“Beginning my career as an attorney during a pandemic, I experienced firsthand problems employers and employees face in uncertain times.”

The uncertainty employers experienced during the pandemic is one of the reasons Jade L. Robinson focuses her practice on efficiently resolving legal issues employers encounter as well as methods that can mitigate or prevent the issues from occurring in the first place.  Ms. Robinson, an associate in our Labor & Employment and Workers’ Compensation Practice Groups, concentrates her practice in the areas of:

• diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives;
• employee handbooks;
• employment discrimination;
• employment issues encountered by small businesses;
• regulatory and compliance issues;
• unemployment legal issues; and
• workers’ compensation.

She has represented clients in many industries, including construction, manufacturing and insurance, before state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Industrial Commission of Ohio, Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) and the Ohio Unemployment Compensation Review Commission.

While earning her undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice and Police Studies, Ms. Robinson began her legal career interning for a law firm.  She continued to work for law firms, and a transportation services company, while in law school.  Ms. Robinson practiced with several other law firms before joining Eastman & Smith. 

During law school Ms. Robinson was part of the University of Cincinnati College of Law’s Trial Team as well as interned at the University of Cincinnati’s Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic.  She received the Tyler Short Outstanding Entrepreneurship Student Award for her work at the Clinic and it was this work that sparked Ms. Robinson’s interest in assisting small businesses.  She is a graduate of the Leadership Council for Nonprofits’ BOLD program, which develops professionals’ nonprofit board skills.

Cannoli and Cheesecake are not desserts to Ms. Robinson, but her cats.  She enjoys spending time with them, when they are amenable, as well as spending time outdoors and remaining active.

Community/Professional Affiliations

• American Bar Association
• Guided Light Mentoring (board member, 2020-2021)
• Kappa Alpha Theta (advisory board chair for Alpha Tau Chapter, 2020 – present)
• Nathaniel R. Jones Center of Race, Gender, and Social Justice, fellow (2017-2020)
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Ohio Women’s Bar Association
• Toledo Bar Association
• Toledo Women’s Bar Association

Honors & Awards

• Ernest Karam Book Award for Academic Excellence, University of Cincinnati, 2017
• Tyler Short Outstanding Entrepreneurship Student Award, University of Cincinnati, 2020

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