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

Welcome to the 5th Annual
National Black Pre-Law Admissions & Preparation
Conference and Law Fair 2009!

Ricky Anderson, a 1979 graduate of Benton Harbor High School, Benton Harbor, Michigan, attended Prairie View A & M University receiving a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1983, his Juris Doctor Degree from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 1992.

Ricky Anderson has been the Managing Partner of the Law Firm of Anderson & Smith P.C., since 1994, with their main office in Houston, Texas, as well as, an Adjunct Professor at Thurgood Marshall School of Law, where he lectures Entertainment Law and Trial Preparation.

The Law Firm of Anderson & Smith P.C. represents celebrities, Comedian-Actor Steve Harvey of the Steve Harvey Show, Steve Harvey’s Big Time and the Nationally Syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Show; Benton Harbor’s own MLA Management, the management company for Comedian-Actor Sinbad; J. Anthony Brown of the Tom Joyner Morning Show and WB’s “Like Family”; Rushion McDonald of “Sister/Sister”, and the “Jamie Foxx Show”, Michael Colyar of BET’s Live in LA; Comedian-Actor Monique of “The Parkers” and “Showtime at the Apollo”; Rickey Smiley of the BET’s Comic view, and ABC’s Nationally Syndicated Doug Banks Morning Show, The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, Mike Robles, in the George Lopez Loco Comedy Jam Television Series; WNBA’s four time MVP and World Champions Houston Comet’s Cynthia Cooper; former Houston Oiler, Tennessee Titan’s Eddie Robinson the late Christopher Rios, professionally known as “Big Pun”, Virgin Records, Gorilla Black, R & B Artist “Rome”, Total Entertainment; Ace “The Players” from the UPN Reality Television Show “The Player”, and Actor Comedian Adele Givens to name a Few. Television Shows are, weekly broadcast ‘Like Family”, Warner Brothers, “The Parkers”, UPN, Showtime @ Apollo, UPN, “Steve Harvey’s Big Time”, Coming to the Stage, BET, and Comic View, BET, Big City, Barbershop, and Trailer Park Disasters.

In addition to the network television, movies, feature films, pay per view and HBO deals that Ricky Anderson develops, he is the Creator and Executive Producer of the Nationally Syndicated weekly television show Big City, and the current CEO and President of Big City Records, Inc., and the majority shareholder in Qudel Promotions, Inc., producing national concerts such as the “Kings of Comedy”, “Jazzfest”, “the Boys are Back”, and “the Hip Hop Comedy Reunion Tour”, Teens of Comedy, Class Clown Comedy Tour, and Learning through Laughter. He is also the Executive producer of such Independent feature films as “Renegade”, “Beach Party Weekend”, featuring BET’s Rap City Big Tigger, Layzie Bone from Bone Thugs, Lil’ Flip, and South Park Mexican, “A Freakin Documentary with Shamar Moore, Bo Valentine, Ideal”, “Buckwild on the Beach featuring Mystical, Genuwine, Too Short, Solo, Goodie Mob, Case, Eight Ball & MJG, Luke” and “Beach Party”.

Adia May, Esq., MBA is the founder and CEO of Zuri Entertainment LLC, which services clients in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.

She is an entertainment attorney who has negotiated multi-million dollar deals for film, television and music on behalf of major studios, actors and music artists. Her impressive list of clients include Anthony Hamilton, Kelly Rowland, Erica Hubbard, Rodney Perry and YoYo. She is the former in-house counsel for Codeblack Entertainment, where she was head of both Business and Legal Affairs. She is also a former Screen Actors Guild Advisor in Entertainment Contracts. She prides herself on her thoroughness and zealous representation of her clients, whether serving as an advisor or master negotiator.

Ms. May has several feature films and television shows in development. She enjoys the creative process and helping filmmakers give birth to their stories.

Ms. May is a Howard University alumna who graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance. She obtained her JD/MBA from The University of Iowa. At Iowa, she was the only person of color in her joint JD/MBA class.

Adia is a member of the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee and the Entertainment Law Committee of the Langston Bar Association. She also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Manifest Your Destiny Foundation, the non-profit foundation founded by actor, Hill Harper. She is also a member of the Advisory Board for the National Black Pre-MBA Conference and Business School Fair. Additionally, she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

She is a frequent speaker on the motivational speaker circuit. Adia lives in Los Angeles, California and is originally from Chicago, Illinois.

