Dorothy K Branson Smith
Crittenden,KY
Summary
Experienced Attorney with over 24 years of experience in both Criminal and Civil Law. Strong work ethic that includes pride in performance and dedication to excellence. Proven leader with ability to quickly analyze issues, apply facts, and recommend solutions or strategies. Dedicated public servant with over 32 years of non-profit, government, leadership, training, budgetary, and managerial experience.
Overview
32
32
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
Common
- Pleas Division
- Prosecution of felony level offenses
- Review of charges/evidence with Police Officers and provide on scene guidance when needed
- Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Municipal and Juvenile
- Supervision of 6 Attorneys, 2 Victim’s Advocates, 4 Support Staff, and numerous Legal Interns
- Administrative Responsibilities for 2 Divisions
- Training Coordinator for all New Attorneys
- Program Developer for Law Enforcement Training and Presenter
- Topics: Investigation, Testimony, File Preparation, Statutes, and Case Law
- Prosecution of Cases Deemed Too Serious or Technical for General Prosecutors and all Juvenile High Profile Cases
- Contact Prosecutor for all Police Agencies for Municipal, Juvenile Investigations, and Felony Offenses set for Preliminary Hearing (Guidance on Procedure and Law)
- Review of Charges/Evidence with Police Agencies during Investigations.
Adjunct Professor (Criminal Justice)
University Of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH
01.2022 - Current
- Built relationships with students, mentoring on personal, professional and academic goals while providing coaching on effective study habits.
- Graded quizzes, tests, homework and projects to provide students with timely academic progress information and feedback.
- Encouraged class discussions by building discussions into lessons, actively soliciting input, asking open-ended questions and using techniques to track student participation.
- Use exams, quizzes and assignments to assess student comprehension.
- Use variety of learning modalities and support materials to facilitate learning process and accentuate presentations.
- Assisted and identified at-risk students to eliminate student barriers to learning.
- Developed curriculum standards, lesson plans and syllabi.
Chief Assistant, Supervisor
Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office
Batavia, Ohio
08.2015 - Current
- Criminal Law
- Felony, Misdemeanor and Juvenile - Jury and Bench Trials - Pre- and Post- Trial Motions - Case Investigation, Document Preparation, Trial Preparation, Lay and Expert Witness Preparation - Supervision and Training of Criminal Trial Attorneys - Law Enforcement Education Programs - Program Development, Policy Development, and Problem Solving
- Civil Law
- Personal Injury, Family, and Labor
- Jury and Bench Trials
- Discovery Preparation and Review: Interrogatories, Depositions, Document Review, Motions
- Client Interviews, Document Preparation, Mediation/Arbitration, Administrative Hearings, Trial Preparation, Litigation and Resolution
- Complex Litigation and Expert Testimony Utilization
- Presenter/Speaker/Educator/Community Outreach
- Education Program Developer and Presenter
- Speaker and Panel Member
- Developed training, task and process guidelines and communicated clear and concise directions to employees.
- Performed annual evaluations and reviews for large staff of employees.
- Set overall vision and provided team leadership.
- Identified individual employee's unique work styles and adapted management methods.
- Evaluated employee performance and coached and trained to improve weak areas.
- Applied strong leadership talents and problem-solving skills to maintain team efficiency and organize workflows.
- Maintained compliance with company policies, objectives and communication goals.
- Interviewed, hired and trained new employees for production positions.
- Introduced team contests and goals to enhance productivity and improve employee morale.
- Directed staff and managed annual capital budget.
Public Defender
Hamilton
08.2014 - 08.2015
- S Office Juvenile Division, Representation of Indigent Clients in Juvenile Court, on GAL and Juvenile Attorney Conflict
CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY
Hamilton, Ohio
06.2013 - 08.2015
- Prepared and reviewed contracts and other legal documents following applicable regulations.
- Analyzed and applied legal principles and performed legal research to support litigation strategy.
