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Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Jayna Cacioppo began her career not in law but in retail. “After college I moved to San Francisco to work for Gap Inc. in the corporate office,” Cacioppo recalled. “I loved my four years in corporate retail, but I knew I would regret not going to law school.” She moved across the country to attend Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and joined Taft (then Sommer Barnard PC) as an associate in its environmental practice group. She moved shortly thereafter to the litigation group, which is now the focus of her practice. Cacioppo co-chairs Taft’s innovation tools and technology committee, which focuses on artificial intelligence and best practices for the company’s attorneys. “We assess, implement and manage emerging technologies, and ensure that our attorneys have the access, training and support they need to use AI effectively and responsibly,” she said.
Givebacks: board member and vice chair, executive committee, Cancer Support Community of Central Indiana; board member, Zionsville Hockey Club; past board president, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Central Indiana; past board member and committee chair, Breakthrough T1D
First job: serving frozen yogurt in a shop called I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt
Choosing a specialty: During law school, Cacioppo gravitated toward criminal law, interning for a criminal court judge and with the Indiana Public Defender’s Office and the Indiana Community Federal Defender’s Office. She also participated in the IU McKinney School of Law’s Wrongful Conviction Clinic. “Those experiences confirmed that I wanted to be a trial lawyer and spend my career in the courtroom advocating for clients,” Cacioppo said. “I was drawn to commercial litigation and white-collar matters in particular because they both involve complex business disputes, high-stakes investigations and trial advocacy.”
Advice: Talk to as many lawyers as possible and ask them what their day-to-day practice is like. “Law is incredibly diverse, and it’s important to understand the realities of different practices before you commit,” she said.
Favorite de-stressors: “Being near the water calms me,” Cacioppo said. “Whether it’s a walk on the beach, sitting by the ocean or just being outside by a lake. It helps me reset and puts everything back in perspective.”•
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