Kennon Welch: From Stay-at-Home Mom to Full-Time Office Manager/Legal Assistant
by Douglas May
Support from her family and friends has been crucial to Kennon Welch's success.
Welch was a stay-at-home mom in Corpus Christi and taught at an elementary school for a number of years before moving to Austin, Texas. She also has had experience working at an insurance company.
Welch attended court reporting school after moving to Austin and discovered that she enjoyed the atmosphere of a law firm more than the demands of a court reporter.
"I decided to take a position as a legal secretary at Brown McCarroll in Austin," she says. "The on-the-job experience and training I received at Brown McCarroll, both from the attorneys and staff with whom I worked, strengthened my conviction that litigation was the right area for me."
After 11 years at Brown McCarroll, Welch moved to Scott, Douglass & McConnico, LLP, when invited to join the firm by attorney Doug Alexander. Alexander and another attorney, Woodie Jones, started their own civil appellate firm, and Welch left with them to help form Alexander, Dubose, Jones & Townsend, LLP. She has been the office manager of ADJT's Austin office for five years, and the firm has grown from three to seven attorneys and is recognized as one of the "premier appellate boutiques in Texas."
ADJT specializes in handling civil appeals and assisting with legal and strategic issues in complex civil litigation. It is composed of lawyers with the ability and reputation often found in the upper echelons of big firms, yet it has the efficiency and receptivity of a small firm. In her role as office manager, Welch also performs the role of legal assistant for the firm's attorneys.
Welch maintains that a strong influence in her life came from her father, who taught her the importance of honesty, but that her daughter has probably influenced her the most.
"She is very wise and gives excellent advice," she says.
Welch also says that support from her family and friends has been crucial to her success and credits the attorneys she works with, who she believes have confidence in her abilities and allow her to learn and grow in a collegial and intellectually stimulating environment. One extraordinary woman whom she met early in her career at Brown McCarroll she ascribes as a mentor who helped her reach both personal and professional goals.
When asked what the benefits of the legal profession are, Welch says that she finds the profession to be challenging and engaging, and that helps her stay interested on a daily basis.
"Recently, I was proud to help in a small way in the pro bono effort to help the YFZ mothers in the El Dorado case, in which attorneys from our firm led the successful appellate effort that resulted in over 450 children being returned to their homes."
Q. What do you do for fun?
A. Play with my granddaughter, swim, garden, read, and watch the Astros.
Q. What CD is in your CD player right now, or what was the last song you listened to?
A. Lyle Lovett's "My Baby Don't Tolerate."
Q. What's the last magazine you read?
A.Prevention.
Q. What's your favorite TV show/movie?
A.24/Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Q. Who is your role model?
A. I admire anyone who is honest and stands by his or her word.
When asked if she'll continue in the legal field, Welch replies, "Yes. As the office manager of the Austin office of ADJT, I not only do a little paralegal work, but I also oversee the day-to-day operations of our small appellate firm. The varied job descriptions make for an interesting life."
On a professional level, Welch says she's always searching for new ways to make the operations at ADJT more efficient and ensure that the best service is provided to its clients.
On a personal level, Welch plans to travel and continue the close relationships she has with her family and friends. Other activities she enjoys are playing with her granddaughter, swimming, gardening, and reading. She attends church and volunteers with Reading Is Fundamental and Literacy Austin periodically.
When asked if she has any advice for her peers in the legal field, Welch replies, "Find your niche and enjoy what you do."
The options of job searches and email alerts are wonderful. Anthony
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