National Black Pre-Law Admissions and Preparation Conference and Law Fair

Rodney G. Moore, Esq. received his bachelor of arts degree in political science from the University of Washington and his doctor of jurisprudence from Santa Clara University School of Law (1985). In 1989, Attorney Moore opened the Moore Law Firm, APC, in Downtown San Jose. Rodney operated a very successful practice, handling major cases (one of which was featured on Dateline NBC and CBS Eye on America). His skilled civil advocacy led to him being named Lawyer of The Year in 1998 by the California Association of Black Lawyers.

From 1997 to 2000, Mr. Moore served as general counsel of the East Side Union High School District in San Jose, California. In January 2000, after a nationwide search, he accepted the position as general counsel and chief legal officer of the Atlanta Public Schools. In July 2005, Rodney joined Greenberg Traurig, LLP. At the firm, Attorney Moore represents Fortune 500 companies and public agencies in labor and employment, and general litigation. He is a member of the litigation and media and entertainment groups. Mr. Moore is a past president of the Santa Clara County Black Lawyers Association (1989-91), and a past president of the California Association of Black Lawyers (1993-94), a statewide association representing 6,000 Black lawyers and judges. He served as general counsel to the National Bar Association from 1997 to 1999, and vice president from 2002-2004. Attorney Moore is an “AV” [Martindale-Hubbell] rated lawyer, and was selected for inclusion in the 2007 and 2008 editions of The Best Lawyers in America. The National Law Journal in which he was named among the 2008 “50 Most Influential Minority Lawyers in America.” Currently, he is on the Board of Visitors at Santa Clara University Law School and is a member of the 100 Black Men of America (Atlanta Chapter).

Attorney Moore, a San Jose, California native, has become the first Georgia lawyer to serve as NBA President in the 82-year history of the association.

Shawn D. Stuckey, J.D. is a recent graduate of The University of St. Thomas School of law in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Prior to law school, he was an NFL football player who served brief stints as a linebacker for the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mr. Stuckey is the current co-chair of the Legal Department for the St. Paul Chapter of the NAACP. He has held this position since being a law student, which made him the only law student in the United States to serve in that role.

Mr. Stuckey was raised in rural Alabama and overcame tremendous obstacles on his journey to becoming an attorney. Mr. Stuckey grew up in poverty in a drug-infested environment. Six out of seven of his aunts and uncles were all addicted to crack cocaine, in addition to his mother, who is still currently addicted. Mr. Stuckey was raised on welfare and food stamps while living in public government housing his entire adolescent life. He lived with his single mother and never met his father.

Mr. Stuckey became the first person in his family to make it past the eighth grade by graduating with honors ranking 11th in his high school class and going on to attend Vanderbilt University, a top 20 academic higher education institution. He went on to work towards his master of business administration at the prestigious Citadel, and eventually attained over 21 high school, collegiate, and professional championships, including one world championship, and set an NFL record in the process.

In law school, Mr. Stuckey held the position of circulation editor for The Midwest BLSA Law Journal and the position of associate editor for The University of St. Thomas School of Law Review. While in law school, Mr. Stuckey achieved such distinctions as placement on the prestigious dean's honors list, three dean's Academic Achievement Awards (given to the law student with the highest grade in the course), was a recipient of the Dean's Scholarship, and was awarded the 2007 Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers' Academic Achievement Scholarship. Mr. Stuckey was recently selected as the 2008 winner of The University of St. Thomas (UST) Scholarly Engagement and Societal Reform Award, and is the UST Law Chapter of Amnesty International's 2008 Human Rights Award recipient.

Mr. Stuckey also accomplished the task of becoming one of the few law students ever to publish two law review articles while still in law school, one of which was at a top 15 law school. In addition, Mr. Stuckey also published an American Bar Association article, and three other articles with various publications. One of Mr. Stuckey's articles now makes him an award-winning author as it has been honored by the Minnesota Women Lawyers as the recipient of their 2007 Equal Justice Award, which recognizes the best written law student article on a topic of equal justice. Also, called by at least one Minnesota lawyer as "one of the most educated persons in the intricacies of Minnesota Expungement Law," Mr. Stuckey has served as a frequent consultant to Minnesota practitioners. These accomplishments have all been attained while he concurrently amassed over 400 hours of public service between his second and third years of law school.

Mr. Stuckey contributed a valuable piece to the 62-page Minnesota-focused Shadow Report on the international review of non-U.S. compliance with one of the ratified human rights treaties in Geneva, Switzerland. As a result of this article and other various social justice contributions, Mr. Stuckey had been asked to give testimony to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland in February 2008 at the 72nd Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Mr. Stuckey is now a first-year associate at Zelle Hofmann in Minneapolis, Minnesota where his practice area is complex litigation. Mr. Stuckey will also continue the fight for equal justice by working pro bono and continuing to co-chair the Legal Department of the St. Paul branch of the NAACP.

Jolanda "Jo" Jones, Esq. attended Alief Elsik High School in Houston, Texas, where she graduated magna cum laude and was an All-American in both track and field and basketball. She is the only person to win the Texas State 5A Team Championship as an individual. After high school, Jones went on to graduate magna cum laude with a degree in political science from the University of Houston. She served on numerous university and community boards and organizations and was a member of the student government. Jones was nominated by the university as a Rhodes Scholar and received the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Postgraduate Scholarship. In 1995, Jones earned her juris doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center. She is currently self-employed as a lawyer, consultant, and community activist.

Ms. Jones was the 1989 US Track and Field Heptathlon Champion and earned an unprecedented three NCAA heptathlon championships. She was the runner-up for the Southwest Conference (SWC) Female Athlete of the Decade for the 80s, two-time Academic All-American while at the University of Houston, and a 1989 NCAA Top Six Award winner.

An abusive relationship forced Ms. Jones to retire from track and field for seven years. Despite the odds, she resumed training while working part-time as a corporate lawyer. Within three months, she had qualified for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials. Unfortunately, her 19-year-old brother was murdered two weeks before she was to compete. His death and her meager five months of training proved too much to overcome, although she did win the high jump portion of the heptathlon and was in sixth place after three events. After competing in three events, she became severely dehydrated and was forced to withdraw.

Such accomplishments have earned Ms. Jones a spot in the Cougar Hall of Fame at the University of Houston Athletic/Alumni Center. She was inducted into the GTE (Verizon) Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 1999. She was inducted into the Texas Black Hall of Fame in 2003.

Ms. Jones largely credits her success to her tumultuous childhood. When she was 13-months-old, her father committed suicide while she was in the room. Her mother had four more children, and Ms. Jones became their primary caretaker while their mother worked. There were times when the family went without water, electricity, or heat. When Jones was a teenager, their rented house burned down due to the use of candles in place of electricity. Two of her uncles committed suicide, her aunt was murdered, and various members of her family are in prison and on welfare. Despite the many obstacles she had to overcome, Ms. Jones credits her criticizing mother and supportive grandmother for teaching her to be the best and stand up for the poor and disenfranchised.

Jolanda Jones' niece died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in 2000. Consequently, she sits on the board of the 501(c)(3) named after her niece, the U'jana Conley Foundation for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. She also sits on the board of the Land Assemblage Redevelopment Authority for the City of Houston. Additionally, she is a member of the Houston City Council.

Senior Judge Arthur L. Burnett, Sr. is a graduate of Howard University summa cum laude with a major in political science and a minor in economics. In his junior year, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He then attended New York University School of Law where he received his law degree in 1958, graduating in the top 10% of his class, and as a Founders’ Day Award recipient. He was also associate research editor for the law review.

He commenced his law career in the Attorney General’s Honors Program at the United States Department of Justice in the Criminal Division in June 1958. In April 1965, he became an assistant United States attorney in Washington, D.C. In December 1968, he became the first general counsel of the Metropolitan Police Department in the District of Columbia. On June 26, 1969, he was appointed the first African American United States magistrate (now call United States magistrate judges) in the United States, in which capacity he served until December 1975. He then became the legal advisor for the United States Civil Service System, and between 1977-1980 he served also as a legal advisor to the President of the United States on all civil service and personnel laws in the United States and as one of the President’s chief representatives in dealing with all bills pending before the U.S. Congress dealing with the federal personnel system. In January 1980, he was appointed United States magistrate judge in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for the second time, where he served until appointed by the President to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia in November 1987.

He retired in October 1998 and then became senior judge status in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. While retaining the status of a senior judge, on August 1, 2004, he took a sabbatical and assumed the position of national executive director of the National African American Drug Policy Coalition, Inc., in which position he now serves in addition to being an adjunct law professor at two law schools.

David Alan Green, Esq. is a professor of law and the associate dean for academic affairs at North Carolina Central University School of Law in Durham, North Carolina. He earned his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University, where he received his B.A. with a major in government with a public administration concentration, and a minor in sociology. He then attended Georgetown University Law Center, where he received his J.D.

