Jasmine (Jazzy) Rippy '15
challenging the status quo
Oct. 3, 2022
Jasmine (Jazzy) D. Rippy ’15 is the Co-Founder of LADIES IN LAW®, a minority and woman-owned law firm in Downtown Detroit. She specializes in Legacy Planning – the legal process of protecting, preserving, and controlling your assets, finances, businesses, and health decisions during your lifetime and after. Jazzy and her law partner, Ameena R. Sheikh, have been featured in The Michigan Chronicle, Detroit Legal News, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, BLAC Detroit, Voyage Michigan and Close Up Radio with Doug Llewelyn.
Jazzy grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio and attended Solon High School. Her father is an attorney, which allowed him to provide a good life for her full of opportunity. She chose to follow in his footsteps so she could do the same for herself and her future family. As Jazzy looked into different law schools, her father advised her to go where she received the most money and graduate in the top 20% of her class, as this would give her the most financial freedom and flexibility. She selected Toledo Law after receiving a full scholarship and credits her father with great advice.
Jazzy says, “Toledo Law prepared me to think like a lawyer and gave me a solid legal foundation to build my career.” Not only did she feel very prepared for the Bar Exam, she felt confident when she began her professional career as an Associate Attorney at Bodman PLC in Detroit. Because of low debt, Jazzy was able to leave Bodman after several years and branch out on her own – a dream of hers since childhood. When Jazzy first left the firm, she switched from corporate to criminal law because she wanted to work with individuals. However, fighting in court everyday took its toll, so she transitioned into estate planning. This allows her to utilize her transactional and drafting skills while also helping people directly. Jazzy and her colleague, Ameena, founded LADIES IN LAW® in 2019.
The most satisfying aspect of Jazzy’s career thus far has been being an entrepreneur. She also feels that growth is needed in the legal profession in the areas of diversity and innovation, saying “Even to this day, people don’t believe I’m a lawyer when I go to court.”
Jazzy obtained her B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and her J.D. from the University of Toledo College of Law in 2015, graduating magna cum laude.
Q&A with Jazzy Rippy
Do you have a favorite memory from attending Toledo Law?
Professor Kara Bruce was a great mentor for me during law school. She started her
legal career at a large firm in Chicago and was able to guide me in obtaining my first
position after law school.
What has been a career highlight?
A career highlight has been vindicating a client who was charged with sexually abusing
his girlfriend’s 7-year-old son. CPS got involved and took my client’s own son away
because of these false allegations. To make matters worse, my client was the sole
guardian because his wife had died several years prior. When we won, my client and
his whole family cried, hugged me and thanked me. It was a very rewarding experience
that I’ll never forget.
What has been the most challenging aspect of a more recent position?
Expanding our firm this year has been a big challenge. Before then, it was always
just my law partner and I, we were self-funded, and never paid for marketing. Navigating
each process of bringing on the right employees, applying for financing, and finding
a solid marketing company has brought on growing pains.
What have you found most satisfying about your career thus far?
Being an entrepreneur, which is something I have dreamed of since childhood. I love
being my own boss, creating something new, and trailblazing a path for others to follow.
LADIES IN LAW® is very unique in how we approach the law, making it more accessible
to underserved populations and providing transparency to give clients peace of mind.
Do you have any suggestions for law students/new lawyers interested in a similar path?
Having your own law firm isn’t easy because you have to practice law and run a business
at the same time. But it can be very rewarding if you put in the work. I would suggest
finding mentors who are lawyers practicing in the area you’re interested in as well
as business mentors in a different service industry, so you can get a well-rounded
perspective.
What was the best advice you ever received?
My grandfather used to say there are only 2 things life: plan your work and work your
plan. I find the most success when I’m very intentional about achieving a goal, create
a plan to get there, and then execute my plan.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy cooking, yoga, walking, and writing poetry.
Who is someone you admire and why?
I admire Oprah because she has inspired me to have the courage and strength to continue
growing and changing, really challenging myself to level up in life.