Focus on Future, 0621 RIBJ, RIBJ, 69 RI Bar J., No. 6, Pg. 21
| Position | Vol. 69 6 Pg. 21 |
May, 2021 An Interview with
MONSURAT OTTUN, ESQ.
BY NICOLE P. DYSZLEWSKI, ESQ.,
MLIS AND MEGHAN L. HOPKINS, ESQ.
Focus on the Future is a spotlight series where members of the Rhode Island Bar Journal Editorial Board interview attorneys who are newer to the Rhode Island Bar.
>What is your current title and position?
I am an Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Providence.
>What do you actually do all day?
My role is multi-faceted. Most recently, I have become primarily responsible for our cybersecurity initiatives, working on our information security, data privacy and risk management infrastructure, protocol and policies. I used to prosecute cases in the Providence District Court and still manage aspects of Municipal Court prosecution. I am also a civil litigator in Superior Court and work on the City’s contracts as a part of our contracts team. Additionally, I get to work on and support some of the Mayor’s initiatives such as his Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Executive Order as well as play a role in the African American Ambassadors Group, and more specifically the Police Advisory sub-group. No two days are alike for me. I attend many meetings and also do a lot of advising, as well as document review and editing. I advise the Board of Park Commissioners, the Providence Human Relations Commission, and the Committee on Urban Redevelopment, Renewal and Planning as well as lead our Vendor Management and newly formed Information Security Advisory Group. Ironically, I wanted to be a transactional attorney! I was initially hired to do work with the City’s contracts but soon found myself taking on a whole lot more. Having been able to work on different aspects of legal work, I have come to appreciate and enjoy the different facets of everything I get to do.
>Who is your biggest inspiration inside or outside of law?
There have been several attorneys that have been supportive of my journey through law school and beyond. Specifically, Judge Thompson, Judge Savage, Attorney Tara Allen, Attorney Deborah Johnson, and Attorney Kathy Thompson. They have all supported me on my journey to becoming a lawyer and inspire me to work through the obstacles to achieve success. An inspiration is Judge Melissa Dubose, an African-American female judge who was the first judge I have appeared in front of in...
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