- Drafted agreements, contracts and other legal documents for [Type] company.
- Negotiated with opposing groups or individuals to reach resolutions, avoid litigation and accomplish goals of clients.
- Represented and advised clients on legal areas such as [Type] and [Type].
- Monitored state and federal regulations to keep company up to date with changing laws.
- Developed compliance best practices for company.
- Examined, researched and interpreted laws related to [Type] industry.
- Conducted due diligence investigations and reporting to present legal opinions for [Type] clients.
- Developed legal policies and procedures for businesses while advising on issues such as [Area of expertise].
- Collaborated with [Job title], human resources and outside counsel to protect company from legal claims.
Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office
06.2013 - 08.2014
- Representation of clients in Common Pleas, Municipal, and Juvenile Courts
- Felony, Misdemeanor, and Status Offenses
- Client consultation and preparation
- Pre-trial and trial motions and argument
- Lay and Expert Witness Preparation
- Trial Preparation, Investigation and Presentation
- Sentencing motions, investigations, and advocacy
- Bind-over hearings (probable cause determination and amenability hearing) and Reverse bind-over hearings
- Guardian Ad Litem
- Gather documentation and investigate case history pursuant to Superintendent Rule 48, ORC 2151.281 and all other relevant statutes
- Prepare recommendation and written report in accordance with Rule and Statute
- Communicate with Parties throughout process to keep all parties informed and communication lines open to eliminate potential problems
- Serve as mediator to parties to create agreements in best interest of the child.
Assistant Prosecutor
Common Pleas
Cincinnati, Ohio
07.1999 - 06.2013
- Docket Management (15-30 Cases set for trial or pre-trial a day) -Preparation/File Creation and Management -Case Investigation (Witness interviews, Crime Scene, Evidence review, Case Appropriateness Determination) -Case Preparation (Document Review and Preparation, Discovery, Depositions, Strategy Development, Exhibit Preparation, Witness Preparation for both Lay and Expert Witnesses, Plea Negotiation) -Pre-Trial Motions (Procedural and Evidentiary; Researching, Drafting and Arguing of Motions) -Litigation (Jury and Bench Trials) -Sentencing, Parole and Community Control Violations
Assistant Chief Prosecutor
Juvenile Court
05.2006 - 11.2012
- Supervision of 9 Assistant Prosecutors, 2 Support Staff Training: -Training Coordinator for all New Attorneys -Developed Training Manual for Division Scheduling: -Coordinated Coverage for 2 Judge’s Dockets, 5 Trial Rooms, 3 Arraignment Dockets and Special Felony Cases Plea Approval: -Review of all Plea Requests and Final Approval
- Planned, directed, and controlled execution of administrative and compliance activities.
- Assumed active role in identifying opportunities to develop and implement projects which promoted organization's missions and functions.
- Implemented variety of process improvement initiatives by restructuring organization, retraining and establishing performance goals.
- Managed contractual agreements and associated deliverables through oversight and inspection.
- Reported status of operations to Bureau Chief, managing and directing day-to-day operations and supervising several divisions.
- Disciplined personnel and initiate disciplinary measures as defined by SOPs.
- Allocated duties and activities of personnel, routinely inspect employee's equipment, appearance and work methods.
- Implemented cross-trainings in other operations department responsibilities to cover duties for absent teammates.
- Identified areas of personnel deficiency and took necessary action for correction.
- Managed and organized internal communication to hold staff accountable to priorities.
- Maintained professional demeanor by staying calm when addressing unhappy or angry customers.
- Established team priorities, maintained schedules and monitored performance.
- Directed training and retraining of employees to boost performance and enhance business results.
- Assisted in organizing and overseeing assignments, planning and coordinating in-house and outsourced resources.
- Effectively supervised staff of [Number] personnel by implementing company policies, protocols, work rules and disciplinary action.
- Defined clear targets and objectives and communicated to other team members.
- Cultivated positive rapport with fellow employees to boost company morale and promote employee retention.
