Looking over Mindy Barfield's curriculum vitae produces an almost dizzying effect -
not only is Barfield a highly successful lawyer with one of the region's most reputable law firms, but she dedicates her time and service to more than a dozen boards and community groups across Fayette County. As if that weren't enough, Barfield is a dedicated wife and mother to two daughters, whom she counts as her biggest accomplishment of all.
"I was raised in a family where commitment to the community is a big part of what we're about," she said. "As a child, I grew up believing that public service and community service were important and part of what you have an obligation to do."
With former Kentucky governor Burt Combs as a distant relative, Barfield also grew up in a family that valued civic duties, honing her interest in law and politics at an early age. Barfield recalls her family reunions, which took place at Perry County's Buckhorn Lake, as being akin to huge political rallies; they were even the subject of Charles Kuralt's traveling On the Road series one year.
"There maybe were 1,000 people there," Barfield said. "Julian Carrol was helicoptered in when he was governor of KentucKy. We were handing out straw hats. I was seeing this as a 5-year-old and getting jazzed about it."
Those political leanings carried over into college, where the Ashland native studied political science at Transylvania University. She admits that after graduating, she still didn't know what she wanted to do, so she did what many poli-sci majors do after college - she moved to Washington, D.C., for graduate school.
"Graduate school was kind of a good segue to do something productive, but it kind of gave me some time, too, to figure it out," said Barfield. She ended up working full time while in graduate school as a staff assistant to U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford. The job started out "literally in the mail room, doing the most grunt work possible. But I was just excited to be working on Capitol Hill," Barfield said.
Barfield, who was awarded the Young Lawyer of the Year award by the Fayette County Bar Association in 1999 and the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award by the Kentucky Bar Association in 2002, admits that the long hours of her job can be taxing. Having a husband who is both understanding and supportive of her career has been a huge help. Other factors that help on a day-to-day basis include lots of energy, a strong sense of commitment and good time-management skills.
"I love my career. It's intellectually stimulating. It's challenging," Barfield said. "My advice to a young woman considering a career in law would be to really think long and hard about what you're getting ready to do. There are lots of sacrifices that go with having this career. But if you choose to do that, it's a great place to be."