Oswald J. Scott, Jr., a man of vision and purpose, believes all of us possess the potential for greatness and he delivers his message of hope and encouragement through writing and speaking engagements. Having raised above his inner-city beginnings to become a judge, successful attorney, motivational speaker and business owner, he shares with his readers and audiences the secrets of success learned from his own personal journey.

Oswald’s business and legal experience expands 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. In addition, he also speaks to youth groups and churches on the topics of success and achievement.

Oswald serves as the CEO and founder, a self-development firm specializing in products to inform, inspire, and motivate individuals seeking personal fulfillment and professional success, and is the CEO and founder of Street Corner Books, a publishing company established to publish his works and to inspire young black men to discover the power of reading and writing. Recently Oswald decided to put his thoughts into two books: The Promise: A Black Man’s Guide to Money, Power & Respect, and Big Momma’s Ten Commandments for Abundant Living. His third book, How You Living? An African American Guide to Wealth, Success & Happiness, promises to reveal proven strategies for African Americans to live the American dream.

Oswald works tirelessly in his community as a board member of a highly successful pre-school for inner city kids and as a member of a community based chamber of commerce developing business education and business development in the Black community. He also performs free workshops to young men on the principles of success and achievement.

Licensed to practice law by the Texas and Louisiana State Bars, he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Louisiana State University, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Southern University Law Center. As a Dale Carnegie Training graduate he received the Highest Award for Achievement. Oswald currently lives in Houston with his wife, Jennifer, and has three children Guy, Sydney, and Drew.

Daryl K. Washington, Esq. is the owner of The Law Offices of Daryl K. Washington, P.C. He is formerly a partner with 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. Furthermore, he represents entertainers, including Michael Baisden and the Michael Baisden Show.

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.

Jessica N. Childress is a Richmond native and a third-year law student at the University of Virginia. She holds a bachelors degree in both government and African American Studies from the University of Virginia, as well as a minor in Spanish. Ms. Childress is currently the College Student Division Director of the National Black Law Students Association.

As an undergraduate, Ms. Childress was the chairman of the Black Leadership Institute, a Peer Advisor for the Office of African American Affairs, a counselor and judge for the University Judiciary Committee, and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. The summer prior to law school, she served as intern in the office of United States Congressman Bobby Scott.

At the University of Virginia School of Law, Ms. Childress is an executive board member of the UVA Law Student Bar Association and an editorial board member of the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & Law. She also sits on the University of Virginia Alumni Diversity Advisory Board.

Ms. Childress has worked as a summer associate in the law offices of Perkins Coie, LLP in Seattle, Washington and McGuireWoods, LLP in Richmond, Virginia.

Andrew G. McGee, president of the Houston Lawyers Association, maintains a solo practice, as principal for Law Offices of Andrew G. McGee, focused on the areas of criminal law and procedure, probate and deceptive trade.

A graduate of the University of Detroit (History) and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University (Moot Ct. Chair, BLSA, NBLSA), Andrew has previously chaired the HLA Oral History Project committee, the HLA Continuing Legal Education (CLE) committee (2nd Tuesdays in the CJC) and worked with the local committee for the National Bar Association Annual Convention. Mr. McGee is an active participant with NAACP Legal Clinic, the Earl Carl Institute at Texas Southern University and the Omega Nu Phi Educational Center (ONPEC).

He is active on committees with ACLU of Houston, Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association, Houston Bar Association, State Bar of Texas and the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program. He is a member of the College of the State Bar of Texas.

Justice Carolyn Wright is elected to the Texas State Court of Appeals and has served in the judiciary for more than 25 years. While many of the positions held by her have been historical firsts for women and minorities serving in the Dallas judiciary, her election to the Court of Appeals marks the first time in Texas history that an African American woman has ever won a multi-county election for any elected office in Texas, and she is the only African-American woman currently serving on an appellate court in the State of Texas. The court has jurisdiction over both civil and criminal appeals from trial courts in six large North Texas counties, from which she is elected. Her prior judicial service includes eight years as an elected State District Judge and three years as an Associate Judge in the Family District Courts. Prior to her judicial service, she was engaged in the private practice of law in areas of business transactions and litigation, as well as juvenile and family law. Prior to and during law school she worked for the federal government in a law-related field of juvenile justice. She graduated from the Howard University School of Law, Washington, D.C.

