Jennifer Haynes to become Fed Bank SVP, general counsel

Jennifer Haynes, who was honored during the 2019 St. Louis American Foundation Salute to Young Leaders, will be promoted to senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis effective Jan. 1, 2025.

Haynes, who currently serves as vice president and deputy general counsel, was selected after a nationwide recruitment search. She served as the bank's interim general counsel and interim corporate secretary since August.

"I am proud to be part of the St. Louis Fed and look forward to using my experience to lead our fantastic team as we help shape the future of the Bank," Haynes said.

Haynes will lead the St. Louis Fed's Legal and Ethics division and the Office of the Corporate Secretary. She will also be part of the St. Louis Fed's Executive Leadership Committee, which is composed of the president, first vice president and division heads.

She joined the Bank in 2012 as a senior attorney and has held positions of increasing responsibility, including serving as assistant counsel, followed by assistant vice president and associate general counsel, and finally vice president and deputy general counsel. Prior to joining the St. Louis Fed, she was an associate attorney at Lashly & Baer, P.C., in St. Louis.

She received her Bachelor of Science in political science and her Juris Doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis.

In 2019, she offered advice to future law school aspirants.

"With any decision about your education, there's no need to rush. Make sure that you are going to law school for the right reasons. It's really important to have a passion for the law and the legal system," she told The American.

"If you decide to go to law school, be open minded about potential career paths—there are so many options for lawyers other than the traditional law firm environment. I often tell new lawyers: try not to be intimated by your peers in the profession. While strides have been made to increase diversity within the profession, there is much room for improvement. I've been called "kid" or "girl" more times than I can count.

"Sit in a courtroom to observe your peers and you'll realize that you are as, if not more, knowledgeable and qualified as they are."

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