The NABL Member Spotlight initiative is a volunteer-based program. All featured members participate voluntarily and are selected to highlight their contributions and achievements within our community. Participation in the spotlight does not imply endorsement by NABL. If you would like to be featured, please contact us! Now, let’s meet Kimberly Min and learn more about her public finance journey:

What inspired you to become a NABL member and how did your career in Public Finance start?

As a summer associate, I had a partner at the firm I worked for suggest that, given my interest in transactional work and real estate, I might also enjoy public/project finance. When I was a junior lawyer, I was recruited for a firm and they asked if I also would consider doing public finance work in addition to real estate. Remembering that advice, I said sure!  My mentor at the new firm was a strong supporter of NABL and he said that for me to really start to understand public finance, I needed to attend Essentials (then called Fundamentals). I have been a NABL member ever since and now it is a privilege to chair the conference that was so instrumental for me in the beginning of my career.

You are chairing The Essentials this year, what advice do you have for first time attendees?

This is a substantively packed conference. Every session will be useful to your career even if you do not know it yet. You deserve the investment in yourself to close the email and not multi-task – to do two things at once is to do neither…

What is one key takeaway you hope attendees leave with after The Essentials?

The one key takeaway I hope all attendees take to heart is that the public finance community is deeply supportive – the relationships in NABL that you begin in this early stage are ones that will carry you through your career. People want to help each other and do right by the deal. Public finance is unique in that way as a legal practice, and it is due in large part to the relationships and information sharing cultivated by NABL and these conferences.

What is a skill outside of traditional legal training that you rely on in your public finance work?

I put myself through college waiting tables. Through that experience, I learned how to prioritize and how to truly serve clients and anticipate needs. I use those skills every day, and even today will hire someone who has a background in the food service industry if I have the chance.

What is a fun fact that people might not know about you?

After college and before law school I was an AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) member and served in the Southeast Region Class IV. I made $13 a day (plus room and board)! My daughter also served in AmeriCorps NCCC Class XXVI after high school during COVID years 2020-21 and before college (she made $21 a day!). Each year I devote more than 50 hours and many times over 100 hours to pro bono legal services and community service. It is a great privilege to serve and has made a huge impact on my professional growth.