MELISSA K. RUCKER, a partner in the Tax Practice Group of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, joined the firm in the fall of 2000, focusing her practice in the areas of qualified and nonqualified employee benefit plans and ERISA.  She advises employers on plan design, plan documentation, and assists employers with compliance with Department of Labor and Department of the Treasury regulations.  Ms. Rucker is admitted to practice in the State of Ohio and before the United States Tax Court.  She received her B.S. in biology and B.A. in anthropology from the University of Cincinnati in 1996, graduating with highest honors from the Anthropology Department.  She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2000, graduating Order of the Coif and second in her class.  Ms. Rucker is a member of the Cincinnati, Ohio, and American Bar Associations.  She also is a member of the firm's Professional Women's Resource Group(PWRG) and is active in various community groups and activities such as One Hundred Wise Women, the Cincinnati Family Enrichment Center, and St. Monica-St. George Parish.