Professor Green clerked with the Honorable John Garrett Penn of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, from 1988 to 1990. He then worked as an associate with the firm of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, in Washington, D.C.

In 1992, he left private practice to pursue an LL.M. at Temple University School of Law in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which he received in 1994. Thereafter, he worked as a special assistant United States district attorney for the District of Columbia and an assistant United States attorney for the District of Delaware in Wilmington, Delaware until 1999.

Professor Green was a teaching fellow at Temple University School of Law, from August 1992 to May 1994, and served as an adjunct professor at Widener Law School from 1996 to 1999, at which time he started teaching at the North Carolina Central University School of Law.

He has taught Disability Rights, Insurance, and Legal Writing and Research. At NCCU, he teaches Employment Discrimination, Professional Responsibility, and Torts. He has published an article, "Balancing Ethical Concerns Against Liberal Discovery: The Case of Rule 4.2 and the Problem of Loophole Lawyering," 8 Geo. J. Legal Ethics 283 (1995).

At NCCU School of Law, he participates in the "Invest in Success" pre-bar course offered by the Law School for NCCU students taking the bar exam. He also serves as advisor to the Moot Court Board.

Vernellia R. Randall, Esq. is a professor at the University of Dayton School of Law where she has taught since 1990. Professor Randall writes extensively on and speaks internationally about race, women, and health care. She is the recipient of the Ohio Commission on Minority Health Chairman’s Award, and she was named one of the “Top 10 Most Influential African-Americans” on the 2001 Black Equal Opportunity Employment Journal list.

Professor Randall hasn’t always been associated with the study or practice of law. “I grew up during Jim Crow in the South,” she says. “If you were a black woman going to college, you either became a nurse or a teacher.” She chose nursing. She liked the profession, and had worked in nursing homes while in high school. As a nurse, Professor Randall provided public health nursing services and served as an administrator for a statewide health program in Alaska.

Involved in public health work for more than 15 years, Professor Randall focused on eliminating disparities in health care for minorities and the poor. She believed a thorough knowledge of the law would help her become more effective in her mission, so she enrolled in law school. After graduating in 1987 from Lewis and Clark Law School, she became an associate with a Portland, Oregon law firm where she specialized in health care law and issues relating to health and disability insurance coverage. She also served as an adjunct faculty member at Lewis and Clark College. She soon turned to teaching full-time, wanting to make a “greater intellectual impact.”

Professor Randall has also served as a consultant to the Clinton Administration Advisory Committee on Health Care Reform and as a grant reviewer for the National Institute of Health. She was also an expert witness in the State of Missouri v. Philip Morris trial. She has been recognized in Who's Who in the World since 1995 and Who's Who in the United States since 1998.

Sonya Bishop, Esq. is senior counsel for ConocoPhillips. Ms. Bishop began her career with ConocoPhillips in 2003, as counsel. She assumed her current position as senior counsel in 2007. Prior to joining ConocoPhillips in 2003, Ms. Bishop practiced commercial and tort litigation at Vinson & Elkins in Houston, Texas.

Ms. Bishop earned a bachelor of arts degree from Rice University and a doctor of jurisprudence with honors from the University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Bishop is licensed to practice in Texas and admitted to practice in the Southern District of Texas.

She is a member of the American Bar Association, Houston Young Lawyers Association, and Houston Bar Association. She serves on several State Bar Committees, and most recently served as the vice chair of the Racial Diversity in the Profession Committee. She has served as director of programs and CLEs for the State Bar of Texas. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Houston Bar Foundation.

E. Steve Bolden II, Esq. is an attorney at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP in Dallas, Texas. His law practice focuses on a variety of corporate and securities matters. Prior to his current employer, Mr. Bolden worked for a regional Dallas-based law firm.

Mr. Bolden received his A.B. in government from Dartmouth College in 1997 and his J.D. magna cum laude in 2000 from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University, where he was a member of the Board of Advocates. He serves as president of the J.L. Turner Legal Association, the African American Bar Association of Dallas, and chair of the African American Lawyers Section for the State Bar of Texas. He also serves as a director of the Dallas Bar Association and serves on the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas as a section representative.

Mr. Bolden has given speeches concerning mergers and acquisitions, and is involved with several community, civic, and charitable activities. Mr. Bolden has received presidential citations from the J.L. Turner Legal Association and the Dallas Bar Association. He is a fellow of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Dallas Bar Foundation, and the State Bar of Texas Foundation. He is a recent graduate of the Leadership Arts of Dallas Program. He was selected for inclusion in Texas Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star” in 2005 through 2008.

Sharonda Boyce is a second-year law student at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia. She received a bachelor of science in finance from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.

While attending Emory Law, she has been a member of the Emory Public Interest Committee, Student Legal Services, and has served as an admissions ambassador. Ms. Boyce currently serves on the Executive Board of the National Black Law Students Association as the national director of the College Student Division.

Crystal Ford is currently the President of the Black Law Student Association at the University of Houston Law Center where is a 2010 J.D. candidate. Prior to law school, Ms. Ford earned a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Bethew “Bert” B. Jennings III, Esq. is a principal in Jennings Law Group, specializing in providing intellectual property expertise to small businesses and corporations that lack in-house intellectual property counsel. Prior to returning to Houston to concentrate on the Jennings Law Group, Attorney Jennings was executive director of intellectual property for AT&T, specializing in patent licensing and sales. Mr. Jennings was also employed with Halliburton Company for 8 years, where he served as sole intellectual property counsel of Landmark Graphics Corporation within Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

His previous experience further includes the United States Patent and Trademark Office where he was an examiner. He was also an associate at Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer and Risley, L.L.P. in Atlanta, Georgia. With these experiences together, he has experience in all levels of patent prosecution and management of litigation. Prior to attending law school, he was an applications/requirements analyst for International Business Machines, Federal Systems Division, where he was contracted to NASA on the software system for the guidance, navigation, and control of the United States Space Shuttle.

Along with lecturing for many organizations on corporate legal practice, Attorney Jennings is an adjunct professor of intellectual property law at Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and has taught graduate courses in software applications and development at Clark-Atlanta University. He has authored and co-authored a number of articles.

A proud native of Moss Point, Mississippi, Mr. Jennings received a bachelor in computer science from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, a master in computer science from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, a doctor of jurisprudence from Georgia State University College of Law in Atlanta, Georgia, and a master of intellectual property from Franklin Pierce Law Center, in Concord, New Hampshire. Mr. Jennings also received a Certificate of Study from Johannes Kepler University, The University of Linz in Linz, Austria, where he studied International/Comparative Commercial Arbitration and Mediation. He was recently recognized by the Licensing Executives Society as a Certified Licensing Professional (CLP), currently one of 19 in Houston and 40 in the entire State of Texas. He is currently pursing his Ph.D. in human resource development from Texas A&M University. He is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and is a member of the State Bar of Texas, where he has served as chairman of the African American Lawyers Section and vice chairman of the Council of Chairs.

Eric M. Mathis, Esq. is an associate based in the Detroit office of Butzel Long, practicing primarily in the area of commercial litigation. Mr. Mathis concentrates his practice in litigation matters, in both state and federal courts. His experience includes quiet title actions, nuisance and trespass cases, landlord/tenant cases, and other real estate litigation matters. He represents Tier 1 automotive suppliers, and has been successful in receiving temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions. He defends product liability cases, with extensive experience defending asbestos claims on a state and nationwide basis.

Mr. Mathis graduated from the University of Michigan (B.A., 1996) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (J.D., 2002), where he wrote for The Pittsburgh Journal of Technology Law and Policy and served as vice president of the Black Law Students Association, coordinating the High School Moot Court Competition and the Street Law Clinic. Prior to joining Butzel Long, he managed several retail clothing stores.

Mr. Mathis serves on the Board of Directors of the Wolverine Bar Association and on the Barristers Board of Directors for the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, where he was named 2007 Barrister of the Year. He is chair of the National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. He is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Litigation, is a committee vice chair of the Real Property Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee of the ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law, and a member of the Diversity Committee of the ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law. He is also a member of the D. Augustus Straker Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan. Mr. Mathis serves as president of his Homeowners' Association.

Ami M. Sanchez, Esq. currently serves as associate counsel for the National Campaign for Fair Elections, an initiative of the Voting Rights Project of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which serves as the legal lead for Election Protection - the nation's largest non-partisan voter protection coalition. Prior to joining the Lawyers’ Committee, Ms. Sanchez served as the assistant director for lawyer chapters at the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS). Before working at ACS, Ms. Sanchez worked for the New York State Democratic Senate Campaign Committee through Campaign Corps, a Project of EMILY’S List.

While in law school, Ms. Sanchez founded the Texas Democratic Lawyers Council, a state organization under the Democratic National Committee’s National Lawyers Council, and worked in community outreach in the office of Texas State Representative Lon Burnam (D-Fort Worth), and was a member of the Texas Wesleyan School of Law Moot Court Honor Society.