She is past Chair and a Sustaining Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, a multi-million dollar legal charity; Fellow of the Foundations of the Dallas Bar and Dallas Young Lawyers; Member of the College of the State Bar of Texas, the National and American Bar Associations and the JL Turner African-American Legal Association; former faculty member of the Texas Center for the Judiciary and National Judicial College, Reno, Nevada.; appointed to the Judicial Ethics Committee and a Texas Supreme Court Appellate Tribunal for removal of a judge from elected office; appointed to a National Task Force to set national standards for mediation practice. Most recently she is serving on State Bar Task Forces to set standards for Death Penalty Habeas Representation and to Improve the Hiring and Retention of Minorities and Women in Major Law Firms in Texas.

Justice Wright is the ecipient of numerous civic and professional awards, featured in national and historical publications, for contributions to excellence in service to the community and law; a frequent media panelist and guest lecturer for churches, legal seminars, schools, public forums, and judicial education. She is a member of the Hamilton Park United Methodist Church; Downtown Rotary Club; Executive Women of Dallas; Dallas Chapter of Links, Inc., and Jordan CDC Board.

Justice Wright was honored as a “Yellow Rose of Texas”, recipient of Governor Bush’s community-service award. Also recipient of: Dallas Women Lawyers’ Louise Raggio Award for contributions to women and proficiency in law; Howard University School of Law’s “Distinguished Alumnus Award;” the Dallas Bar Association's MLK for Justice Award; the J.L. Turner Legal Association's Jurist of the Year Award; the American Jewish Congress’s “Woman of Spirit” Award; the Iota Phi Lamda Sorority’s Woman of the Year Award; the Committee on Race and Religion’s Community Service Award, North Texas United Methodist Conference; the Business Opportunity Symposium’s “Woman of Distinction Award”; the SMU Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s Metroplex Woman of the Year Award; the NAACP’s Juanita Craft Award in Law; the Legal Services’ Pro Bono Legal Service Awards; and Outstanding Performance Awards as a Federal Civil Servant.

Reginald Rhodes is the author of the soon-to-be best-seller The Most Important Brand in the World: YOU!, an entertaining, self-help, quick read dealing with the importance of personal brand management to help ensure the success of everyday people. This resource is the first release from the BRAND collection from his publishing company, Little Book, Big Impact, whose slogan is “Impacting lives in 100 pages or less.”

Reginald is well-known within the Houston community as the successful co-owner of iI10 Media, a popular print and media marketing firm. His company has been in business for eight years, and focuses on helping small businesses with gaining exposure for and success with their brands. Under the umbrella of i10 Media is IX Magazine, i10Media.com, and Big Apple Jazz and Soul.

Prior to starting i10 Media, Reginald was highly involved in the world of sports. He worked with Let’s Be Friends, an all-star game, where over 25 children participants went on to play college basketball. He also served as an assistant basketball coach at St. Anthony’s High School, working alongside and under the guidance of the legendary coach Bob Hurley, at the time when his team was ranked as one of the top five basketball teams in America.

Before launching i10Media, he was the president and CEO of Railroad Sports and Entertainment, a company which hosted celebrity parties for well-known NBA and WNBA professional athletes. His impressive list of clients included Houston Rocket basketball players Roderick Rhodes (his brother), Rashawn McCloud, Moochie Norris, Steve Francis, and Glenn Robinson, as well as the WNBA four-time champion Houston Comets’ stars Tina Thompson and Sheryl Swoopes, among numerous others.

Reginald’s personal brand is built around helping others and doing things with unlimited energy, passion, quality, consistency, and exceeding expectations. His signature marketing advice for business owners is "Exhaust all of the possibilities." He was born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey. He attended William Patterson College, where he majored in sports management. He currently resides in Houston, Texas.

Crystal Washington is the owner of a Houston-based marketing firm, organizer of several business organizations, and is a consultant and speaker that teaches entrepreneurs how to leverage image marketing and business networking to supercharge business growth!

What makes Crystal unique is that she not only shares knowledge that she gained as a result of her education, but she literally built her business empire from the ground up using these techniques. In other words, she already practiced what she is now preaching.

Crystal’s journey started several years ago when she decided to leave corporate America to pursue her dream of owning a marketing business that would encourage and inspire business owners in Houston’s urban communities.

