Introduction
By Jes Averhart, MAJ Leadership Academy Facilitator

"Who we are is how we lead." — Brené Brown

Over the past several months, I have had the distinct privilege of serving as facilitator for the inaugural Maryland Association for Justice Leadership Academy. What began as a group of talented attorneys gathering for a leadership development experience quickly became something much more…a community.

Our inaugural cohort represented a remarkable cross-section of the profession. The room was filled with diverse perspectives, varied practice areas, rich life experiences, and years of practice ranging from new attorneys to seasoned professionals.

One of the greatest joys of facilitating this Academy was watching each Fellow fully engage in the process. Leadership development is not just about collecting new tools or adding another credential to your résumé. It requires a willingness to look inward, challenge long-held assumptions, and examine how you show up for others. This cohort embraced that work from day one. They asked thoughtful questions, shared candidly about their ups and downs, and created space for honest conversation and meaningful growth. And that’s the key…leadership requires a commitment to becoming…not simply achieving. It was an honor to watch these Fellows lean into that journey and emerge stronger, more self-aware leaders because of it.

The three reflections that follow, written by newly graduated MAJ Leadership Academy Fellows, offer a glimpse into that journey. While each Fellow shares a unique perspective, a common thread runs throughout their stories: leadership begins with understanding ourselves. From clarifying personal values and professional identity, to intentionally shaping one's reputation, to recognizing leadership as a lifelong practice rather than a destination, these Fellows capture the distinct power of investing in both personal and professional growth.

As I personally reflect on this extraordinary inaugural class, I am reminded that leadership is not reserved for those with titles or tenure. It belongs to those willing to learn, listen, serve and grow. The future of MAJ is bright because of leaders like these, and I am excited to see the impact they will have on their communities and the profession for years to come.

With that, I invite you to enjoy the following reflections and consider what leadership development could mean for your own journey. If these stories resonate with you, I encourage you to apply for the upcoming MAJ Leadership Academy cohort. Applications are due June 30, and we would be honored to welcome the next generation of MAJ leaders into the Academy.

Career Impact
By Torra Hausmann

As a first-generation attorney, I had very little experience with the legal profession prior to taking the leap of faith by applying to law school. In fact, I knew very few (if any) lawyers prior to my first-year orientation at the University of Baltimore. Because of this limited knowledge, my journey to becoming a more authentic, confident version of myself as an attorney has taken time. The first step was relatively simple: prove to myself that I could become a licensed attorney. But, when I got the letter telling me that I had passed the bar, the next step was harder: you’re a licensed attorney now, so what?

Applying to the Maryland Association for Justice Leadership Academy was my first real attempt at answering the million-dollar question: so what? I had grappled with this question quite a lot in my first two years of practice. When people would ask what kind of law I practice or what kind of attorney I wanted to be, I struggled to answer the question. Not because I didn’t know what kind of law I practiced or how to answer the question, but because none of the answers I had felt good enough.

But the truth is, we all spend a lifetime trying to answer the “so what” questions. The Leadership Academy has helped me answer some of those tough “so what” questions about myself and my own career. It has helped me understand who I am, the value I bring, and how I want to present in the world. It has helped me create community with other young lawyers trying to answer the same “so what” questions, no matter what stage of career they are in. I don’t know that I have developed a personal brand yet or whether I am any closer to knowing how to answer some of the “so what” questions that I have struggled with in the past, but the Leadership Academy has helped me know exactly how to answer the questions that truly matter.

It has helped me understand that leadership is heavily based on personal values, authenticity and trust. It has helped me develop a stronger, more defined sense of who I am and who I ultimately want to be. It has created a community of other young lawyers where I finally feel comfortable and confident in embracing my identity as an attorney. More importantly, it has helped me understand that leadership is a lot more than a title or a managerial concept. Leadership is personal and should look different for everyone. Good leaders come in all shapes, sizes, and personalities.

The Leadership Academy has helped me take a giant step forward in knowing who I am, what I want, and who I want to be surrounded by as I move forward in my career. Although I am not sure I have the answer to all the “so what” questions, I know exactly what kind of qualities I bring to the table, how I want to show up in a room, and exactly how to describe my highest and best use as not only an attorney, but as a fellow human being. It has helped me appreciate the importance of saying “yes” to the right opportunities, but more importantly, the power of saying “no” to the wrong ones.