Ms. Sanchez is also an active member of her community, and, in her personal capacity, is involved with numerous worthwhile organizations. Currently, Ms. Sanchez serves as a member of the Voting Rights Committee of the Hispanic National Bar Association; co-chair of the Communications Committee of the Hispanic Bar Association of Washington, D.C.; chair of the Board Support Committee of the Hispanic Lobbyists Association; co-chair of the Special Projects Committee of the Washington, D.C. Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society; and is an active member of the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association.

Ms. Sanchez is a 2006 graduate of Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, and received her B.A. in 2002 from Hollins University, where she studied political science and economics.

Daryl K. Washington, Esq. is a partner at Shackelford, Melton & McKinley in Dallas, Texas. His experience includes representing clients in a variety of commercial and general litigation matters, settlement negotiations, depositions, mediations, contract and business practice disputes, and other matters involving complex and unique issues. He represents clients before the SEC and Texas State Securities Board. He also provides legal advice for small business formations and assists businesses and individuals with contract negotiations. He utilizes his experiences as a former contract advisor for the National Football League Players Association and former member of the Grambling State University football team to serve as a consultant to athletes in their selection of an agent to represent them in contract negotiations.

Mr. Washington is a member of the Dallas Bar Association (DBA), serving as chair of the Judicial Investiture Committee. He served on the DBA Board of Directors for 2003-04, and a board advisor in 2004 on the Entertainment and Sport Committee, Legal Ethics Committee, and Media Committee. He was the 2004 president of the J.L. Turner Legal Association and a member of the Board of Directors in 2003-04 and 2006. Mr. Washington was the 2007-08 Region V director for the National Bar Association which consists of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He served as deputy director in 2006-07, assistant deputy director in 2005-06, and was affiliate chapter representative in 2005. He also served as the Sports, Entertainment and Art Section's chair of sports programs. He is a 2005 Dallas Bar Foundation Fellow and was named Attorney of the Year in 2007 by the National Bar Association's Sports, Entertainment and Art Section. Currently, he serves as deputy chief of staff for the National Bar Association. Additionally, he is a Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inns of Court member for 2006-09. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at St. Philips School and Community Center.

Attorney Washington is a graduate of Grambling State University where he received a degree in accounting. He earned a law degree cum laude from Southern University Law Center. As a law student, he was a member of the Southern University Law Review and the Moot Court Board.

Wintta M. Woldemariam is a third-year law student at The University of Texas School of Law. She received a dual bachelor's of arts in political science and African & African-American studies, and a minor in history from Duke University. While at Duke, Ms. Woldemariam served as the president of the Black Student Alliance, as well serving in leadership roles on the President's Council on Black Affairs, Duke Student Government, and Delta Sigma Theta. She also facilitated a house course to other university students on the nuances of the Black diaspora. She was awarded the Karla F.C. Holloway Award for Service and the University Involvement Award at Duke University for her commitment to social action and service to the community.

As an undergraduate, Ms. Woldemariam worked as a volunteer in several Latin American countries, as well as in the local Durham area. She also conducted research comparing the American and Australian civil rights movements at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and worked as an intern on a United States presidential campaign.

At the University of Texas, Ms. Woldemariam is the recipient of the Presidential Scholarship in Law. She also works as a student attorney in the Immigration Clinic, as well as a member of the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society, Street Law, and Society Mentor Program. She also served as the Social Action Chair of NBLSA, where she helped implement programming addressing critical community issues. Currently, she is the chair of the National Black Law Students Association.

Cheryl Alsandor, Esq. earned a bachelor of arts in economics from Wesleyan University and a juris doctor from the University of Houston Law Center. She has been an attorney with her own successful practice, the Alsandor Law Firm, P.L.L.C., since 1999. As a law student, she served as a law clerk for Adams and Reese, a student attorney at the University of Houston Legal Aid Clinic, and a judicial intern at the United States Federal Bankruptcy Court. She has received training as a child advocate and with the American Bar Association's Family Law Trial Advocacy Institute. She is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Attorney Alsandor is a member of the College of the State Bar, the Family Law Group, the State Bar of Texas Family Law Section, and the Burta Rhodes Raborn Family Law American Inn of Court.

David R. Askew, Esq. is the director of pro bono and community service at Wildman Harrold in Chicago, Illinois. He serves on the Boards of Directors of the Arthur D. Griffin Learning Center, Just The Beginning Foundation, St. Gregory Episcopal School, and Chicago Abused Women Coalition. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the First Baptist Congregational Church and is chair of the NAACP, West Side Chapter, Legal Redress and Law Day Committees. He is a member of the Cook County Bar Association and the Black Women Lawyers' Association. David began his professional career in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps of the United States Navy and continues to serve as a lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve. He was an associate at Wildman Harrold from 2000 until 2003, when he joined the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, and ultimately became deputy chief of the Civil Rights Bureau. He is a graduate of Florida A & M University and the University of Iowa College of Law.

Judge Caroline Baker is in her 12th year as judge of the 151st Civil District Court. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Texas School of Law, she is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Prior to taking the bench in 1997, she was a partner in the litigation firm of McFall, Sherwood & Sheehy. She serves on the Committee on Judicial Ethics, Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas; is chair of the Ethics Committee for the Board of Civil Judges; is president of the Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists; serves on the State Bar Jury Service Committee; serves on a Pattern Jury Charge Committee; and is chair of the Administration of Justice Committee for the Board of District Judges. In addition to her hard work on the bench, Judge Baker devotes a great deal of time giving back to the community. She serves on the boards of Girls Incorporated of Greater Houston (current chair), Neighborhood Centers Inc., the YMCA, The Ripley Foundation, and Leadership Houston (current chair), as well as the advisory boards of The Chinquapin School, Career Recovery Resources, Inc., and City Hall Fellows.

Olaide Banks, Esq. is an attorney and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) representing businesses, entrepreneurs and non-profit organizations in Texas and the Caribbean. Mr. Banks is a member in the law firm Ngwolo & Banks PLLC, the chief financial officer at Decision Information Resources, Inc., and also the executive producer of the Moonsplash Music Festival. Moonsplash is the Eastern Caribbean’s premier reggae music festival. Mr. Banks earned his B.B.A. at the University of Houston and J.D. at South Texas College of Law. Mr. Banks began his professional career as an accountant and has grown to become an expert on organizational growth and strategic planning for small to mid-sized businesses. Mr. Banks is a member of the State Bar of Texas’ Pro Bono College, and his pro bono work includes the NAACP’s Legal Redress Clinic in Houston. He has also researched and presented extensively on predatory lending practices in the sub-prime lending market.

Mason D. Barrett, Esq. is the director of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Savannah Local Office. Attorney Barrett earned a B.S. degree in pure mathematics from Prairie View A&M University and a juris doctor degree from the University of Denver College of Law. He is an accomplished trainer who can draw on his "in the trenches" experiences concerning law school and bar examinations. His high-impact programs have made him an in-demand trainer for those experiencing difficulties in their quest to succeed on the bar examination.

Damien L. Bevelle is a second-year law student at Seton Hall University’s School of Law. Prior to enrolling in law school, Mr. Bevelle gained valuable experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Immediately after earning his B.S. in finance and banking from Hampton University, he returned to New York City to pursue a career in financial services/investment banking. While working on Wall Street, Mr. Bevelle was a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter and eventually became a founding partner of American Financial Company, LLC, a boutique capital management and consulting company. Thereafter, he became an executive for The Miracle Makers, Inc. (“MMI”), a Brooklyn, New York-based non-profit, community based organization, where he was instrumental in establishing the MMI Youth Development Institute, which partnered with the New York City Department of Education, to provide academic enrichment and enhancement services, as well as cultural and social development opportunities to middle school and high school children. Most recently, Mr. Bevelle co-founded the All-American Preparatory Institute (“API”) which focuses on the intellectual, social, and spiritual development of middle school and high school students.

Jamila Boozer, Esq., a native of Newark, New Jersey, is a solo practitioner at the Boozer Law Firm. Prior to starting her own law practice, she served as assistant district attorney in Galveston County and as an honors attorney at the Office of the Attorney General in Austin, Texas. Ms. Boozer received a 4-year academic scholarship to attend Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in mass communications. She later went on to receive her law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She has served as a congressional fellow under the tutelage of former Congressman Chris Bell of the 9th District of Houston, a member of the Board of Advocates, and justice of the Honor Court at Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She also participated as a competitor and judge in several moot court and mock trial competitions. Attorney Boozer is a community activist who has run for Miss Black Houston and is a member of several volunteer organizations, such as The Junior League of Houston, Top Ladies of Distinction, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Ms. Boozer is most proud of being featured as one of the “most influential” Black women in the 2008 edition of Who’s Who in Black Houston.