So what did a young entrepreneur whose very part-time business was just breaking even do to not only survive, but also thrive? She started building her network! Crystal began networking with business owners at networking events and online. She began the task of recreating her marketing business’ image to attract her target clientele. She built a business empire and network of thousands of businesses owners without a single loan, grant or investor. She leveraged her network and business image.

Delilah A. Alexander is a brilliant visionary with a unique approach to image and style. From a young age Delilah was passionate about fashion and encouraging others. Delilah is Executive Director of Image Essentials LLC and Delilah Unlimited. She assists clients with building an image that reflects their personal style. As a public speaker Delilah travels the country speaking to students about the value of a college education and making the right career choices. Through the delivery of compelling messages she encourages and inspires her audiences. She is a sought after speaker for schools, churches and social organizations. She produces and directs fashion events, conducts modeling and etiquette workshops that educate, empower and motivate.

As an actress and model she has appeared on numerous local and national commercials and print ads. Delilah is a 2009 recipient of the YMCA Minority Achievement Award. She sits on the Fashion Group International advisory board and is a member of the Association of Image Consultants International.

Delilah is a proud mother, serves on ministry at Lakewood Church, enjoys travelling, writing and time with family.

Fran R. Aden is an associate with Hunton & Williams. Her practice focuses on labor and employment law and civil litigation with emphasis on employment litigation, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, ERISA, employee raiding, enforcement of non-competition agreements, and protection of trade secrets. Litigates in federal and state court, and administrative proceedings. Also counsels employers on a wide range of employment issues, including severance agreements, employment contracts, termination, disability accommodation, wage and hour compliance, and reductions in force.

She earned a bachelor of business administration at the University of Texas in marketing, and a J.D. summa cum laude from South Texas College of Law. At South Texas, she was a member of the South Texas Law Review and served as an assistant note and comment editor for the legal journal.

She is a member of the Houston Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association for the Fifth Circuit, the American Bar Association, Houston Young Lawyers Association, and the Texas Young Lawyers Association.

She does a great deal of pro bono work. She is a director of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program, and a volunteer for the Legal Lines Program and the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program Saturday Walk-In Clinics. In 2008, she was awarded the Akin Gump Pro Bono Associate of the Year for the Houston Office, and Akin Gump Pro Bono Achievement Awards in 2006 and 2007.

Gloria Aldridge, Esq. is Chief Counsel for the Houston Field Office of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and has worked for HUD for 22 years. Prior to her work with HUD, Ms. Aldridge worked for Tenneco Oil Company for eight years in their Exploration Properties Division and supervised real estate activities in the US and several foreign countries in the development and production of various energy sources. She has also worked as a Claims Representative for the Social Security Administration. Ms. Aldridge graduated from Prairie View A&M University summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English. She later attended law school part-time at night while working full-time but still qualified for the Order of the Lytae, an honors fraternity, and Law Journal. As part of her law school requirements, Ms. Aldridge studied at Queens College at Oxford University, England and earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1981 from South Texas 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.

Anita Barksdale, Esq. joined the Houston office of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. in 2008 as an associate. Her practice focuses on a variety of labor and employment matters. She represents management and employers in arbitration, mediation and litigation of matters regarding harassment, discrimination, retaliation, as well as termination. Ms. Barksdale graduated magna cum laude from Howard University (HU) in 2002, with a bachelor’s in business administration and a concentration in information systems, and from Georgetown University Law Center in 2008 with a juris doctorate. While in law school, Ms. Barksdale was a recipient of the Dean's Certificate. Prior to law school, she was an information management senior associate with KPMG LLP, where she won the Washington, D.C. Chairman's Award. She actively volunteers for various organizations within the community, and currently serves as a member of the Delta Leadership Southwest Task Force.

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.

Rhonda Beassie, Esq. is the assistant dean of career development and assistant clinical professor at the University of Houston Law Center. Dean Beassie is a graduate of Hawaii Pacific University and the University of Houston Law Center. She taught in the law school's Clinical and Legal Writing Programs before assuming direction of the Career Development Office. Ms. Beassie developed expertise in legal placement as the first supervisor of the University of Houston Law Center's Externship Program developing student placements in judicial internships, government agencies, health law organizations, and public interest legal services agencies. Prior to pursuing a career in law, Dean Beassie worked in both marketing and human resources fields.

