Kayla Ernst is an associate in Ice Miller’s Labor and Employment Group. Kayla’s practice focuses on employment litigation. She has represented employers in state and federal courts and before agencies such as the EEOC or NLRB. She also has experience in handling labor arbitrations. Additionally, Kayla advises employers on a broad range of issues including handling employee complaints, terminations, leave and accommodation issues, and she has assisted employers in the drafting and implementation of employment policies.
Kayla received her juris doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude, Order of the Coif, and finished first in her class. At law school, Kayla served as a managing editor of the Ohio State Law Journal, and she worked in the Justice for Children Legal Clinic, where she represented children in immigration and delinquency matters. During law school, Kayla also worked as a legal intern at the Ohio Industrial Commission, which involved researching issues arising under workers compensation law.
Prior to law school, Kayla received her Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, from Kenyon College, where she majored in English. During college, Kayla played on the varsity basketball team for four years and was a three-time first team All-Conference player. Her senior year she was named North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Academic All-American, among other honors. Since college, she was named to the NCAC Women’s Basketball All-Decade Team. At Kenyon, Kayla also participated in the John W. Adams Summer Scholars Program in Socio-Legal Studies.
During summers prior to and during college, Kayla worked as a factory worker at a manufacturer of concession equipment in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her experience included working in the wiring department and working on the assembly line. Kayla also spent a summer as an office clerk at a law firm in Cincinnati where she filed documents in various courts, worked as a receptionist and performed other office-related jobs for secretaries and attorneys. From these experiences, Kayla gained an appreciation for the complex issues faced in both blue-collar and white-collar workplaces, which motivated her to enter labor and employment law.
Kayla joined Ice Miller in September 2016. She is admitted to practice in all Indiana state courts, the U.S. District Courts in the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana and the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.