U. Lawrence Boze', Esq. is the owner and primary shareholder of U. Lawrence Boze' & Associates, P.C. His practice areas include personal injury, mass toxic torts, real estate, probate, entertainment, and commercial litigation. Attorney Boze' has served as the vice chair and a member of the Texas Board of Law Examiners since 1997. He has also served as a member on the State Bar of Texas' Committee on Minorities in the Profession. He was the 54th president of the National Bar Association (NBA), served as past vice president for membership of the NBA, past president of the Houston Lawyers Association, and president and founder of the Texas Association of African-American Lawyers. Attorney Boze' is a graduate of the University of Houston, a summa cum laude graduate of Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and a summa cum laude graduate of the Texas Southern University School of Business.

Delphine Byrd is the associate director of admissions at the University of Michigan Law School. She joined the Law School Admissions Office in 2001 with over 10 years of experience in higher education. Her background includes working in the areas of enrollment management, admissions and recruiting, financial aid, student registration, student affairs and orientation, and both educational and career counseling at the two-year and four-year levels. In her role, she has been a University of Michigan Law School spokesperson throughout the United States at national recruiting events. Ms. Byrd is an avid reader and in her spare time enjoys reading books on presidential history.

Lynda Cevallos, Esq. is an attorney who serves as pre-law coordinator and undergraduate advisor for the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) of the American Bar Association, and oversees the Thurgood Marshall College Scholars Program. Before joining CLEO, Ms. Cevallos practiced employment and labor law for a Washington, D.C. law firm, and clerked for the National Labor Relations Board, and the U.S. Department of Labor. Attorney Cevallos is a cum laude graduate of Rutgers University and earned her juris doctorate from the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, D.C.

Everett Chambers, Esq. is the director of academic support and an adjunct professor at Texas Wesleyan University School of Law. He also manages a part-time probate law practice. Attorney Chambers is a graduate of the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica and Texas Wesleyan University School of Law in Fort Worth, Texas.

Yvonne Cherena-Pacheco, Esq. has been assistant dean for enrollment management and director of admissions at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law since November 2000. She received her J.D. as a member of CUNY Law School's inaugural class in 1986 and her LL.M. from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was a teaching clinical fellow. She became a member of the founding faculty at the District of Columbia School of Law (now UDC) in 1988, where she was an assistant clinical professor and she served on the Admissions Committee. For eight years, she was associate dean and director of admissions at St. Mary's University School of Law. Dean Cherena-Pacheco has been a volunteer panelist with the Law School Admissions Council Law Forums on minority student recruitment, financial aid, and admissions panels. Before attending law school, she was an elementary and junior high school teacher for 13 years, committed to Black and Latino students and minority affairs.

Cary Lee Cluck, Esq. is the assistant dean for student affairs at the University of Mississippi School of Law. In that capacity, she is involved with recruiting, admissions, scholarships and student affairs. Dean Lee received her Juris Doctor in 1996 from the University of Mississippi School of Law where she was an active member of the Moot Court Board and the Journal of National Security Law. She received her B.A. in English from the University of Mississippi as well. Prior to her current position she was a judicial clerk for the 10th Chancery Court District in Mississippi and she also lived and worked in Washington, D.C. Ms. Lee is a member of the Mississippi Bar. At the University of Mississippi, she serves on the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women. She is also the state treasurer for the American Association of University Women (AAUW).

Jerome Coenic-Taylor is a second-year law student at the University of Iowa College of Law. He received his bachelor of arts, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he majored in sociology and minored in African American Studies. After his first year of law school, Jerome worked as a summer associate for a law firm in Indianapolis, Indiana. Jerome currently serves as the president of the Black Law Student Association at the University of Iowa. He is also on the executive board for Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International and a member of the Christian Legal Society.

Christina Crozier, Esq. is an associate with the appellate practice at Haynes and Boone LLP. She graduated with a bachelor of science with highest honors from the University of Texas at Austin. She was a senior fellow in the College of Communication. She earned her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, where she was the casenotes and comments editor for the Houston Journal of International Law. She is a member of the Appellate Practice Section of the State Bar of Texas, the Appellate Practice Section of the Houston Bar association, the Houston Young Lawyers Association, the United Way of Greater Houston Young Leaders, and the committee chair of the Association of Women Attorneys.

Janeia R. Daniels, Esq. is the assistant dean for student affairs at Florida State University College of Law, where as a law student she was a multiple award-winning member of the Moot Court team and articles & notes editor of the Journal of Transnational Law & Policy. She began her legal career as a law clerk for the Honorable Philip J. Padovano of the First District Court of Appeal and later joined Meyer and Brooks, P.A. as an associate specializing in labor and employment law and election law. She also served as an adjunct professor at the College of Law for three semesters. Dean Daniels has been a member of the William H. Stafford Inn of Court, and is a member of the Supreme Court Standing Committee on Fairness & Diversity, for which she co-authored two well-recognized publications on the Florida courts system. She also is an active member of the Tallahassee Bar Association, the Tallahassee Barristers Association, Tallahassee Women Lawyers, and the Florida Bar. She received the 2005 Attorney of the Year award from the Law-Related Education Association for her work on the Bar's Standing Committee for Law-Related Education, which she currently chairs.

David E. Danner, Esq. is an attorney who practices law in Nashville, Tennessee as a solo practitioner. Attorney Danner graduated from Tennessee State University with a double concentration bachelor of business administration in accounting and management. Attorney Danner received his law degree from Boston College Law School in Boston, Massachusetts. He has chaired the Legal Redress Committee of the NAACP’s Nashville Chapter, and chaired the Advocacy Committee of Reconciliation Ministries, during which time he drafted a bill lobbied by that organization for a Family Bill of Rights which became a Tennessee state statute providing for family visitation rights for inmates. He is also the founder of the Tennessee Black Lawyers Association. Attorney Danner has taught business law at his alma mater Tennessee State University (TSU) for a decade and he also serves TSU as a contract specialist in the Division of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP), which secures and administers millions in annual research dollars for scientific discovery and innovation at TSU.

Darrell J. Davis, Esq. is assistant dean for students and multicultural affairs at Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dean Davis is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received his B.A. in political science. He completed his J.D. at the University of Minnesota Law School. Following graduation from law school, Dean Davis was appointed special assistant attorney general for the Minnesota Attorney General from 1981 to 1986. In 1986, he joined Honeywell Inc. as senior attorney, where he managed litigation. From 1992 to 2007, Dean Davis served as director of litigation for Graco Inc., where he was responsible for managing all litigation for the company. During his career, he has taught legal writing and research as an adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law, and served on numerous boards. He is a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Minnesota Black Lawyer’s Association, the American Bar Association, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Nakia Davis, Esq. received her J.D. in 2006 from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law, where she received a merit scholarship and won the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Mock Trial Competition. Ms. Davis was also a quarter-finalist in the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition, and a member of the St. Thomas More Inn of Court. Ms. Davis received a B.A. in economics from Vanderbilt University in 1996, where she was awarded a full golf scholarship. Attorney Davis also was a recipient of the Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship. She received her master in business administration from the University of New Orleans in 2003. She also served as an intern to Justice George C. Hanks of the First Court of Appeals in Houston, Texas. Ms. Davis is a former professional golfer, competing on the Duramed Futures Tour for four years. As a college golfer, she lettered four years at Vanderbilt, and was a four-time Louisiana State Girls Golf Champion, and two-time Professional Golf Association (PGA) Gulf States Section Champion.

Frederick L. Day, Esq. is currently a second-year associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where his practice areas include corporate finance and mergers & acquisitions. Attorney Day received his bachelor's degree with highest honors in both finance and marketing at the University of Houston (2004) and his law degree with high honors at Southern Methodist University (SMU) Dedman School of Law (2007). While at SMU, he was a member of the SMU Law Review, the Barristers, the Order of the Coif, and a Sarah T. Hughes Scholar.

Andriel M. Dees, Esq. is the associate dean for multicultural affairs and an adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law. Attorney Dees is a 1995 graduate of William Mitchell College of Law and earned a bachelor's degree from Hampton University. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Dees worked as operations managing attorney at the Office of the Monitor in St. Paul, Minnesota, which was established following class action lawsuits by African-American farmers against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Before that, she was an employee relations consultant at U.S. Bancorp in Minneapolis, Minnesota for four years, and an employment claims representative for the League of Minnesota Cities Insurance Trust in St. Paul. Dean Dees also has worked as diversity/civil rights coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Economic Security and the Minnesota Department of Employee Relations.

Carolyn Dennis is director of admission for Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon. With over nine years of law school admission experience, Dennis oversees all admission and prospective student outreach efforts. She actively participates in multicultural student outreach, law school admission educational panels, and is a member of multiple local and national educational and legal organizations. Prior to law school admission, Dennis’ professional experience includes working as an account manager for a high-tech public relations firm, freelance copywriter, operations office manager, and as an executive administrative assistant in corporate, not-for-profit, and college settings.