Noe Bernal is the assistant dean for admissions at Villanova University School of Law. Mr. Bernal began his career in law school administration at South Texas College of Law, where he was the assistant director for career services, and later the director of recruitment and research in the Office of Admissions. Mr. Bernal earned a sociology and Spanish literature degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to law school administration, he worked as a case manager for a social service agency in Houston, Texas. He has presented at numerous Law School Admission Council law school forums and is a member of the Services and Programs Committee.

Marquetta Bryan, Esq. is an associate at Carlock Copeland. She focuses her practice in the areas Employment and General Litigation, including defending public and private entities in employment-related litigation. Prior to joining Carlock Copeland, Marquetta worked with the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, where her practice included defending HUD in employment, tort, contract, and administrative matters. In 2007, Marquetta was recognized by the Federal Executive Board for her successful litigation record. During law school, Marquetta was a member of the Cleveland State Law Review, and served as the Vice-Chair of the University Judicial Board and President of the Black Law Students Association. Marquetta was recognized by the National Association of Women Lawyers and the Urban League as an Outstanding Law Student. Marquetta is active in the community. Her involvement includes serving as Co-Chair of the ABA recognized youth legal education and mentoring project, "If You Can See It, You Can Be It." She is also a graduate of the 2008 Class of the YLD Leadership Academy of the State Bar of Georgia.

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.

His long and illustrious legal career includes positions in the Attorney General’s Honors Program at the United States Department of Justice in the Criminal Division, as an assistant United States attorney in Washington, D.C., the first general counsel of the Metropolitan Police Department in the District of Columbia, the first African American United States magistrate (now call United States magistrate judges) in the United States, the legal advisor for the United States Civil Service System, 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, a United States magistrate judge in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

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.

Collins J. Byrd Jr. is the assistant dean for admissions at the University of Iowa College of Law. He has been in the field of undergraduate and graduate school admissions for over 20 years. Dean Byrd has served as director of admissions at the University of Minnesota Law School, assistant dean for admissions at William Mitchell College of Law, and associate director of admissions at Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Mr. Byrd earned a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University.

Martin Camp is the assistant dean for student affairs and an adjunct professor of law at Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas, Texas. He was an associate for the Huges & Luce law firm, then served at the Jones Day law firm, where he was of counsel, partner in charge of the real estate section, partner in charge of the Kuwait Office, and partner in the Dallas Office. He graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in government from Centenary College of Louisiana. He went on to earn his Juris Doctor cum laude from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law garnering the academic distinctions of becoming a member of the highly esteemed Order of the Coif and Law Review.

His extensive legal experience includes working as an associate at Hughes & Luce Law Firm and at the Jones Day Law Firm where he served as Of Counsel, Partner in Charge of the Real Estate Section of the Austin Office, Partner in Charge of the Kuwait Office and Partner in the Dallas Office.

He has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Texas Super Lawyers in Real Estate Law. For many years he served on the Legal Forms Committee of the Real Property Section of the State Bar of Texas which was responsible for drafting the Texas Real Estate Forms Manual.

He is a member of the Texas Bar Association, The Texas College of Real Estate Lawyers, and the Dallas Bar Association where he is also a fellow of the Dallas Bar Foundation. He has served on the board of directors for the Central Dallas Association and is involved in numerous other civic endeavors. He also serves on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Leisure and Retail Property.

He is also the author of a children’s book, Why Alligators Don’t Have Wings, ISBN 1-880092-06-09 Bright Books, Publisher, and of a book entitled Life on the High Wire, Faith and a Man’s Search for Balance, ISBN 0-687-05239-4, Dimensions for Living Division, Abingdon Press. I was selected as one of twelve authors for the book, 365 Meditations for Men, also published by Dimensions for Living, Abingdon. He has co-authored a book published by the American Bar Association Law Practice Management Section entitled The Associate’s Guide to Connecting with Colleagues.

Elizabeth A. Campbell, Esq. is a partner and chief diversity officer with Andrews Kurth LLP. She is an attorney and diversity practitioner with a successful record of working with corporate executives and teams to accomplish organizational goals. In her role as partner and chief diversity officer, she is responsible for the development and implementation of the firm’s comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategic plan. She is a frequent speaker, training facilitator and author on the topic of diversity and inclusion and related employment law topics.

