We recently sat down with Associate Hannah E. Black to learn about her new leadership role with DRI and why she thinks it is important for young lawyers to pursue positions of leadership early in their careers.
What attracted you to DRI?
As a young lawyer, I knew I wanted to get plugged in with an organization that would put a strong emphasis on both professional and personal growth. Additionally, I wanted to find a place that would help me form meaningful connections with other attorneys, not just in Alabama, but all across the country. I knew DRI was the right organization for me to join because several attorneys are actively involved, and speak very highly of their experiences. Partners Jim Pattillo, Sharon Stewart, and Todd Weston shared how they made invaluable connections as young lawyers and both Stewart and Pattillo formerly held leadership positions within DRI.
In what areas will you be involved?
I was appointed as a DRI Young Lawyer Liason for 2024. I will be serving as vice liaison for the Employment and Labor Substantive Law Committee. With this role, I will be responsible for “bridging the gap” between DRI’s Employment and Labor Law Committee and Young Lawyers Committee to make sure young lawyers are aware of the opportunities afforded to them. In this first year, I will be attending a leadership meeting in Miami, a Young Lawyers seminar in Nashville, and the Employment and Labor Law seminar in Washington, DC.. As part of my role as liaison, I will help host an event put on by the young lawyers in DC.
What are you looking forward to the most?
I am excited to forge relationships with other defense attorneys across the country. And to learn from more experienced attorneys who regularly practice in the labor and employment field. In my role as Liaison for the Employment and Labor Law Committee, I will have opportunities to hear and learn from some of the best lawyers in the field. I hope to bring back the knowledge I acquire through DRI and use it to enhance and grow my practice at Christian & Small.
What do you hope to gain?
I hope to gain a wealth of knowledge from the various seminars I will attend through DRI and to cultivate lasting professional relationships that are vital to growing one’s practice and skills.
What are your long-term goals within DRI?
I plan to stay involved and assume more leadership roles. Maybe one day I will be an experienced attorney from whom young lawyers new to DRI will be excited to learn.
Why is it important for young/new associates to immerse themselves in organizations such as DRI?
By getting involved in organizations like DRI, young associates ultimately set themselves and their firms up for success. The vast amount of resources available through these organizations helps young lawyers learn, grow, and enhance the skills they have already acquired. One of the many reasons I love working at Christian & Small is because we are always encouraged to become involved in professional organizations.
Hannah E. Black is an associate in the Birmingham office and represents clients in civil litigation with a focus on insurance coverage and bad faith, insurance defense, commercial transportation, liquor liability, and employment law.
About Christian & Small
Christian & Small LLP represents a diverse clientele throughout Alabama, the Southeast, and the nation with clients ranging from individuals and closely held businesses to Fortune 500 corporations. By matching highly experienced lawyers with specific client needs, Christian & Small develops innovative, effective, and efficient solutions for clients. With offices in Birmingham, metro-Jackson, Mississippi, and the Alabama Gulf Coast, Christian & Small focuses on the areas of litigation and business, is a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms, and is a Mansfield Rule™ Participating Law Firm. Our corporate social responsibility program is focused on education, and diversity is one of Christian & Small’s core values.
No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.