Cheryl Harris Diggs, Esq. is an attorney in private practice in Houston, Texas. Her practice areas are criminal law and family law. She is fluent in Spanish. Attorney Diggs is a graduate of Georgetown University and the University of Houston Law Center. She is married to David Diggs and they have a son, Harrison. Mrs. Diggs is a member of the Houston Lawyers Association, Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, The Family Law Group, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Angela L. Dixon, Esq. is the owner of the Law Office of Angela L. Dixon, P.L.L.C. and practices in the areas of family law, social security disability law, wills and probate, and personal injury law. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Alabama A&M University, M.B.A from St. Ambrose University, and law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law. Prior to starting her own firm, Attorney Dixon was an associate with Powers & Frost L.L.P., practicing toxic tort and products liability litigation. As a law student, she served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Ewing Werlein Jr. of the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and law clerk for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Huntsville, Alabama, and Findlay & Tate in Cape Town, South Africa. Additionally, she was a member of the Journal of Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems, winner of the client counseling and business law essay competitions; and winner of the Garfinkel Glantz Prize for the Best Civil Liberties Paper. In her spare time, Attorney Dixon is a cast member of the Houston Bar Association’s all-lawyer musical production Night Court, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a big sister with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program of Houston.

Ronald Edward Dupree, Esq. is the founder and managing member of The Dupree Law Firm, PLLC, and the founder and president of the Dupree Mediation and Arbitration Group. Attorney Dupree is a graduate of The Florida State University, where he obtained both his bachelor’s and juris doctorate degrees. While at Florida State, Mr. Dupree was a Virgil Hawkins Fellow, and an intern for Dean Donald J. Weidner. He also clerked for the law firm of Bryant Miller & Olive, P.A. Attorney Dupree received his mediation training at the University of Texas School of Law's Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution. He is the co-chair of the Houston Young Lawyers Association Solo Practitioners' Committee, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Dispute Resolution Center of Harris County.

Sandra L. English, Esq., is the coordinator of law admissions and multicultural recruitment at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University. She holds a bachelor of arts from Ursuline College and a joint juris doctor and master of public administration from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and Maxine Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University. Ms. English has several years experience in law school admissions. In past years, she recruited nationally for Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and served on the Admissions Committee. As a law student active in student and external organizations, Ms. English served as president of the Black Law Students’ Association, student president representative of the Equal Justice Works Board of Directors, and student representative of the Student Bar Association. Prior to joining Cleveland-Marshall College of Law as admissions coordinator, Ms. English worked as an assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor.

Travis Foster, Esq. is an associate in the Corporate Finance Department at Baker Botts LLP in Dallas, Texas. He earned his bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Southern University and A&M College. He graduated with his J.D. cum laude from Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, where he served as managing editor of Thurgood Marshall Law Review. He is affiliated with the Dallas Bar Association, the Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy, and the J. McDonald Williams Institute, Foundation for Community Empowerment. Attorney Foster’s practice focuses on bank financings and the private placement of securities. He has been named by Law & Politics as a Texas Rising Star for 2005-2006 and 2008. Before attending law school, Mr. Foster worked as a mechanical engineer within both the energy and public utilities industries.

DeMonica D. Gladney, Esq. is currently counsel for Exxon Mobil Corporation, where she has practiced for over 13 years. She received her bachelor of science degree in criminal justice cum laude from Lamar University. In 1993, she received her doctor of jurisprudence degree cum laude from the University of Houston Law Center. She began her legal career as a briefing attorney for the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in Houston, Texas. Ms. Gladney is also an accomplished public speaker, poet, and author. She is the director of the women’s ministry at First Baptist Church Pearland and founder of DeMonica Gladney Ministries.

W. Bernard Goudeau, Esq. is counsel for BP America Inc., and is responsible for providing legal counsel to the company's North American alternative energy business. Specifically, Mr. Goudeau provides counsel on all matters relating to wind energy transactions. Attorney Goudeau is a graduate of Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and received his doctorate of jurisprudence from the University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) in 1996. During his law school tenure, Mr. Goudeau was president of the Black Law Students' Association, president of the Corporate Law Society, and served as a student representative on Admissions Committee. Mr. Goudeau has worked in private practice and served as in-house counsel to other private and public entities prior to joining BP America Inc. in 2004.

Ronda L. Harrison, Esq. is associate director of academic assistance and student counseling at South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas. She primarily works with at-risk law students, law students with disabilities, and minority students. Ms. Harrison also conducts programs relating to substance abuse, depression, and stress management. She works on pipeline programs with high school and college students in an effort to increase the number of minority students in higher education institutions. She was the recent convention chairperson for the National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. Attorney Harrison is a member of the American Bar Association, Houston Lawyers Association, Texas Young Lawyers Association, and Houston Young Lawyers Association. She is also a certified mediator.

Catina Haynes, Esq. is a native Houstonian who graduated from the University of Houston in 2002 with a major in corporate communications and a minor in Spanish. She interned for Congressman Nick Lampson during the spring of 2003, and later attended South Texas College of Law. While in law school, Ms. Haynes argued before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals of Texas as a member of an administrative law state championship moot court team, and she received American Jurisprudence Awards for the highest grade earned in Civil Procedure, Evidence, Property II, Torts I and Torts II. Attorney Haynes is currently an associate at Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., and she focuses her practice on international arbitration and litigation matters.

Craig Kyle Hemphill, Esq. currently serves as a construction contract specialist with Williams Midstream Gas and Liquids. He is the founder of a transactional boutique, Craig Kyle Hemphill Law Offices LLC. His tenure includes serving as an associate attorney with the global law firms of Faegre & Benson LLP (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Baker Botts L.L.P. (Houston, Texas). In addition, Mr. Hemphill served as an assistant city attorney with the City of Houston’s Legal Department/Contracts Division and as a federal law clerk to the Honorable Kenneth M. Hoyt, United States District Court (Southern District of Texas). Mr. Hemphill earned his juris doctor in 1999 from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University, magna cum laude, finishing third in his graduating class, and serving as editor-in-chief of the Thurgood Marshall Law Review (1997-1999). He earned a bachelor of science in economics in 1995 from the College of Business and Economics, University of Texas at Arlington. Mr. Hemphill is currently a master of divinity student at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University.

Charles Holmes, Esq. earned a bachelor of science in social science from Jackson College, a master of arts in political science from Atlanta University, and a juris doctorate from North Carolina Central University School of Law. He is a retired associate professor in the political science department and pre-law advisor at Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Mississippi. Prior to serving in those positions, he was an instructor and associate professor at Jackson State University. He serves on the board of trustees at Mt. Helm Baptist Church and on the advisory boards of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Mississippi Common Cause. He is a member of the American Bar Association, National Bar Association, Magnolia Bar Association, NAACP, American Political Science Association, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

Deloise “D.” Holmes, Jr., Esq. is currently supervisory internal revenue agent, LMSB for the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Holmes has a B. S. in accounting from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center. He is a certified public accountant (Ohio) and licensed attorney by the state of Texas. Prior to joining the IRS, Mr. Holmes was global assistant general counsel of Arteva Services S.a.r.L., a global polyester/chemical manufacturing company. Prior to that, he was a senior manager of Tax Services in the Houston office of Deloitte & Touche LLP. He has also been the manager for tax research and planning, and director of tax for a publicly traded master limited partnership. Earlier in his career, he held various accounting, auditing, and tax staff positions at KPMG, Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, and Marathon Oil Company. Mr. Holmes’ community activities includes class memberships on the United Way Project Blueprint and Leadership Houston Class 11. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Julia C. Hester House and Spaulding for Children. He is also a scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America, a member of the United Way Fort Bend Advisory Committee, and a member of the Sugar Land Zoning Board of Adjustments and Appeals.

Khary D. Hornsby, Esq. is the associate director of admission and recruitment at Emory University School of Law. Hornsby graduated with a bachelor of science degree in cellular and molecular biology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. During his tenure at the University of Michigan, Hornsby received research grants from the National Science Foundation and the Fogarty Institute to perform research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China. After completing his undergraduate studies, Hornsby received an English teaching assistantship from the Rectorat de Lyon and spent a year working in Lyon, France. Hornsby received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. While at the University of Minnesota, Hornsby served as an editor of Law and Inequality: A Journal of Theory and Practice, president of the Black Law Student Association, and was named the 2005 Judge Michael J. Davis Scholar for outstanding academic achievement. Prior to joining the staff of Emory Law, Hornsby clerked for the Honorable Harry S. Crump of the Fourth Judicial District Court of Minnesota.

