The following semester, he enrolled in a real estate course taught by a mother-daughter duo who practice commercial and residential real estate law, respectively. The course sealed the deal.

“People think ‘houses,’ but real estate is everywhere—roads, zoning, businesses, neighborhood design, historic preservation—all of it shapes daily life,” he said. “It directly helps the community.”

As part of this course, students hear from guest speakers—brokers, title insurance professionals, and land use lawyers actively working in the field. When Kevin Tidd, a land use attorney from the City of Cincinnati, spoke about the role of development and preservation in shaping the city, it resonated with Robby.

“Hearing the land use attorneys describe his community impact inspired me,” he said.

Having grown up in Evansville, Indiana where ongoing construction is often joked about by locals as, “the city that’s always bettering herself,” Robby was struck by Cincinnati’s intentionality with development. “Traveling through 30+ states, I’ve seen places become gentrified—communities driven out, culture erased, everything replaced with bland corporate aesthetics,” he said. “It reminds me of that SpongeBob episode with the identical houses—no character.”

Living in Cincinnati felt different to Robby, “Renovations in Cincinnati feel purposeful. Wherever you go, you feel connected to the history.”

After an enthusiastic follow-up email to Attorney Tidd, Robby was offered an externship with the City of Cincinnati’s Land Use Department. Beginning this spring, he will assist with planning meetings and support ongoing projects aimed at preserving the city’s character. “I hope my work there can directly impact the Cincinnati community in positive ways,” he said.

While transactional law is not the path many of his close friends and fellow LGBTQ+ classmates are taking, Robby sees value in bringing representation to a space where gay men are less visible.

“Many of my friends are going into civil rights work—putting their identities to work as advocates,” he said. “I still bring my identity to my work, just as an ordinary attorney. Diversity benefits everyone.”

Now more than halfway through his 2L year, Robby admitted that to the perfectionist in him, getting here wasn’t as easy as he’d hoped. His first semester especially was shaped by challenges with imposter syndrome, burnout, and missing home. But his time in law school has also been marked by resilience. “Law school humbles you,” he said. “I’ve had to learn not to run away when things feel difficult.”

Today, Robby is paying forward all the support he received that brought him to this point. As an ambassador for G.E.N.E.S.I.S.—the program that helped him find his footing as a first-generation student and as an Admissions Experience Champion, he tells others that they too can succeed at Cincinnati Law.

 “At Cincinnati Law, they truly do invest in your success,” he said. “They really want to get to know you personally, so they can help you do better. That sense of belonging is what drew me here and it’s stayed with me.”