ONE-ON-ONE| Kathi MCNabb Welsh Bar association president wants to build morale

With two lawyers in the family, what's dinner conversation like at your house?
[Laughs] First of all, my husband and I are very different in our social and political viewpoints. So normally what happens at the dinner table is we get into these legal arguments and at one point somebody will say, "Stop cross-examining me!" Our son overrules or sustains the objections. He presides over the dinner table.
Is your son destined to be a lawyer?
I hope not. He would love to be an actor, so I would hope that he would follow his dream. But he did say one night that he would love to have a law firm with just mommy, daddy and himself. I thought that was a nice compliment, but I hope that he would follow the acting.
How did he get the acting bug?
I think having a mother who's such a movie buff. My year is planned around the Academy Awards telecast. I love it. I have a party every year and I take great pride in my predictions. Plus, we're very dramatic people.
Then where does your acting bug come from?
Oh, I'm sure that deep down I'm a frustrated actress. You know, that's something I always wanted to do but, for whatever reason, never pursued.
Aren't lawyers theatrical by nature?
Some of them are, yes. Especially litigation lawyers.
Does that help?
It helps if you're good at what you do. Juries are very clever and very discerning, and if you're a phony, they're going to pick that up.
So how are you on your Oscar predictions?
Not as good as Joel Siegel, but not too bad. I'd give myself a B-plus.
I like all kinds, although I am not an action-adventure movie person. I love dramas. A good drama that just rips my heart out and makes me cry is, for me, an enjoyable movie experience. My husband is always amazed by that. And of course, I like a good comedy. But if I had to pick between the two, I love dramas.
Favorite movie?
"The Deer Hunter." I love [Robert] De Niro. I think he is a brilliant actor, and I thought he had a beautiful performance in that film.
You're a big Bruce Springsteen fan. Why?
"Born to Run." People talk about how a certain album changed their life. That was the album that did it for me.
Why?
Bruce speaks to, I think, a steel-working town audience. His songs are beautiful poetry. If you don't like his voice, read the words. His words are beautiful. Boy, he talks about those guys going into the factory gates, and I can see that as a child. I can hear those mill whistles. That imagery relates to what I grew up with -- the fabric of my life.
How many times have you seen him in concert?
Twenty-two.
What's the farthest you traveled to see him?
Madison Square Garden in New York City.
And you're also a sports fan, right?
Yes, I am. Fortunately, my husband and I do agree on sports. We agree on the Cleveland Browns. We are not Steelers fans. One of the first questions he asked me was whether I like the Browns or the Steelers. I said the Browns and I think he knew at that point that he was going to marry me. We also love the [Cleveland] Indians and the [Ohio State] Buckeyes.
How historic is it, in your mind, to be the first female president of the bar association?
I'm proud of that. It makes me proud that I was elected to the position, but at some point you have to say that there's a lot more to it than my gender.
What mark do you hope to leave on the association?
As a bar association, it goes without saying that we have gone through a lot in the past six or seven years. I hope that the membership realizes what a great organization we are. My focus is really on the membership and building up their spirits and making it a very active membership. If someone says to me that they got active in a committee because of me, that would be, for me, a great achievement.
Any political aspirations?
After this latest round of political commercials for judges, no.
What is there about yourself that you'd like people to know?
I'm a member of St. Charles Church. Maybe this is something you don't usually hear from lawyers, but certainly my faith has always been an important part of my life.