She works closely with the chairs of the firm’s Diversity Committee and the Women’s Initiative Team, and is a member of the Recruiting, Professional Development and Associates Committees. She also collaborates with the firm’s marketing professionals to drive marketing and branding strategies; the Community Relations partner to identify opportunities to support community-based endeavors that align with the firm’s strategic goals; human resources professionals to develop human capital strategies for all employees; and accounting professionals on the firm’s supplier/vendor diversity pursuits.

During her career, Elizabeth has worked in the areas of administrative and employment law both in law firm and in-house counsel settings, and has led human resources, employment relations and diversity strategies at large corporations. Before joining Andrews Kurth in February 2007, Elizabeth served as Vice President of Employment Relations and Corporate Diversity Officer for ARAMARK Corporation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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.

Sonya Chandler-Anderson, Esq. is a practicing attorney in Houston, Texas. She is a graduate of 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.

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.

Glenda Clausell is a licensed Texas attorney. She received her B.A. degree from Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas); Master’s of Liberal Arts degree from the University of St. Thomas (Houston, Texas) and her law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University (Houston, Texas).

Before attending law school, Ms. Clausell worked in a mid-size law firm handling commercial litigation matters and in the corporate legal department of Shell Oil Company for eight years.

Jerome Coenic-Taylor is a third-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.

Robert N. Collier is an associate at Morgan Stanley where he currently provides financial and investment advisory services to high net worth individuals, non-profits and corporate institutions. Prior to his current position, Mr. Collier founded Collier Hudson PLLC, a small business transactions and litigation firm. Mr. Collier received his B.A. from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. After graduating with honors, Robert continued his education at Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University, where he was awarded first place in the American Bar Association Thurgood Marshall Client Counseling Competition, Best Oral Advocate Award, and the prestigious CALI Award for Best Oral Argument. While in law school, Mr. Collier served on the national board of the National Black Law Student Association as Chair of International Relations. In this position Mr. Collier chartered the first NBLSA affiliate chapter in Nigeria and laid the foundation for the NBLSA International Negotiations Competition. Mr. Collier was selected to serve as a clerk for Judge Levi Benton of the 215th Harris County District Court and Judge Kenneth Hoyt in the United States District Court of the Southern District of Texas. Additionally, Mr. Collier has clerked for Congressman Bennie Thompson and the U.S. Homeland Security Committee, and Watkins Ludlum Winter and Stennis. Prior to starting his own practice, Robert worked for Pricewaterhouse Coopers and The Hall Law Firm.

Jonathan H. Cox, Esq. founded The Cox Law Firm P.C. in 2001 after serving 3 years as an Assistant District Attorney in Galveston County, Texas. While in the District Attorney’s office, Mr. Cox served as Chief of the Misdemeanor Trial Division and later as a Felony Prosecutor in the 122nd Judicial District Court. In these positions, Mr. Cox gained valuable trial experience, trying over 30 Jury Trials. Also, Mr. Cox served as lead prosecutor in criminal investigations on various issues ranging from public corruption to violations of election laws.

The Cox Law Firm, P.C. has a diverse practice focusing on civil and business litigation as well as criminal trial work. The firm's business clients include MS World, LLC, a top sports agency, Taste Coffee and Wine Bar and Urban Evolution, LLC and several other local small businesses.

The firm has recently partnered with The Pradia Law firm to create The Cox Pradia Law Firm, which focuses exclusively on Personal Injury litigation.

Mr. Cox is licensed to practice in the Southern District of Texas, Eastern District of Texas, District of Maryland and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Additionally, Mr. Cox has practiced in the United States Supreme Court as a CJA attorney.

Mr. Cox has had the privilege of being honored as a Rising Star in the Texas Monthly Magazines Super Lawyers Edition in 2004 and 2005.

Mr. Cox has been very active in his community serving on non profit boards and participating in various volunteer attorney events. He has served on various non profit boards and is active in business organization in the Houston and surrounding areas.

He is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University and Southern University Law Center.

Donald Crump is employed with Barker Lyman Law Firm in Houston, Texas where he practices general litigation. Mr. Crump graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from Morehouse College.

He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center where he was Order of Barristers, a Dean Tennessee Scholar, and the Executive Editor of the Houston Business and Tax Law Journal.

His article regarding White Collar Crime and Tax Fraud will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal. He is a member of the Garland Walker Inns of Court.

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.

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.

