After approximately 10 years of experience in the business world, Denise Jean Knecht decided to go another route. She had noticed that it was much harder for women to succeed in the workforce, and she wanted to do something to change that. Ms. Knecht felt the best way to go about that was to become a lawyer, which would enable her to fight on the front lines. She proceeded to earn a JD from Cleveland Marshall College of Law and to become admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1981. Ms. Knecht opened her private law practice, Denise J Knecht Co LPA, that same year, and she’s been there ever since. She was notably the first person to have her name on the yellow pages as an employment lawyer.
As time went on, Ms. Knecht became more and more known within her industry. Her reputation for excellence and success grew, and she actively engaged with her peers to ensure she remained connected and up-to-date. She thus became a member of organizations like the Cuyahoga County Bar Association, the Cleveland Bar Association, the Cleveland Women Lawyers Association, Women’s City of Cleveland, and Alpha Delta Pi. Additionally, Ms. Knecht founded the Cleveland Plaintiff Employment Lawyers Association. Her efforts earned her a number of accolades, including Commission on Women in the Law Honoree, Junior League of Cleveland Honoree, and the Career Woman of Achievement Award.
Prior to her legal endeavors, Ms. Knecht garnered experience in a wide variety of roles. She was a fashion coordinator for O’Neils Co., a program director for the American Cancer Society, the director of public relations for Marcus Advertising, and the producer and moderator of a radio program called “Women’s Connection” on stations WBBG and WWWM-FM, among others. She also authored “The Pocket Guide to Cleveland.” She prepared for her positions by earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Akron and by completing postgraduate coursework at the University of Wisconsin and Cleveland State University.
When Ms. Knecht isn’t working, she enjoys designing and selling jewelry through her store, Indulgence Studios.