- Supervised and performed human resource management functions for [Number] subordinates.
- Developed and administered project budgets.
- Maintained tactical control of project budgets and timelines to keep teams on task and achieve schedule targets.
- Closely collaborated with project members to identify and quickly address problems.
- Finalized project financial records while collaborating with financial controllers and [Type] executives.
- Delivered completed projects on time by prioritizing multiple tasks.
- Provided status updates for projects, delivering information to all stakeholders.
- Defined manpower, equipment and resource needs for field projects, keeping open lines of communication with specialists and contractors to meet project milestones on time and on budget.
- Evaluated programs and monitored implementation and compliance with regulations to achieve objectives.
- Developed partnerships with parents, businesses and organizations to build awareness, increase support and share resources.
- Designed or used assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
- Represented educational program at meetings and conferences to serve as subject matter liaison for array of services and activities assigned.
- Planned, administered and controlled budgets and produced financial reports.
- Acquired grants and other sources of funding for educational programs and projects and drafted proposals and agreements to support proper allocation.
- Successfully communicated with entities inside and outside of business.
- Solved conflicts and addressed issues that occurred between other entities and business.
- Collected and analyzed data and feedback to identify opportunities to improve relationship between other entities and business.
- Increased program outreach by building strong relationships with educators and community.
- Forged and cultivated productive relationships with community members and potential partners.
- Collaborated with administrators and teachers on specific plans of action.
- Coordinated support system for students and families.
- Invoiced customers for purchases of goods and services to adhere to accounting standards and generate revenues.
- Filed [Type] tax returns, remittance statements and payroll deductions promptly to conform to predetermined standards.
- Reconciled account information and reported figures in general ledger by comparing to bank account statement each month.
- Generated invoices upon receipt of billing information and tracked collection progress.
- Effectively communicated with clients about payment needs and kept updated, detailed and accurate ledgers.
- Reconciled company bank, credit card and line of credit accounts every [Timeframe], investigating and resolving discrepancies to keep accounts audit-ready.
- Managed complex problem-solving for upper management in order to complete projects on-time and within budget.
- Worked with team to send donation acknowledgement letters or follow up with declined requests.
- Monitored industry trends and developments by reading published reports and articles.
- Researched and identified prospective public, private and corporate funding sources aligned with strategic plan and funding priorities.
- Helped write and assemble proposals to foundations, corporate funders and government agencies.
- Maintained grants management database and project calendar for timely submission of letters of inquiry, proposal deadlines and reports.
- Researched information and statistics to support proposals and reports.
- Researched grant and funding proposal opportunities in philanthropic databases to identify potential income sources.
- Generated monthly grant writing activities reports and submitted documentation to director to promote funding program transparency.
- Collected information on existing programs to demonstrate cohesive and sustainable organization to funders.
- Tracked in-process and previously submitted grant applications to obtain status updates.
- Prepared and submitted grant applications to corporate organizations, private foundations and [Type] to solicit grant monies for organization.
- Researched appropriate funding sources such as government programs and private foundations.
- Developed impactful grant applications to enhance organization's potential for funding awards.
- Obtained pertinent organizational financial reports and other data to support grant applications and funding proposals.
- Wrote, reviewed and edited proposals for grants, gifts and contracts.
- Gathered and organized supplementary material to support structured lessons.
- Recognized and tapped talented staff to fill key positions and maximize productivity.
- Increased student participation by facilitating interesting and relevant events.
- Tested students on materials presented in workshops and classes to assess grasp of material.
- Developed classroom guidelines and assignment rules to communicate expectations.
- Reviewed class and student records to look for areas in need of improvement and implement plans of action.
- Created and implemented written and oral assessments.
- Created guides and course materials to reiterate lecture information and help students.
- Developed community education programming events and other activities designed to increase and improve educational outcomes.
- Assessed student needs to develop effective training plans.
