ALFA International Diversity Committee

An attorney with over 15 years’ experience, Bethany Palmer Recht earned her JD from Northwestern University School of Law and is a partner with Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL (KMK) in Cincinnati. At the firm, Bethany Recht represents trustees of settlement trusts and funds, advising them in trust and fund administration matters. She also chairs the firm’s diversity committee and serves on ALFA International’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee’s Leaders Forum, on behalf of KMK.

ALFA International is a network of legal firms that came together to promote the delivery of outstanding legal services at reasonable prices. Committed to diversity, the network launched the Diversity & Inclusion Committee to champion diversity and inclusion among member firms. The recently launched Leaders Forum is one example of how it is doing this.

Through the forum, ALFA International keeps member firms informed on the diversity-focused activities it offers and how they can take advantage of them. These include the Practice Group Seminar Scholarship Program, which pays the registration fees of minority attorneys who wish to participate in Practice Group seminars, and the ALFA International Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Awards, which recognize firms at the forefront of making diversity an essential element of their practices.

The Leaders Forum also serves as a platform for member firms to engage with each other and share diversity best practices. They can also give feedback to ALFA International on the effectiveness of its diversity programs.

KMK Law Hosted Virtual Third Annual

An accomplished attorney with extensive experience in commercial litigation, Bethany Palmer Recht represents and advises trustees on all concerns relating to the administration of trusts and funds. Since 2010, Bethany Recht has served as a partner and chairman of the diversity committee at the Cincinnati, Ohio-based Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL (KMK Law).

On January 15 and 16 of 2021, the Cincinnati law firm of Keating Muething and Klekamp PLL (KMK Law®) sponsored the third annual Diversity Case Competition for first-year minority law students in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati College of Law's Center for Professional Development. The competition was conducted entirely online.

The competition simulates the experience of working as an associate in the real world, including the assessment and feedback systems that most legal firms employ. Students competed for cash awards using the case model by demonstrating their analytical, communication, and problem-solving abilities – all of which are essential for success in the legal field. Students were also exposed to actual attorneys and Fortune 500 corporate counsel who acted as mentors and judges for the competition.

Pro Bono Opportunities for Lawyers

Named a Southern California Rising Star by Super Lawyers, Bethany Palmer Recht is an attorney and partner at Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL. For her work on pro bono cases, Bethany Recht was awarded the Pro Bono Service Award.

Pro bono cases are handled by attorneys for the benefit and good of the public. The legal services offered in pro bono cases are provided without charge or for a minimal fee. Pro bono cases can help lawyers expand their reach and practice law in areas that are not their usual focus. For example, IP lawyers can help clients with immigration issues and gain more knowledge in this area of the law. In this way, pro bono cases can open career opportunities and paths for a lawyer.

Young lawyers can take pro bono cases to gain more knowledge and experience, as well as build a network by getting to know lawyers in their own or other firms that they wouldn’t otherwise encounter. At many law schools in the US, for a student to graduate, they are required to offer their legal services and perform up to 50 hours pro bono. This introduces them to this type of work, and may even cause them to shift their career focus after graduation.

Breach of Contract Types

An Ohio native, Bethany Palmer Recht holds a juris doctor and served as an attorney and associate at DLA Piper in Los Angeles. A member of the Ohio Women's Bar Foundation and licensed to practice law in California, Massachusetts, and Ohio, Bethany Recht serves as a partner at Keating Muething & Klekamp, PLL, and assists clients with fraud claims and breaches of contracts.

A breach of contract happens when a person does not respect the agreement and violates its terms or conditions. Breaches of contract can include late payments or failures to deliver a product or asset in written and oral contracts. There are several types of contract breaches, such as minor, material, anticipatory, and actual breaches. A minor breach of contract means late delivery of an item, service, or payment.

A material breach of contract happens when a client receives an item or product that is different from the agreement. An anticipatory breach of contract happens when a party advises another of late delivery. An actual breach of contract is when a party doesn't comply with the agreement.