Monica Ingram, Esq. received her baccalaureate degree in broadcast communications from Grambling State University and her juris doctor degree from the University of Texas School of Law. After graduating, Dean Ingram garnered experience (1) as a practitioner in public education, (2) a licensing agency staff attorney in the Investigations and Enforcement Division of the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC), and (3) as a staff attorney at the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), a non-profit association that represents school board members. In April 2002, Ms. Ingram returned to her law school alma mater as the assistant dean for admissions. Yet, she continues to serve the legal community in various capacities. Ms. Ingram served as: an attorney ad litem for Travis County; an executive member of the Austin Black Lawyers Association (ABLA), and a member of the Austin Bar Association. Additionally, Ms. Ingram served as an Austin Children’s Shelter Board Member and a T.A. Brown Elementary Adopt-A-School Program Mentor. She continues to serve as a member of the St. James Episcopal School Board.

Tracie J. Jackson, Esq. earned a bachelor of business administration, a master of arts in labor relations from the University of Cincinnati, and a juris doctor from the University of Toledo. She has practiced law in the field of labor and employment for the past 13 years. A former field attorney with the National Labor Relations Board, Attorney Jackson argued before the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and provided arbitration services for the United States Postal Service. Ms. Jackson is licensed to practice law in the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Ohio.

Sylvia James, Esq. is the firmwide diversity counsel for Baker Botts LLP. Prior to joining Baker Botts, Attorney James was senior counsel at the law firm of Holland & Knight in Washington, D.C., specializing in corporate diversity counseling and labor and employment law. Ms. James has authored or co-authored several diversity-related articles, including "Where Do We Go From Here - Diversity in the Wake of the Seattle and Louisville Cases," NALP Bulletin (September 2007), and "The Top Ten Things You Should Do When Setting Diversity Hiring Goals," The Race for Diverse Talent: A Major Report - Best Practices in Corporate Communications, June 30, 2006. Before joining Holland & Knight, she was an associate at Scopelitis, Garvin, Light & Hanson and Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. She earned her law degree from the Duke University School of Law and a bachelor of arts (with honors) in political science from Vassar College.

Shirley A. Jefferson, Esq. earned her bachelor of science in public administration from Southeastern University, and a juris doctor from Vermont Law School. She is the associate dean for student affairs and diversity at Vermont Law School. She is also an adjunct professor and teaches Race and the Law and Non-Profit Organizations. Dean Jefferson previously served as the director of alumni relations and admissions counselor at the law school. After graduating from law school, she worked as a legislative assistant to Washington, D.C. Council Member Wilhelmina J. Rolark, became an associate in Mrs. Rolark's law office, and then was associate counsel and then general counsel to the United Black Fund, Inc.

Irene Oritseweyinmi Joe, Esq. is a law clerk to the Honorable Napoleon A. Jones, Jr. for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. Attorney Joe graduated from Stanford University School of Law in May of 2006 with pro bono honors. Immediately after graduation, Irene completed a capital post-conviction fellowship with the Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama in Montgomery, Alabama. In late October, she will begin working as a public defender with the Orleans Public Defenders in New Orleans, Louisiana. Attorney Joe was born in Sapele, Nigeria, and moved to the United States when she was three-years-old. Ms. Joe completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin with honors in 2003, and won the William Jennings Bryan Award for Undergraduate Honors Theses for her thesis entitled “Was There a Place for Anger? An Analysis of African American Militancy in American Politics Since the Gary Convention.”

Jean Johnson, Esq. is president and chief executive officer of LegalWATCH, a risk mitigation training company she formed in 1997 after practicing law for a Fortune 100 company, and working for the United States Department of Justice, and an international law firm. In addition to her juris doctorate degree, she holds a master's degree in energy, environmental and natural resource law, a bachelor of science degree in business administration, and an associate's degree in criminal justice. Jean is certified in training and development and holds a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation. Ms. Johnson currently serves on the boards of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) and NISH National Institute for the Severely Disabled (NISH). Attorney Johnson just completed an unprecedented eight-year term as chair and vice chair of the Women’s Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association. She also served on the National Women’s Business Council, the Forum of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, and is a member of the Women Business Enterprise Alliance of Texas and Houston Minority Business Council. Ms. Johnson is a past president of the Houston Lawyers Association and past chair of the African American Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Lonnie L. Johnson, Esq. is the strategic issues manager, Exxon Mobil Corporation, providing Public Affairs support for media-related litigation cases and select legislative issues. Prior to serving in his current position, he served in various positions within Exxon and ExxonMobil. These positions include counsel for ExxonMobil Exploration and Development projects in the Gulf of Mexico, Madagascar and Nigeria; refinery attorney, Baytown and Beaumont Texas refineries; environmental counsel, ExxonMobil Production Company, Eastern United States; and trial attorney, Exxon Company U.S.A., Houston, Texas. Mr. Johnson received his J.D, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law, where he served on the Iowa Law Review, and was a member of the Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity. He earned his B.S.B.A. from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Mr. Johnson currently serves on the Board of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO); and is active in the State Bar of Texas, having served as a member of the Legal Services to the Poor Committee and past chair of the Opportunities for Minorities in the Profession Committee. He has served on various committees of the Houston Bar Association, the Houston Lawyers Association, the National Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.

Virginia M. Keehan, J.D. is the assistant dean and director of admissions at Southern Methodist University (SMU) Dedman School of Law. Prior to joining the admissions office at SMU, Dean Keehan practiced corporate and securities law at the Dallas office of Thompson & Knight LLP. Ms. Keehan graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of business administration from Texas A&M University. She earned her juris doctor with honors from SMU, where she was a Hatton W. Summers Scholar, a member of the Order of the Coif, Order of the Barristers, and an articles editor for the International Law Review.

Fareza Khan is the director of admissions at St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami Gardens, Florida. Mrs. Khan earned her bachelor of arts and master of science degrees from Boston College. Previously, she was the assistant director for financial aid and the law school admissions coordinator at Boston College Law School. During her time as the assistant director for financial aid at Boston College, Mrs. Khan was honored with the Staffer of the Year Award from the Law Student Association.

Sonia Laird received her bachelor's in science from Nyack College, where she graduated with distinction in organizational management. She received her master's in business administration from Nyack Graduate School of Business, where she was the 2004 Leading Scholar, and the only African-American student to graduate from the M.B.A. program with a 4.0 GPA. Ms. Laird has dedicated her life to public service and has over thirteen years of experience being an advocate for underrepresented populations. Since beginning her legal studies at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, Ms. Laird has founded two non-profit organizations, the National Public Awareness Agency and the Lawyers' Council on Social Justice. She also started a publishing firm, the Newell Publishing Group, and an organizational development enterprise, Real Life 101. She has appeared or been featured in the National Jurist and St. Thomas Lawyer magazines as well as on CBS affiliate, WCCO.

Keith Lamar, Jr. is a second-year law student at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University. He is the Chapter President of the Black Law Students Association and the Law Student Representative for the State Bar of Texas. His work experience includes interning for U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson, at the Legislative Black Caucus in Atlanta, serving as a health and safety coordinator for the Pre-Freshman Summer Program at Morehouse College, and an intern at Fearnley, Califf, Price, Walker & Hughes, and the Law Office of Boykin Edwards. Mr. Lamar is a graduate of Morehouse College where he earned a B.A. in political Science. While there, he was a member of the Pre-Law Society, the Pre-Alumni Society, the NAACP, the Student Government Association Ethics Committee. He also served as senator for the Georgia Club, an Adams Community Service Scholar, and chair of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.

Marcus LeBeouf, Esq. is an associate at Baker Botts in their Houston office, where he practices corporate and securities law. He earned his B.A. in political science from Morehouse College and his J.D. from the Duke University School of Law. He is a member of the Houston Bar Association, the Houston Young Lawyers Association, and the Sports Lawyers Association. He is a member of the Texas Bar and the North Carolina Bar.

Demetra L. Liggins, Esq. is an associate at Thompson & Knight LLP. Attorney Liggins is a cum laude graduate of Samford University Cumberland School of Law and a cum laude graduate of Christian Brothers University, where she earned a bachelor of business administration in marketing. She is currently the chair-elect of the Houston Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Section. She has received numerous professional awards and recognitions including the Houston Bar Association President's Award for outstanding service as co-chair of the Minority Opportunities in the Legal Profession Committee, and she was named as a Lawyer on the Fast Track by H Texas Magazine in 2004, and a Texas Rising Star in the 2005 and 2007 editions of Texas Monthly.

Ashlee Caligone McFarlane is a third-year law student at Vanderbilt University Law School. She graduated magna cum laude from Spelman College in 2006 with a B.A. in political science and philosophy. While at Vanderbilt, Ms. McFarlane has received dean’s list honors and currently serves as the president of the Black Law Students Association. She is also involved in Vanderbilt’s admissions process as a student recruiter and law school ambassador. She plans to begin her legal career in the Houston office of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell practicing labor & employment law. Ashlee and her husband Allan are one of two married couples who both currently attend Vanderbilt Law School.

