Meet YPAL’s New President, Rudy Ellis!

A YPAL member since 2016, Rudy J. Ellis III joined the Board of Directors in 2017 and has officially taken the reins as YPAL’s new President. We are extremely excited to see the great strides Rudy pushes YPAL to make.

Ellis is an Associate Attorney with Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, a full-service national law firm with offices in twenty-six cities. While his legal practice primarily focuses on defense of labor and employment matters, he also has experience handling general litigation and construction law cases.

Ellis holds a B.A. in Journalism from Indiana University (Bloomington) and a J.D. from the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law. While in law school, Ellis was elected the Student Bar Association President and helped the school gain national recognition from the American Bar Association by winning two awards at the annual meeting. He was also the recipient of both the Robert C. Jayes Memorial Award and the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society Award by the Brandeis School of Law. Ellis was a member of the Louisville Law Review, Moot Court Board, and Multicultural Law Student Association.

Previously, Ellis was an Honoree for the 2017 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Derby City’s Finest campaign. In addition to YPAL, he currently serves as Director of Communications for the CGI Charitable Giving Fund, a member of the Brandeis School of Law Alumni Council, and serves on the Board of Directors for Metro United Way.

Rudy currently lives in Louisville and is engaged to be married in July to his fiancée Kristina, who he openly admits is the “cool one” in the relationship.

Get to know Rudy a little better through some fun questions.

1. What is your day job?
I’m an associate attorney at Dinsmore & Shohl where I practice labor and employment defense litigation. I help employers navigate various employment laws such as FMLA, the ADA, and Title VII, as well as represent employers in lawsuits and administrative filings concerning alleged discrimination.

2. What is the best part of your job?
While I love helping people and companies efficiently maneuver through complex and confusing laws, I think my favorite part of being a lawyer is taking depositions. It can be stressful at times, but there’s nothing more fun than asking pointed questions to someone… especially when you catch them in a lie. J  

3. Why did you join YPAL?
I joined because I saw that the organization pushes to better all young professionals in Louisville. I think that in bettering the young professionals in Louisville, we are investing in the growth of the next 20-30 years of our community.

4. What are you most looking forward to this year for YPAL? Or What is one if your goals as President?
“New decade, new stuff.” We’ve completely changed how we do things over the last few months and I’m excited to see how that continues through 2021 with more remote/ virtual offerings. Specifically, I would like to see YPAL continue to be a means for young professionals when it comes to professional development, engagement with the community, as well as a resource for young professionals looking for new employment options.

5. Why did you choose to make Louisville your home?
I’m biased because I grew up here, but I think it’s the best place for a young person to live. It’s a large enough city where you can have fun, but small enough where you can get involved at an early age. It’s also extremely affordable and the food scene here is top-notched.

6. What are you reading right now?
I don’t have a ton of free time to read, but the last book I finished was “Ego is the Enemy” by Ryan Holiday. Great short read/ listen about previous leader’s faults, successes, and how ego can cloud ambition and hinder personal and professional growth. I heard about it on a podcast called “The Jordan Harbinger Show,” which I also highly recommend.

7. What makes Louisville weird?
We refuse to call new things by their proper names (i.e. the old Ear X-tacy building, the Summit, the Aegon building, etc.).

8. Favorite restaurant in Louisville?
Nice restaurant? Vincenzo’s for sure. Everyday eats? Brownies the Shed and DiOrio’s.

9. What is the best career advice you have received?
Cast a wide net because you may not know what you like until you try it.

10. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life (besides sandwiches), what would it be?
Although nothing will ever outdo my love for sandwiches, I do love a good quesadilla.

11. Coolest place you have ever traveled?
Eureka, California. The Northern Coast of California and Redwood Trees up there are so beautiful. It’s not the easiest place to reach, but it’s well worth it.

12. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I took over the head coaching job for a local swim team that hadn’t won a swim meet in nine years. Although we lost the first three, we won our last meet by 150+ points. I’m not sure whether the kids or the parents were more excited about the win, but it was a day I’ll never forget. Take that Owl Creek!

13. What will finally break the internet?
The Cleveland Browns achieving a winning record.

14. What’s your personal theme song?
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by the Rolling Stones