Kari assumed the role on January 6, 2019, replacing Jocelyn Armstrong who now serves as District Director of Ohio’s 3rd District of the U.S. House of Representatives (Congresswoman Joyce Beatty).
Kari received her bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University and graduated cum laude from Capital University Law School. She previously served as the statewide Program Director for the Law and Leadership Institute (LLI), where she worked in all six of Ohio’s major cities to captivate, inspire, and equip underserved minority youth with the skills needed for a college-bound future and professional success. Kari began her role with LLI after leaving a career in law school administration where she promoted access to legal education and the importance of diversity in both the classroom and the legal profession. Kari also brings her experience as a former judicial extern to Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor of the Supreme Court of Ohio, and as a former extern for the Ohio State Troopers Association.
Kari is an active Columbus community member. She is a former John Mercer Langston Bar Association (JMLBA) Board member where she served as Mentorship Chair. She has served as a volunteer presenter for organizations like IMPACT Community Action and Workforce Development & Career Services at the Columbus Urban League. Kari also is a dedicated mentor and has served as a career mentor for the Black Career Women’s Network’s Columbus Mentor Summit, as a Guest Leader for The Ohio State University’s LeaderShape Institute, and currently serves as a mentor for the United Way E3 Program. She is an active member of the Columbus Bar Association (CBA), the JMLBA, the United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council (WLC), the Columbus Urban League Young Professionals (CULYP), and the Capital University Law School Alumni Board.
Kari’s new role with the Columbus Bar Association will include organization-wide diversity programming and oversight of the Managing Partner’s Diversity Initiative (MPDI). The MPDI is a working blueprint to help Columbus create a diverse community of lawyers through a coordinated approach to recruitment and retention. Her role will also include administering the CBA Minority Clerkship Program, a collaboration of the CBA, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, and Capital University Law School to provide legal experience and education for African American, Asian, Hispanic and Native American law students through summer placement at local law firms, government and corporate offices.