Personal Branding

By Samantha Dos Santos

Personal branding in the legal profession is not about self-promotion or image management. It is the reputation we build over time through leadership, professional involvement, mentorship, advocacy, and relationship-building. That reputation directly shapes career opportunities and can expand or limit what opportunities become available to us. Every attorney has a personal brand, whether it is built intentionally by design or not. The question becomes whether we are active participants in building our brands, or whether we are satisfied being spectators. Our personal brands are built through consistency in how we perform and react under pressure, advocate for clients, collaborate with others, and our collegiality.

Joining the Maryland Association for Justice’s Leadership Academy provided me an opportunity to expand my professional network while intentionally strengthening my presence in the legal community. My involvement in MAJ signals both my desire to improve the profession and my desire to improve my own advocacy skills. Leadership Academy offered a space to explore and refine my own leadership style, and how I present to my colleagues and clients. Through the Leadership Academy, I was able to access other attorneys in the personal injury space with practices similarly grounded in community, service, and professional excellence. These shared experiences and values created meaningful relationships amongst our cohort.

While building these lasting relationships, each Leadership Academy member advanced their own personal branding by demonstrating intentional engagement with the profession and MAJ. Each of us approached the program with a growth mindset and willingness to evolve. Over time, the receptiveness to evolving as leaders will strengthen our personal brands and demonstrate our abilities to accept feedback, look internally, and engage with vulnerability – all of which are necessary in this profession.

Being a trial lawyer often carries a misguided assumption that financial gain is the sole motivation. MAJ members, however, are mission-driven and are committed to justice, client-centered advocacy, ethics, and community impact. Being a part of Leadership Academy allowed each of us to contribute to reshaping that narrative and generating credibility for our personal brands. Celebrating each other’s successes has been a highlight of participating in this program and recognizing the success of others further advances our personal branding by reinforcing the idea that MAJ members put the advancement of justice first.

Make the Investment

By Cara O’Brien

Leadership is not defined as a title or a destination, but as an ongoing process. It demands intention, humility, and continuous growth. Too often we treat leadership as something we “arrive at” after enough years in practice, enough cases tried, or enough recognition earned. But the truth is simpler and more challenging: leadership is a skill set and a mindset that requires active development at every stage of our careers.

For many of us in the legal profession, especially those advocating for vulnerable clients, leadership shows up long before we ever supervise a team or hold a formal role. It appears in how we counsel a client through an impossible decision, how we collaborate with colleagues under pressure, how we set the tone in a deposition, or how we respond when something goes wrong. These moments require clarity, empathy, accountability, and courage. These are the very qualities we associate with strong leaders. Yet most of us were never formally taught how to cultivate those traits. We learned the law, but not necessarily how to lead.

The Maryland Association for Justice Leadership Academy addresses both important facets of legal practice - continuous and intentional leadership training.

At its core, the decision to participate in a Leadership Academy is about taking leadership seriously. Not as an abstract concept or résumé line, but as a responsibility. The work we do matters. Our clients trust us with the most painful and personal parts of their lives. They rely on us not just for legal strategy, but for guidance, steadiness, and advocacy in moments when they may feel powerless. That kind of responsibility demands more than technical competence. It requires us to be thoughtful, self-aware leaders, whether we’re leading a case, a conversation, or a team. But leadership doesn’t develop passively. It requires deliberate effort. It requires us to examine our own habits, biases, communication styles, and decision-making processes. It asks us to be honest about where we fall short and open to learning new approaches. That kind of self-reflection can be uncomfortable, especially in a profession that often rewards certainty and confidence. Yet it is essential. We cannot effectively lead others if we are unwilling to understand ourselves.

One of the most compelling aspects of the Leadership Academy is its recognition that leadership is not reserved for a select few. It is not only for managing partners, elected officials, or seasoned trial lawyers. It is for anyone willing to engage in the process of growth. Early-career attorneys can benefit from learning how to communicate effectively, build trust, and navigate conflict. Mid-career attorneys can refine how they mentor, delegate, and shape organizational culture. Experienced attorneys can deepen their impact by modeling intentional leadership and fostering the next generation. There is no point in a legal career where leadership development becomes irrelevant. If anything, its importance only increases over time.

The Leadership Academy also provides the opportunity to learn in community. Leadership can feel isolating, particularly in high-stakes litigation. We are often expected to project confidence and control, even when we are navigating uncertainty ourselves. A structured program like the Leadership Academy creates space for honest conversations with peers who understand the unique pressures of this work. It allows us to share challenges, exchange ideas, and learn from different perspectives. That kind of environment is invaluable. It reminds us that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about asking better questions, listening actively, and being willing to adapt. It reinforces the idea that growth happens not just through individual reflection, but through connection and collaboration. Each Leadership Academy cohort knows more about each other in five months than most people do about their coworkers in a year. We support each other in session and out of session and have built bonds that will last well beyond the Leadership Academy.

