A PART OF THE VILLAGE

Jill Cranston Rice

Partner, Dinsmore & Shohl

SUPERPOWERS: Optimism and energy

Jill Cranston Rice always wanted to be an attorney. “My brother went to law school when I was in middle school, and I think I viewed him as sort of a role model. Then there were shows like Law & Order that also introduced me to the law,” she says. “I was always interested in politics, attending Girls State and state leadership conferences when I was in school.”

At Dinsmore & Shohl, Rice’s practice focuses on commercial litigation and government relations with an emphasis on health care. She is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors, chairs the Government Relations and Health Law practice group, and is president of the West Virginia Insurance Federation.

A graduate of the University of Kentucky and the West Virginia University College of Law, Rice is an active lobbyist for the property and casualty insurance industry. Career highlights include her key roles in the passage of West Virginia’s comprehensive insurance and civil justice reform legislation in 2005 and the United Hospital Center certificate of need for a $285,000,000 replacement hospital. “Probably what is most rewarding about my career is all the people I get to meet and all the clients I get to help—people from all across the country,” she says. “I’m involved in national and civil defense organizations, meeting some of the smartest people who really give back to our profession and our communities.”

Rice sees the best in people and is a firm believer that it truly takes a village. “I don’t think women—and people in general—can succeed without a host of other people,” she says. “I have a whole tribe of women, friends, and colleagues who have helped me along the way.”

She has received multiple distinctions, including West Virginia Executive “Young Guns,” The State Journal’s “Generation Next: 40 Under 40” award, and multiple Best Lawyers accolades.

WRITTEN BY JULIE PERINE

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Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.