Reginald McGahee, Esq. is the assistant dean and dean of admissions at Howard University School of Law. He earned dual bachelor's degrees in English and political science at South Carolina State University, and then his juris doctor degree from Howard University School of Law. While a law student, he served on the Board of Trustees, the Huver I. Brown Trial Advocacy Moot Court Team, and as an executive officer of the Student Bar Association. Prior to joining the admissions office at Howard, Dean McGahee worked in the Business and Legal Affairs Division of GM and for the District of Columbia Council. He was recently named as Young Lawyer of the Year by the National Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division.

BarbaraKaye Miller, Esq. is the dean of admissions at Phoenix School of Law. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law, where she was an associate editor of the Iowa Law Review. She was an associate with Fuller & Henry in Toledo, Ohio, and became the first African American assistant prosecutor in Lucas County, Ohio. She went on to clerk for the Honorable John W. Potter of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She has also been a partner at Wise People Management, and Ryan, Wise, Miller & Dorner, LLC. Prior to joining the admissions office at Phoenix Law, she was vice president of LegalWATCH, Inc., a preventive law training company headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Sonya Montgomery is a third-year law student at the University of Denver Sturm School of Law. She has served as a student representative on law school's admissions committee, a student representative on the Diversity in the Legal Profession Committee for the Denver Bar Association, a committee member and organizer of the 2007 Colorado and Denver Bar Association Diversity in the Legal Profession Rocky Mountain Diversity Legal Summit, and fellow of the Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO). Her legal experiences include interning for Attorney Joseph Barilla Jr., externing for the Superior Court of Los Angeles in the Criminal Justice Division, serving as a student attorney at the law school, and interning for the law firm of Holland and Hart. She has actively participated in mock trial, appellate advocacy, and negotiation competitions. Ms. Montgomery earned a B.A. in political science with a minor in legal studies from the University of Texas at San Antonio where she was a member of the debate team and earned her place on the dean’s list.

Jill Nikirk, Esq. is the associate director of admissions at Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Prior to joining the Admissions Office, Ms. Nikirk practiced education law at the Dallas Office of Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Schulze & Aldridge, where she defended Texas public school districts in special education and disabilities litigation, and was a frequent speaker across the state of Texas. Ms. Nikirk graduated the University of Houston with a degree in communication disorders. She earned her J.D. from SMU Dedman School of Law, where she was awarded the John E. Kennedy Memorial Scholarship, was the executive director for the Jackson Walker Moot Court Board, the Student Bar Association programs director, managing editor for the International Law Review, and was a member of the Barristers. Currently, Ms. Nikirk is active with the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (DAYL). She was also a member of the DAYL’s 2004 Leadership Class.

Ngozi C. Okechukwu, Esq. a Nigerian-American, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and moved to Enugu, Nigeria at the age of 9. While in Nigeria she attended primary (grade) school and completed most of her high school. She returned to the United States in 1997 to complete high school and went on to attend the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, where she received a bachelor of arts in political science. While at the University of Minnesota, Ms. Okechukwu served as both the political chair and vice president of the Black Student Union. She received her juris doctor from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. While there, she served as the associate justice of the Board of Advocates and was a senior editor on the Thurgood Marshall Law Review. Currently, Attorney Okechukwu is an associate in the Dallas office of Hunton & Williams, LLP, where her practice focuses on various complex commercial litigation matters.

Shayne O’Reilly, Esq. is an associate in the Richmond, Virginia office of Hunton & Williams LLP. His practice focuses on all aspects of intellectual property, including patent law, patent litigation, prosecution, due diligence investigations, licensing, and other transactional work and counseling. Attorney O’Reilly graduated from North Carolina A&T State University in 2002 with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering, and received his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 2006. He is a member of the Virginia, North Carolina, and Washington State Bars, and is licensed to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Jamila Patten attended the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and graduated with a concentration in international health. As a health development volunteer in the Peace Corps, she lived on the island of Saint Lucia and worked with the Ministry of Health and local and regional communities in the area of HIV/AIDS education, treatment, and support. After completing two years of service, she matriculated into the University of Houston Law Center. In July 2008, Jamila received a legislative fellowship through the University of Houston Health Law and Policy Institute. She is currently serving as a legislative aide for State Senator Leticia Van de Putte through the Texas 81st Legislative Session. After completing this fellowship, Ms. Patten will return to the University of Houston Law Center to complete her final year. Following graduation, she will start as a litigation associate at Jackson Walker L.L.P. in Houston. She is the immediate past president of the Black Law Students Association at the law school.

Melynda J. Price, J.D., Ph.D. is an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law. Professor Price completed a doctorate degree in political science from the University of Michigan in 2006. Her dissertation was awarded the 2007 Best Dissertation Award from the Race, Ethnicity and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association. In addition to her degree in political science, she also earned a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2002. While at the University of Texas, she was a member of the Texas International Law Journal and was awarded both the University of Texas Coop Award for Public Interest Law and the Baron and Budd Scholarship for Public Interest Law. She completed her undergraduate studies in Physics at Prairie View A&M University in 1995. Professor Price teaches in the areas of torts, immigration, law and social science, and law and popular culture. Her research focuses on race and citizenship, the politics of punishment and the role of law in the politics of race and ethnicity in the U.S. and at its borders.

Elbert L. Robertson, Esq. is a professor of law at the Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts. He earned a B.A. from Brown University, an M.A. from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and his J.D. from Columbia University Law School. He teaches Administrative Law, Antitrust, Business Associations, Corporations, Criminal Law, Jurisprudence, Law & Economics, Legal Method, and Torts. His legal experience has included working as a litigation associate for Jenner & Block in Chicago, Illinois, and as a special antitrust attorney and advisor for the Office of General Counsel (Competition Division) for the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, D.C. He has served as an assistant professor of law at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law and an assistant professor of law at Boston College Law School.

Denise A. Robinson, Esq. is the firm-wide diversity administrator for O’Melveny & Myers LLP, where she is responsible for recruiting, retaining, and advancing attorneys and staff from underrepresented backgrounds. Attorney Robinson came to O’Melveny from Georgetown University, where she worked as an admissions counselor for the Law Center and, most recently, as an assistant director of undergraduate admissions. Her admissions experience included evaluating U.S. and international candidates for the Law Center’s J.D. and LL.M. programs. At the undergraduate level, she was responsible for multicultural recruitment. Prior to working in the higher education arena, Denise practiced labor and employment law at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio. She earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Ohio University’s Honors Tutorial College, and her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

Jackie Robinson, Esq. is a partner at the global law firm of Thompson & Knight LLP in Dallas, Texas. He focuses his practice on litigation, has practiced in state and federal courts, and has tried more than 70 cases to verdict. Although the dominant portion of his practice involves the defense of premises liability and products liability claims, Mr. Robinson has represented clients in a number of contexts, including highway construction, airline safety, workers' compensation and non-subscriber litigation, and general tort litigation. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Morehouse College and a doctor of jurisprudence degree from the University of Houston Law Center.

Dacia Russell, Esq. is an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters. She was selected to participate in the DC Neighborhood College, a year-long community leadership training program sponsored by George Washington University. She currently serves on the Steering Committee for the Citizen Academy, a series of policy tutorials developed by Greater DC Cares, to educate the public and volunteers regarding timely issues facing the District. She interned at the U.S. Department of State in the Law Enforcement and Intelligence Division of the Office of the Legal Adviser. She currently is active on the American Bar Association's Africa Committee. Attorney Russell is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard College. She received her law degree from Stanford Law School, and has also earned a master’s in financial economics from the University of Oxford, England. She is a member of the bar both in New York and Washington, D.C.

Dennis Ryan, Esq. is a partner in Faegre & Benson’s Finance and Restructuring Group. He practices in the areas of bankruptcy, business reorganizations, and commercial finance. He is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute, the Minnesota State Bar Association Bankruptcy Section, and the Local Rules Committee of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Minnesota. He is also the district enrollment director for the Dartmouth Club of Midwest’s Executive Committee. Attorney Ryan is committed to pro bono legal work serving with the District of Minnesota Bankruptcy Adversary Proceeding Pro Bono Defense Project and the Volunteer Lawyers Network. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer by Minnesota Law & Politics. He is an alumnus of the University of Iowa College of Law, where he graduated with high distinction, and earned membership on Order of the Coif and Iowa Law Review.

Carolyn Sandberg, Esq. is the first diversity manager for Faegre & Benson, LLP. She leads the implementation and development of diversity initiatives throughout the firm, with a primary focus on U.S. offices. Prior to joining Faegre, she was a partner with a practice in intellectual property at another large Minneapolis law firm. She has also been an officer and head of the Trademark Department at a patent specialty firm. Before entering private practice, Carolyn was a member of the offices of general counsel at Honeywell Inc. and Control Data Corporation. She taught MBA and MSDD candidates in the University of St. Thomas graduate schools for over fifteen years, and has been a member of the Hamline University School of Law adjunct faculty since 1992. She currently teaches Trademark Law & Unfair Competition. Carolyn is a graduate of Macalester College and Hamline University School of Law.

