Cheyenne Freely, ’19, an associate at Hodgson Russ LLP, is among the 30 young professionals being recognized for her career achievements, leadership and initiative, community engagement, and potential to become a community leader by Business First of Buffalo.
“It is an honor to be recognized amongst this group of distinguished young professionals and to follow in the footsteps of the inspiring individuals who have been honored before me,” she said.
Freely credits her Niagara University experience with preparing her for law school and her career.
“Niagara not only gave me a lot of insight into what the law school experience would be—how to read the case, how to develop my public speaking skills, how to argue in a moot court scenario,” she said, “but it also built up my confidence and led me to a place where I felt like I could really push myself to do new things.”
She says that this confidence enabled her to run for a seat on the board of directors for the Bar Association of Erie County, the youngest attorney to ever run for—and win—a place on the board.
“I had only been a member of the Bar Association for about six months at that point,” she said. “But I felt like there was a gap between some of the more established leadership and the newer attorneys like me coming in. I harkened back to challenging myself and to new experiences at Niagara, and I ran, and I won. It’s been a great experience.”
When the Williamsville, N.Y., native enrolled at Niagara as a political science and international studies major, she found a sense of community, she said, and faculty like Dr. Chris Lee and professor Kevin Hinkley, who opened doors for her and encouraged her to go to one of the top law schools in the nation.
She also appreciated the “vibrant extracurricular life” at Niagara, and was involved in a number of activities, including serving as vice president of her class, co-vice president of the NU Pre-Law Association, and student body president. She was a member of the President’s Honor Society and the Delta Epsilon Sigma and Pi Sigma Alpha honor societies, as well.
When she graduated in 2019, Freely attended Georgetown University Law Center. Her moot court experience as an undergraduate gave her the skills to earn a coveted place on the school’s moot court team. She earned second place, Best Oral Advocate, in the NYC Bar Association National Moot Court Competition, and was a finalist in the Beaudry Moot Court Competition.
During law school, Freely worked as a student attorney in the Georgetown University Law Center’s Appellate Advocacy Clinic and as a legislative intern for Congressman Brian Higgins. After earning her JD in 2022, and a Graduate Dean’s Certificate in recognition of special and outstanding service to the Georgetown Law community, she joined Hodgson Russ’ Business Litigation Practice, where she assists firm clients with business disputes in various areas of substantive law. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in January 2023.
In addition to her role on the board of the Bar Association, Freely is also a member of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York and the Women’s Bar Association of Western New.
Being recognized as a 30 Under 30 honoree has validated her decision to pursue advocacy as a career, Freely said.
“Tobe recognized this early in my career really reassures me that I’m on the right path,” she said. “Whether it’s advocacy through my actual career or advocacy through my work with the Bar Association, it’s something that I’m going to carry through in as many roles as I can.”