Importantly, investing in leadership development is not just about personal advancement. It directly impacts the people we serve. When we become more effective leaders, we become better advocates. We communicate more clearly with clients. We make more thoughtful strategic decisions. We build stronger, more cohesive teams. We create environments where others can do their best work. All of these things translate into better outcomes for our clients.

In that sense, the decision to invest in ourselves is also a decision to invest in others. That idea is central to the value that the Leadership Academy brings. It can be easy to deprioritize professional development in the face of demanding caseloads and competing obligations. There is always another motion to write, another deadline to meet, another client to call. But if we view leadership as integral to our effectiveness, rather than as an optional add-on, the calculus changes. Taking time to develop leadership skills is not a distraction from our work. It is part of the work.

It is also an opportunity to be intentional about the kind of legal community we want to build. The culture of our profession is shaped by how we lead: how we treat colleagues, how we mentor younger attorneys, how we handle conflict, and how we define success. By engaging in leadership development, we have the chance to shape that culture in meaningful ways. We can model professionalism, empathy, and integrity. We can create spaces that are more inclusive, supportive, and collaborative, making an impact that extends far beyond any individual case.

Of course, applying to a leadership program requires a certain level of vulnerability. It means acknowledging that we don’t have everything figured out. It means being willing to learn, to receive feedback, and to step outside our comfort zones. But that vulnerability is not a weakness. It is a strength. It is the starting point for growth.

If you are thinking about applying, do not wait until you feel “ready” to pursue leadership development. In fact, there is no such moment. Leadership is not something you master once and then move on from. It evolves as you do. The earlier you engage with it, and the more consistently you invest in it, the more meaningful your impact will be.

The Maryland Association for Justice Leadership Academy offers a structured, thoughtful way to engage in that process. It provides tools, perspectives, and relationships that can shape how we approach our work for years to come. But more than that, it represents a commitment to ourselves, to our colleagues, and to our clients that we will take leadership seriously.

We cannot think of ourselves as a finished product; we are not. We must be intentional in how we show up for the people we serve. Leadership is too important to leave to chance. By investing in our own growth, we are better positioned to support and advocate for others.

Biographies

Jes Averhart is a 4th generation entrepreneur, creator of Reinvention Road Trip® and 3x award-winning author. She specializes in stakeholder engagement and leadership development. She advises high-performing individuals and corporate teams as a master certified life coach and professional leadership advisor.

Samantha Dos Santos joined Plaxen Adler Muncy, P.A. in Columbia, Maryland in 2019 and was elevated to Partner in 2024. Prior to joining the firm, Samantha worked as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Jeannie J. Hong in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. She attended George Washington University, where she played Division I Softball, and American University’s Washington College of Law, where she graduated cum laude. Samantha has been recognized as a Rising Star in both Maryland and Washington, D.C. and primarily focuses her practice on a variety of personal injury matters including motor vehicle collisions, premises liability, and dog bite cases. Aside from the time spent on her cases, she frequently presents and publishes articles on topics related to the Maryland Public Information Act, as well as pre-litigation investigation strategies and drafting Motions in litigation. Samantha is an active member of the Maryland Association for Justice, where she serves as Co-Chair of the Auto-Negligence Section, and the Maryland State Bar Association, where she serves on the Board of Governors and as Co-Chair of the Leadership Academy.

Torra Hausmann is an associate at Hyatt & Weber, PA. Torra graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Baltimore School of Law. While attending Law School, she served as the Managing Editor of the University of Baltimore Law Review. Her Comment, selected for publication and published in Vol. 52, focused on the intersection between prisoner’s rights and estate and trust planning. She holds a Master’s in Library and Information Science from University of Maryland and Bachelor of Arts in German Language and Modern History. Prior to entering the legal profession, she managed and cataloged historical archives for the Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Unit, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Salzburg Global Seminar in Austria. She focuses her practice on personal injury, medical malpractice, and estate litigation.

Cara O’Brien is the owner of O’Brien Law and Of Counsel with the Yost Legal Group. She is dedicated to representing individuals harmed by abuse, negligence, and institutional misconduct. Her practice focuses on complex civil litigation, including cases involving child sexual abuse and accountability for organizations that fail to protect vulnerable people. Cara is an active member of the Maryland Association for Justice, as well as various other professional organizations. Cara is deeply honored to advocate for her clients and to contribute to strengthening Maryland’s civil justice system.

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