Oswald J. Scott, Jr., Esq. is an attorney and municipal court judge for the City of Houston. As a practicing attorney, he focuses his practice primarily in wills and probate law. He has practiced in both state and federal courts and before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Oswald’s business and legal experience spans over 20 years. His career accomplishments include becoming a judge, working as a financial consultant, lecturing to professional and civic organizations on such topics as wills & probate, writing articles on financial and business matters, and publishing a legal newspaper. Attorney Scott is licensed to practice law by the Texas and Louisiana State Bars. He received his bachelor of science degree from Louisiana State University, and a juris doctorate degree from Southern University Law Center. In addition, he also speaks to youth groups and churches on the topics of success and achievement.

Tara M. Shaw, Esq. is an assistant city attorney in the Criminal Law Division for the City of Houston. Ms Shaw received her Juris Doctorate from Thurgood Marshall School of Law. In law school, she competed in the Frederick Douglas Moot Court Competition and advanced to the national competition winning the regional Best Petitioner’s Brief and Second Runner-Up for Best Overall Team. After graduating from law school, Ms. Shaw clerked for the Honorable Chief Justice Alma L. López, Fourth Court of Appeals, worked as a paralegal at the United States Department of Health And Human Services in the Office of the General Counsel, Ethics Division, Washington D.C., and as a document review attorney at various firms located in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and South Carolina. She has also served clients through her own private practice on primarily criminal defense, family law, and contract matters. In addition, Attorney Shaw has drafted appellate briefs to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Shaw earned her B.A., magna cum laude, in English literature from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina.

Tiffany Simmons, Esq. is the legal recruiting administrator for the Richmond office of Hunton & Williams, LLP. In this capacity, Ms. Simmons is responsible for the recruiting and hiring of lateral and entry-level associates. Additionally, she serves on the Recruiting Committte and Diversity Programming Task Force. She received her juris doctorate from Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law (TMSL). While attending TMSL, her commitment to her institution was recognized when she was given the Student of the Year Award and Pro Bono Award. Upon graduating from law school, Ms. Simmons was offered a position at her law school as the assistant director of admissions and financial aid. Attorney Simmons is a member of the Old Dominion Bar Association, the Association of Women Attorneys, and the Texas Young Lawyers Association. She was recently appointed to the Virginia State Bar Commission on Women and Minorities in the Law.

Jennifer Sims, J.D. is the assistant dean for admissions at Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and advisor to its Black Law Students Association chapter. She earned her doctorate of jurisprudence from Cumberland School of Law before joining the Admissions Office in 2004. Prior to attending Cumberland, she graduated with undergraduate degrees in environmental design and philosophy from Texas A&M University at College Station.

Reginald Skinner, Esq. graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Richmond with a bachelor of arts in political science. Mr. Skinner spent the summer between college and law school as an intern with the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., where he studied the effects of curriculum tracking on minority students in elementary and secondary schools. He then received his juris doctor and master’s in public administration from Harvard University. After law school, Mr. Skinner served as a judicial law clerk to Judge Nathaniel Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (retired) and Judge Allyson Duncan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Currently, Attorney Skinner is an associate with Hunton & Williams, where his practice focuses on appellate, commercial, and mass tort litigation.

R. Nicole Stagg, Esq. is a 2001 graduate of Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Ms. Stagg received her undergraduate degree in 1998 from Stephen F. Austin State University in political science. In 2002, she became a partner in The Law Offices of James and Stagg, PLLC. Ms. Stagg is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Family Law and Criminal Law Sections, Houston Bar Association, Family Law and Criminal Law Sections, Burta Rhodes Raborn Inns of Court, Solos Supporting Solos, the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and she is a member of the Houston Bar Association’s Night Court.

Kathryn R. Stell, Esq. is director of diversity at Sidley Austin LLP, where she oversees programs and policies designed to increase diversity and inclusion at the firm and in the legal profession. A lawyer by training, Ms. Stell previously served as assistant dean of students at the University of Chicago Law School, where she read and evaluated hundreds of law school applications. Later, as deputy dean of students and assistant to the provost at the University of Chicago, she headed the Office of Minority Student Affairs, and provided counseling on law school admissions and other matters. A member of both the California and Illinois State Bars, Ms. Stell earned her bachelor's degree from Harvard University, and her J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

Aaron N. Taylor, Esq. is the chief admissions officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law. He joined the law school in September 2006 from Harvard University where, as an administrative fellow, he managed admissions for five Master’s degree programs in the Graduate School of Education. Prior to his fellowship, Dean Taylor practiced professional responsibility law before serving as assistant director of admission at the University of the District of Columbia School of Law. Dean Taylor received a bachelor’s in political science from North Carolina A&T State University, a juris doctor from Howard University, and is a doctoral candidate at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University. In addition to his work at the law school, Dean Taylor serves on the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Misconduct and Irregularities in the Admission Process Subcommittee, the Young Lawyers Executive Council of the Arkansas Bar, and is editor of the online pre-law magazine, TheAdvisorMag.com. He is a member of the Arkansas Bar and the Florida Bar.

David Taylor, Esq. earned a degree in business administration with an emphasis in real estate and insurance from the University of Southern Mississippi, and later earned a master of business administration degree from Mississippi State University. In 1994, Mr. Taylor enrolled at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law where he graduated in the top 15% of the class of 1997. During law school, Mr. Taylor served as an intern for the Houston law firm Williams, Birnberg and Anderson, where he secured his first full-time legal employment upon graduation. After practicing in Houston, Mr. Taylor moved on to serve in his current capacity as an attorney advisor for the United States Patent and Trademark Office, where he has practiced intellectual property law since 1998. During his lengthy tenure, Mr. Taylor has prosecuted, registered, or defended thousands of trademarks for many of the world’s most well-known companies, entertainers, and sports teams. Attorney Taylor has also successfully argued cases before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Nydia D. Thomas, Esq. is deputy general counsel for the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission. She serves as agency counsel in the areas of juvenile law, administrative law, contracts, legislative analysis, and ethics. Ms. Thomas is a professional trainer and lecturer on juvenile law, as well as a recurring faculty member for the Texas Justice Court Training Center, the Correctional Management Institute of Texas, and the Texas Association of Counties. Ms. Thomas holds a bachelor of science in government from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas and a doctor of jurisprudence from Howard University School of Law. During her time in Washington, D.C., she worked for a congressional research foundation and for a member of Congress. Prior to joining the Commission in 1998, she was in private practice in suburban Houston, an adjunct instructor of political science at Montgomery College in the Woodlands, and coordinated a delinquency prevention program for the Liberty County Juvenile Probation Department. The former council member and mayor pro tem of Cleveland, Texas has received both gubernatorial and attorney general appointments.

Donna R. Tomlinson, Esq. is an associate with the law firm of Bracewell and Giuliani in Dallas, Texas. Her practice focuses on a variety of general business, governance, securities, financing, and merger and acquisition matters for private and public business entities. Attorney Tomlinson earned her bachelor of business administration cum laude from Prairie View A&M University, a juris doctor cum laude from South Texas College of Law, and a master of laws degree from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She is a member of the Houston Bar Association and the American Bar Association, and co-chairs the Minority Affairs and the Aspiring Youth Program Committees of the Houston Young Lawyers Association.

Orlesia A. Tucker, Esq. is a shareholder of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody. She has practiced in the areas of trial and appellate litigation, and trademark and copyright law. In addition to her license to practice law in Texas, Hawkins is a registered patent attorney with patent prosecution experience in the field of biotechnology and business methods. She also has advised clients on technology licensing issues. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor of science degree in bioengineering and earned her law degree from South Texas College of Law. Hawkins is a graduate of Leadership Austin, and a board member of Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas and Reading is FUNdamental. She is also a director of the Texas State Bar’s African American Lawyers Section, and a member of the Texas Bar Foundation.

Marlen D. Whitley, Esq. is an attorney in the Houston, Texas office of Thompson & Knight, LLP, an international law firm, where he practices in the firm’s Corporate & Securities Law Section. Attorney Whitley received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was named a Dean’s Distinguished Graduate of the College of Liberal Arts. During his senior year, he was elected to serve as the student body president of the University of Texas (UT). He later received his doctorate of jurisprudence from the University of Texas Law School. While attending UT, Mr. Whitley served as a member of the Men’s Intercollegiate Athletics Council, a co-convener of the African American Male Summit, and as a member on the committee to construct the historical statue of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on campus. Attorney Whitley has served on the boards of the Chestnut Neighborhood Revitalization Corporation, the Open Door Preschools, and the Morning Star Rising Youth Empowerment Program. He also served as a director of youth ministries for the David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. He currently serves as general counsel to the Houston Citizen’s Chamber of Commerce.