- Recorded and edited videos for use in later courses or by remote learners.
Education
J.D. - Law
University of Cincinnati School of Law
Cincinnati, OH05.1998
Bachelor of Science - Political Science And Justice Studies
Northern Kentucky University
Newport, KY05.1995
Skills
- Legal writing
- Investigation skills
- Dispute arbitration
- Settlement Negotiation
- Self-Motivated
- Decision Making
- Recordkeeping and Documentation
- Verbal and Written Communication
- Correspondence and Memos
- Video Conferencing Software
- Administrative Oversight
- Executive Presentations
- Budget Preparation
- Team Coordination
- Honest and Ethical
- Problem Solving
- Workflow Improvements
- Conflict Resolution
- Work Prioritization
- Performance Assessments
- Reliable and Responsible
- Relationship Building
- Team Leadership
- Online teaching
- Lesson Planning
- Grant writing
- Performance assessment
- Curriculum Development
- Lecturing
- Case analysis
- Critical Thinking
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Service-Oriented
- Staff Recruitment and Hiring
- Goal Setting
- Risk Assessment
- Team Building Leadership
- Adaptable to Changing Conditions
- Business Relationship Management
- Prioritizing and Planning
- Proactive and Focused
- Attention to Detail
- Project planning and development
- Advanced problem solving
- Team Bonding
- Performance Evaluations
Accomplishments
- Police guidance on procedure and the law - Determination of Charges: Review of Charges/Evidence with Police Agencies Assistant Prosecutor Municipal/Juvenile/Support Divisions July 1999 – May 2006 (cont.) (cont.) Professional Experience Jeffery Waite and Associates
- Cincinnati, Ohio October 1997 – July 1999
- Associate Attorney Client Representation -Workers’ Compensation -Attended Hearings at BWC and IC -Filed BWC Documents on Behalf of Clients -Negotiated Settlements -Prepared Common Pleas Court Filings and Motions -Interviewed Clients and Witnesses -Personal Injury -Developed the Firm’s Personal Injury Practice -Created Database of Documents and Filings -Prepared Documents and Filings -Interviewed Clients and Witnesses -Negotiated Settlements
- Legal Extern Oct
- 1997 – Nov
- 1998 -Research and Drafting
- Instruction/Community Outreach Programs - Presenter - Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions Internet Safety for Schools Presentation (Grades 5-12, Administration and Parents) - Speaker/Panelist Topics: Criminal Law, Juvenile Law, Public Interest Law - Seminar/Training Organization and Instructor
- Law Enforcement Training Program Developer/Presenter
- Topics: Investigation, Testimony, File Preparation, Statutes, and Case Law - Committee Member - L.I.V.E
- Committee - Founding Member and Presenter - Creation of a Gun Safety Program For Juveniles and Parents - Substitute Instructor - Gateway Community College (Juvenile Law/Criminal Law) - Mount St
- Joseph University-Domestic Violence/Advocacy
Affiliations
Development of Traffic and Drug Diversion Program
-Police Chief Association Presenter and Liaison
-Driving with Angels Program
-L.I.V.E. Cincinnati Program
-Underage Drinking Coalition
- Liaison for all Police Agencies and Hamilton County Juvenile
Court Administration
- Investigation: Contact Person for all Police Agencies
during Hamilton County Juvenile Investigations, providing
Timeline
Adjunct Professor (Criminal Justice)
University Of Cincinnati
01.2022 - Current
Chief Assistant, Supervisor
Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office
08.2015 - Current
Public Defender
Hamilton
08.2014 - 08.2015
CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY
06.2013 - 08.2015
Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office
06.2013 - 08.2014
Assistant Chief Prosecutor
Juvenile Court
05.2006 - 11.2012
Assistant Prosecutor
Common Pleas
07.1999 - 06.2013
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney
Common
J.D. - Law
University of Cincinnati School of Law
Bachelor of Science - Political Science And Justice Studies
Northern Kentucky University