee and the Environment Committee. She previously worked at the Ohio Legislative Service Commission where she founded the Diversity Discussion and Advisory Group to encourage healthy discussion on diversity issues and to assist in the acquisition and retention of minority employees. In her community, Walters is president of the Columbus Urban League Young Professionals, serves as a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio and is a graduate of the YWCA Leadership for Social Change Program. She earned her law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law. *Download photo
Jilian Weithman is an assistant state public defender with the Office of the Ohio Public Defender in the juvenile department. In this role, Weithman represents youth incarcerated in the Department of Youth Services, with a focus on conditions of confinement. Weithman earned her law degree from Capital University Law School. *Download photo
Christina Wieg is an associate attorney in the Environmental Practice Group at Frost Brown Todd LLC’s Columbus office. There, she focuses her practice on environmental litigation, transactional and regulatory matters, including work involving the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and other major state and federal environmental regulatory programs. Previously, Wieg served the Ohio EPA for more than a dozen years, gaining regulatory experience and rising to the level of supervisor in the Air Pollution Control Division. She earned her law degree from Capital University Law School. *Download photo
