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College of Business
Copeland Hall
1 Ohio University
Athens OH 45701-2979

Laura Drake

Laura Drake
Assistant Professor of Instruction in Management
Copeland 532
drakel@ohio.edu
740.593.0577
740.566.0124

Education

  • Juris Doctor, University of Minnesota (1997);
  • Bachelors of Arts, Indiana University at Bloomington, French and Anthropology (1992);
  • Premier Degré Institut International d'Etudes Françaises, Strasbourg, France (1992)

Presentations and Awards

  • Guardianships” School to Adult Life Transition, Zoom Meeting May 2022, Warren County, OH, April 2018, Miami County, OH, March 2018
  • “Trusts and Stable Accounts: What Families Need to Know” The Future is Now Project: Families in the Know, Cincinnati, OH, April 2022, May 2021; May 2020, May 2019, August 2018 and June 2017.
  • "Trusts Do’s and Don’ts", National Business Institute, Dayton, OH and Cincinnati, OH December 2019.
  • “Trusts 101” National Business Institute, Dayton, OH and Cincinnati, OH August 2019; Covington, KY May 2016.
  • 2019 House Bruckman Award for Teaching Excellence awarded from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.
  • “Financial Planning for Families of Children and Adults who have Developmental Disabilities" Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Transition Bootcamp, Cincinnati, OH, July 2018; Transition Bootcamp Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, June and October 2017; Cincinnati, OH, October 2016.
  • "What Individuals and Caregivers Need to Know about STABLE Accounts and Trusts" Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Transition Bootcamp, Cincinnati, OH, July 2018; School to Adult Life Transition Preble County, OH, May 10, 2018. Darke County, OH, May 16, 2018. , Miami County, OH, May 22, 2018.
  • "Using Stable Accounts to Plan for Housing" Starfire Council, Home Think Tank Anniversary Celebration and Conversation about Inclusive Housing, Cincinnati, Ohio, December 2017; Home Think Tank, Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities, September 2016; Common Threads Network. Warren County, OH, September 2016; Hamilton County Housing Group, Cincinnati, OH, February 2016.
  • “Special Needs Trusts” National Business Institute Seminar, Covington, KY, November 2017.
  • “Estate Planning for Children with Special Needs” Common Threads Network, October 2017; Miami County Department of Disabilities, Troy, OH, October 2016.
  • “Advocating for Children & Adolescents with Special Needs” Empowering Families Symposium, Cincinnati, OH, March 2016.
  • “Trusts” Hamilton County Developmental Disability Services, Cincinnati, OH, December 2015; Down Syndrome Youth Group, Cincinnati, OH, November 2015.
  • “Financial Planning and ABLE Accounts, Guardianships & Trusts” Common Threads Network (Clermont County), Wildey Center. Owensville, OH, November 2015; Riverside Developmental Disabilities, Miami County, OH, August 2015.
  • “Special Needs Trusts” Dayton Bar Association, Elder Law Update 2012; Northeastern Lawyer’s Club of Cincinnati 2011.
  • “Post Foreclosure Evictions in Ohio” National Business Institute. April 2009  and April 2008
  • American Association of University Women, which awarded her the 2003-2004 Young Leader Award
  • “Kentucky Foreclosure Process” Greentree Servicing. Tempe, AZ November 2003.
  • “Consumer Bankruptcy Practice for Creditors in Kentucky” Greentree Servicing. Tempe, AZ November 2003.

Biography

Laura Drake graduated from Indiana University at Bloomington. Immediately after, she worked for the Council of Europe in Strasbourg France, first at the Director of Legal Affairs, and then at the Directorate of Human Rights. She attended law school at the University of Minnesota. While attending law school, Laura was an extern to the Honorable Gregory F. Kishel, United States Bankruptcy Judge, District of Minnesota. Upon graduation from law school, Ms. Drake moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. She worked for various law firms focusing on business organizations, litigation and real estate law.

Laura volunteered on the Board of Directors for the Cincinnati Branch and has volunteered for the Ohio State Board of the American Association of University Women, which awarded her the 2003-2004 Young Leader Award for her work with the organization. In 2007, she was elected to the Board of Directors for the Chinese American Association of Cincinnati. In 2008, she was recognized by the Great Rivers Girl Scouts for her role in their leadership program in the Cincinnati Public Schools.

In 2009, she began teaching at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College as an adjunct, and became a full time professor there in 2012. In 2010, she founded Drake Law Practice which focused on Estate Planning, Probate and Medicaid Planning. The same year, she also began working for Pro Seniors, a legal aid organization for individuals over the age of 60 who reside in the state of Ohio. She works extensively with families who have children with developmental disabilities or mental health issues and is a frequent speaker on Alternatives to Guardianship and Estate Planning for individuals with special needs.

In 2012, Laura joined the Program Committee of PLAN of Southwest Ohio, and in 2013 she was elected to the Board of Directors for PLAN of Southwest Ohio. In 2019 Ms. Drake began teaching at Ohio University and University of Cincinnati Clermont. In 2022 she became a full-time faculty member primarily teaching Business Law but also Human Resources and Ethics in 2022. Later that same year, Laura was chosen to became a Mediator at the Dayton Mediation Center, which she does on a volunteer basis to mediate community matters in Dayton and Montgomery county.