Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
By Maggie Hatfield
Jill Cranston Rice, partner at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, is the epitome of a mover and shaker.
“I am naturally motivated, and I think I am a motivator,” she says. “I have a ton of energy, and I like to think it’s contagious.”
These attributes, along with a desire from an early age to be an advocate, spokesperson and policymaker, have directly contributed to the success she has achieved as a lawyer and lobbyist.
Rice’s journey into the legal field began at West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law, where she decided early on to focus on litigation and health care. After graduation, she joined Spilman Thomas & Battle, where she practiced for 10 years. In 2007, she joined Dinsmore & Shohl to help establish its government relations practice, which she describes as a tipping point for her career because it expanded her platform for growth. Today her practice, which reaches beyond the state’s borders, involves commercial litigation, government relations and health care.
It was during her second year in practice that she was exposed to the world of lobbying, which was a game changer for her career. Today she is known throughout West Virginia as a registered lobbyist who uses her advocacy and problem-solving skills to make a greater impact on the state she loves.
Rice uses her lobbying skills to fight for fairness in West Virginia. She has partnered with the ACLU of West Virginia to lobby against harmful, discriminatory legislation, and in 2015 she helped found Opportunity West Virginia, a bipartisan coalition that seeks to bring together like-minded businesses and organizations that understand the need to create work environments that foster a culture of inclusion.
“I am really passionate about diversity, fairness and inclusion,” she says. “All of these affect how competitive our state is economically. I want to do my part to raise awareness of not only these issues but the message that West Virginia is hospitable for everyone.”
As president of the West Virginia Insurance Federation, Rice is the insurance industry’s lead lobbyist, and she also lobbies for UniCare Health Plans of West Virginia, Inc. “This past year, we lobbied for the transition of West Virginia’s foster care program to managed care,” she says. “In 2018, there were more than 7,000 children in our state’s foster care program,
and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources sought assistance to help it address some of the problems with the current system.”
When Rice isn’t litigating or lobbying, she is serving her community and fellow legal professionals. She serves as the West Virginia state representative for DRI–The Voice of the Defense Bar, where she chairs the Issues and Advocacy Committee. She also chairs Highland-Clarksburg Hospital’s board of directors and serves on WVU College of Law’s advisory committee, and she has held the position of president of the Defense Trial Council of West Virginia and the Junior League of Charleston. At Dinsmore, she is on the professional development and diversity
committees, and she works with the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity to
mentor WVU College of Law 1L students.
Rice credits her success to the guidance she has received from others throughout her career. “I would not be where I am without the mentoring, coaching and guidance I have received,” she says. She pays this forward by mentoring younger lawyers at her firm. “It is natural to help a person learn a particular area of the law or edit and revise written work product, but real mentoring is about identifying opportunities for professional development, creating networking opportunities and helping someone navigate the firm,” she says. “It’s about investing in them.”
Her greatest successes in life, though, are not the awards she has received for her work.
“My greatest personal success is my family,” she says. “My child, Adam; my stepchildren, whom I love like my own; and my husband—we are healthy and content, and we have fun together. Professionally, I am most proud of the law practice I have built. Clients call back, evidencing their continued faith in the work we do, and our practice continues to grow, which is a tribute to our team and the services we provide. That’s the most rewarding.”
