Are You an Outlaw? Meet Jenna Schiappacasse

WHO HAS REDEFINED WHAT IT MEANS TO THINK OUTSIDE THE LAW (AKA OUTLAW) AND IS HELPING EACH OF US IN THE PROCESS?

Meet Jenna Schiappacasse. As Director of Client Development and Strategic Growth at Jenner & Block, Jenna leads a team of brilliant business professionals who implement and execute on client-focused initiatives that improve service excellence, drive revenue growth, and strengthen client loyalty by prioritizing the voice of the client in all decisions. She strategizes alongside lawyers and firm leadership with a keen focus on identifying opportunities for expanding client relationships while identifying and elevating client value.

Jenna is a driven, creative, passionate leader with nearly two decades in the legal industry. She began her career at an AmLaw 100 firm in Washington, DC before spending 14 years at a mid-sized firm headquartered in Baltimore. There, she most recently held a client-facing role focused on coaching lawyers on client development, creating and executing successful client teams and client feedback programs, and connecting the dots between the firm and its client base.

A dedicated volunteer leader, Jenna has served in various leadership roles of the LMA Mid-Atlantic chapter since 2010, including as Mid-Atlantic Region board president in 2019. She serves as co-chair of the Legal Sales and Service Organization’s Advisory Board and co-chaired the organization’s annual conference in 2021. Jenna speaks and writes frequently on topics surrounding the elevation of legal client service, the importance of client feedback, and the business of law.

Enjoy getting to know this Outlaw!

Q: What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
A: It’s a three-way tie between being forced to watch reality television, being forced to go on a rollercoaster, and being forced to wear wet socks while hiking.

Q: Where would you like to live?
A: Anywhere I can see mountains and water in the same blink – I’d love to end up somewhere in Colorado or the Pacific Northwest, living in the woods with ample land for gardens and a well-appointed chicken coop and space for my dogs to roam free.

Q: What is your idea of happiness?
A: 75 degrees + mostly sunny + low pollen count + hammock + birdsong + extra hot cortado + a lightly worn copy of Houseboat Days by John Ashbery in hand. End scene.

Q: What is your motto?
A: Nobody owes you anything – make your own destiny, take calculated risks, go back to the mat for the things (and the people) you believe in.

Q: What is your greatest fear?
A: Swimming near things in open water that I cannot see the bottom of completely terrifies me: buoys, docks, pilings, sunken ships… so snorkeling with me is a super fun experience. If you haven’t seen a grown woman scream underwater, you’re in for a treat.

Q: Finish this sentence: “If I could have one super-power, it would be...”
A: …to prevent the people I love from feeling any pain.

Q: Your favorite virtue?
A: Given that I took 3 years of Latin in high school, I’ll choose my preference of the Roman virtues: humor. Always be prepared with a waggish riposte.

Q: Who would you have liked to be?
A: Truth be told, I think I would’ve made a helluva suffragette.