Principal, Vennum Law
Hometown: Lakeland, Florida
Education: Vanderbilt University / Wake Forest Law
Your most vivid memory of your BLI experience: How impressed and humbled I was when I showed up to the Bar Leadership Dinner and saw how many other lawyers and how many judges considered it important enough to attend.
What you value most about your BLI experience: The ongoing friendships and relationships I've built, as well as connection to and engagement with the Bar.
Advice you'd give to the next BLI class: Give it your all, the more energy you put into the program, the more you benefit.
Your favorite volunteer role with the MCB/MBF: Mentoring, especially mentoring other women lawyers at small firms or who are hanging their own shingle.
Current personal or leadership goals: It doesn't sound very ambitious, but at least it's honest-- to stay positive and support my family, my firm, my clients, and anyone else I can to make it through the rest of this pandemic and come out on the other side. In particular, I'm working on connecting with other solo and small firm lawyers who are struggling with the isolation and uncertainty of trying to keep things together right now. (If that sounds like you and you're reading this, send me an email. You're not alone.)
Topic you'd like to learn more about and why: Noncompetes, my secret nerdy obsession, about which I plan on writing law review articles someday when I have time.
Favorite place to go in Charlotte (pre-pandemic): Menchie's Frozen Yogurt or Ray's Splash Planet with my kids.
What you do when you're not lawyering: Enthusiastically dive into and subsequently abandon various wobegone craft projects and home decorating ventures.
Something on the horizon that you're excited about: I can't wait until the day I can go out to lunch with friends and greet them with a great big hug.