Rising Star
Lanese D. Layne Esq. Staff Attorney, Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc.
L
anese Layne is a staff attorney at Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (LAWO). When asked to describe herself, she did so by stating that she is creative, diligent and hardworking, especially when it comes to serving others. Lanese is service oriented not only in her professional life but in her personal life as well. In addition to reading poetry, and spending time with her family, her friends and her new toy poodle puppy, Honey, Lanese actively volunteers at two organizations that channel her passion for serve towards others. Lanese currently serves as 2nd Vice President of the Board of Directors at Family Services. Family Services is a Dayton based association committed to strengthening families and communities through counseling, education, community building and advocacy. She is also on the Programs Committee for Dress for Success. Dress for Success is an organization dedicated to empowering women to achieve economic independence and overcome employment barriers. Before attending law school, Lanese attended Hampton University. Hampton University is a historically black university located in Hampton, Virginia. While at Hampton University she not only obtained a Bachelors of Science degree in Marketing but graduated with both University and Departmental Honors. While attending Hampton University, she was involved in many activities and organizations including: playing the clarinet in the Hampton University Marching Band, “The Marching Force,” and participating in the Student Leadership Program which was a program that provided community service experiences and interpersonal and leadership skills training. A Cincinnatian, Lanese moved to Dayton to attend the University of Dayton School of Law. Lanese was attracted to UD School of Law because of its Marianist mission of service to and serving the community. She expressed that she was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to attend a law school that embodied the same values as those instilled by her parents. In fact, during law school she had the opportunity to work with many service-oriented organizations which included the Volunteer Student Law Project. Lanese earned the Pro Bono Commitment to the Community Award which is awarded 16
Dayton Bar Briefs February 2021
to graduates that completed 50+ hours of community service during their law school tenure along with additionally receiving the Lisa A. Kloppenberg public interest stipend award. Moreover, she earned a CALI Award for Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiation. Like all of us, before you become a lawyer something inspires you to pursue this career path. For Lanese, it began with her parents and then a meeting with a Legal Aide attorney. At an early age, Lanese’s parents instilled in her a core set of values: faith, education and service- service to family and service to others. While in middle school, while completing a career research project on careers in the legal profession, she had the opportunity to speak with a Legal Aid Attorney that attended her church. Hearing the attorney speaking about their client success stories and hearing how a Legal Aid attorney was able to be of service and to be an agent of change for the community was truly inspiring to a young Lanese and lead her on the attorney career path. On reflecting on her experience, she stated that “so often we forget, that for our youth, you can’t be what you can’t see and I saw what I could be through my interactions with my family and through my meeting with a Legal Aid attorney.” Lanese has worked at LAWO for approximately 2.5 years. Lanese expressed that what attracted her to LAWO was that she could use her legal knowledge and skills to advocate for individuals who have been historically marginalized. At LAWO Lanese is a part of a community lawyering project called Neighborhoods B.U.I.L.D. (Bringing Urban Initiatives Through Legal Development) Dayton. The project provides technical assistance in the form of sharing information and expertise, instruction, skills training and legal representation to resident-led advocacy initiatives in disinvested Dayton neighborhoods and communities; these particular neighborhoods are mostly located in East and West Dayton. Her work is not confined to one practice area but rather she practices in the issues identified by the residents and to that end has practiced in the following areas: landlord-tenant and affordable housing preservation, debt collection, bankruptcy, reentry work including
continued on page 17
937.222.7902
