Adrian Thompson, Taft Cleveland partner-in-charge and chief inclusion and opportunity officer, and Ina Avalon, Cleveland associate, are presenters at the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s 2021 New Lawyer Bootcamp. The three-day curriculum is designed to help young lawyers acclimate to employment in law firms and the legal industry.

Thompson and Avalon’s presentation is titled, “I’ll Stand By You: The Importance of Mentoring and Finding a Champion.” Presented on Jan. 29, they will cover topics including:

• Interpersonal relationships;
• Lawyer attributes and mindset;
• Understanding the dynamics of your workplace;
• Unconscious bias and unintended stereotyping;
• Goals for mentor champion relationships.

Thompson provides counsel for private sector clients on issues including equal employment opportunity litigation, wage-hour problems, employment of the disabled, federal housing, and other labor matters. He also represents school districts in contract negotiations, grievance arbitration, litigation, education of the disabled, and employment discrimination matters.

Avalon is an attorney in Taft’s Environmental practice group. She represents clients in a wide variety of matters including environmental compliance, permitting, and litigation. She also advises clients on complex legal issues relating to environmental regulations and environmental policy.