Alumni Spotlight: Jenai Brackett

For Jenai, Barnes & Thornburg was more than an early career opportunity. It was her first professional experience, the place where she discovered litigation and the start of relationships that remain central to her life more than 15 years later.

As the first in her family raised in the United States, Jenai entered law school without lawyers or mentors to turn to. After just one semester, she received a summer associate offer from Barnes & Thornburg. That experience gave her room to explore different practice areas and begin building the foundation for a decade of law firm practice before moving in-house to Eli Lilly.

Read the full interview to learn more about Jenai's path to Barnes & Thornburg, the relationships that shaped her career, and why she still travels the world with friends she first met at the firm.

Barnes & Thornburg (BT): What originally brought you to Barnes & Thornburg? How would you describe your experience?

Jenai: I was fortunate to be a summer associate at the firm for both summers in law school. I received my 1L summer associate offer after just one semester, and looking back, that was a pivotal moment for me.

Barnes & Thornburg was more than my first job. It was my first professional experience. I went straight from undergrad to law school, so I did not have another career before it. Being exposed to different practice areas that early, and being encouraged to explore where I fit, helped me understand what the practice could look like in a way law school alone could not.

By the end of my first summer, I was 100 percent confident that I wanted to be a litigator. My second summer confirmed it, and I found a natural fit in business litigation and white-collar criminal matters. The clarity I gained during those summers gave me a strong foundation heading into practice.

BT: How did your experience at the firm prepare you for your next steps?

Jenai: Barnes & Thornburg helped set the standard for how I approach my work. I learned the importance of providing clear, practical counsel in high-pressure, dynamic, and sometimes ambiguous situations. I also learned to hold myself to a high standard, both in the advice I give and in the work product I deliver.

Those lessons have been essential in my in-house role. The skills are similar, but the application is different. As in-house counsel, you are not only advising; you are part of the business. You have to earn trust, build relationships and translate complex concepts into guidance business leaders can use to make decisions. The expectations I developed at Barnes & Thornburg gave me something to build on and refine as my career grew.

BT: What inspired you to pursue a career in law?

Jenai: In undergrad, I completed an externship at a legal clinic and what struck me most was the versatility of the profession. There were so many traditional and non-traditional paths a law degree could open.

I studied English communications and political science, and at the time, I did not know exactly what I wanted to do. It was important to me to find clarity by exploring different fields through externships. As the first generation in my family raised in the United States, I did not have mentors or people in the legal field I could call to talk through whether this was the right path.

Ultimately, my experience at Barnes & Thornburg solidified my decision. That was where I knew I wanted to be a practicing attorney.

BT: How would you describe the culture and community at Barnes & Thornburg?

Jenai: The community at Barnes & Thornburg is something that has truly stayed with me. Beyond the work itself, the firm gave me meaningful relationships. I learned early how transformative it is to have mentors who do not just advise you – but genuinely champion you.

Some of the friendships I formed as a summer associate have become lifelong friendships. These are people I travel the world with and who have been present for some of the most significant moments in my life. One of the summer associates I met my first day at Barnes & Thornburg and his family traveled with my family this summer to Switzerland and we are heading to Morocco together in December. The relationships that started there have never really stopped. Because my husband is a partner at the firm, I also still attend Barnes & Thornburg events and continue building on relationships that started more than 15 years ago.

BT: Were there any mentors, resources, or professional networks that played an important role in your development?

Jenai: The mentor relationships at Barnes & Thornburg were incredibly meaningful, especially because I learned how important it is to have people who will champion you in addition to coaching you.

Outside the firm, the Indianapolis Bar Association Young Lawyers Division was a great resource early in my career. It gave me a way to connect with other associates working in large law firms, understand that many of us were navigating similar dynamics and build camaraderie with peers who understood the experience. It was easy to participate in and it offered a real return.

BT: What advice would you share with someone just starting out at the firm or in the legal industry?

Jenai: Pay attention to the details. When you are new, it can be hard to see where you add value, but mastering the details is entirely within your control.
That means taking comprehensive notes, double-checking your work for accuracy and knowing the facts of a matter cold. Those habits are not glamorous, but they are how you build credibility. They signal to the people around you that you can be trusted, and trust is what opens the door to more opportunities.

BT: Outside of work, what are you passionate about or love spending time doing?

Jenai: First and foremost, I am passionate about my family. My husband and I have a wonderful seven-year-old daughter and we are fortunate to have both sets of parents and my 95-year-old grandmother living close by. My brother-in-law and his wife also recently built their home on the same property as ours, so we have a beautiful multigenerational community surrounding us in Indianapolis.

Travel is also something we have made a priority as a family from early on. Since our daughter was an infant, we have taken her on long-haul flights and we are continuing to fill up her passport.