Beverly Caro Duréus, Esq, is a senior lecturer in law at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. She served as a judicial clerk intern for Chief Judge William Stuart for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Following graduation she worked in civil litigation at Gardere & Wynne, L.L.P. in Dallas, was a shareholder at Chapman & Reese, P.C., and returned to Iowa as an Associate Professor of Law at Drake University where she taught civil procedure, evidence and legal research & writing. She has served as Senior Counsel and the Chair of the Ecclesiastical Section of White & Wiggins, L.L.P. in Dallas since 1994, and is the Founder and President of Katallasso Ministries International™. She currently teaches Legal Research, Writing & Advocacy. She earned her bachelor of arts and juris doctor from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and her master of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas.

Sandra L. English, Esq., is the Assistant Director of 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. 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, Ms. English worked as an Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor. Ms. English is a member of the American Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and sits on the Cleveland State University’s McNair Scholars Program Advisory Board.

Marva Fabien, Esq. joined Willamette University College of Law in January 2001 as its first coordinator of professional development and multicultural affairs. In this position, Fabien assists with admissions and implementation of the academic support program. Fabien also is responsible for multicultural planning, programming and student affairs in the College of Law.

Most recently, Fabien was assistant superintendent for the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn, Oregon. She was appointed to the Oregon Board of Parole and Post Prison Supervision in 1993 by Governor Barbara Roberts, eventually serving as chairperson. In 2003, she was elected to the Oregon State Bar Board of Governors. Fabien served as the Academic Support Director for Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland from 1988 to 1993. She also has been an attorney in private practice and was a staff attorney for the Multnomah County Legal Aid Service in Portland. She is a member of the bar in the states of Oregon and Idaho. Fabien earned her law degree at Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College and her bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon. She is a native of Trinidad.

Mary A. Ferguson, J.D. was the creator of the Diversity Services Office at Michigan State University College of Law, where she has served as director since its inception in 2006. In her multi-faceted role, Ms. Ferguson seeks to ensure that prospective and current law students understand the law school’s commitment and dedication to diversity through support programs, inclusive initiatives, and outreach connections. Further, she serves as a liaison between the law college and the professional community on the importance of increasing diversity in the legal profession. She has over 20 years of local, regional, and national community service involvement on a diversified array of issues. It is through this involvement that she has presented professionally on these topics to groups ranging from 5 to over 1,000.

During her interim year between her undergraduate studies and law school, she volunteered for one year with AmeriCorps VISTA, a national service organization designed to engage individuals in community service. She was one of four nationally chosen for a program entitled “Housing 2000” where she worked on the issue of eradicating homelessness in America.

Her desire to help others, combined with a strong interest in civil rights, led her to MSU College of Law, where she earned her J.D. in 2002. Ms. Ferguson joined the law college staff as library circulation manager for a year after graduation. In May 2003, she became assistant director of alumni, and worked at developing long-term relationships with other graduates, especially minority alumni.

Although the Diversity Services Office is only in its third year, Mary has made many strides in increasing the visibility of the MSU College of Law as a trailblazer on diversity in law school. Her Triple “A” - Appreciating, Accepting and Achieving - diversity resonates through the halls each day at her alma mater.

With over six years now of admissions, enrolled law student and alumni networking experience, she has been a resource to many on diversity in legal education. Her professional speaking engagements include presenting to various student groups, graduate/ professional school fairs, law firms and bar associations. She is one of the founders of the Diversity Law School Professionals group which meets yearly to address the issues surrounding legal educational diversity.

Her professional awards include Distinguished Alumni and Student Choice award from the MSU College of Law Black Law Students Association and MSU College of Law Student Bar Association Distinguished Staff Member of the Year Award.

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 an attorney 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. Mr. 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 the UHLC Admissions Committee. Mr. Goudeau has worked in private practice and served as in-house couns

Reginald Green, J.D. has served as Assistant Dean for Career Resources at South Texas College of Law for over a decade, and has counseled hundreds of law students and graduates on legal career options, networking strategies, resume development, interview preparation and career management. In his current position, Dean Green supervises all aspects of the Law School Career Resources Center (CRC) including: development of relationships with potential employers, aggressive searches for information about employment opportunities, and developing effective working relationships with students, alumni, staff and other placement professionals throughout the United States. He has traveled nationally speaking with hiring partners, recruiting coordinators, and law school administrator on topics ranging from legal market trends, hiring practices and strategies for recruitment and retention. Prior to joining career placement, Dean Green worked in law school admissions, where he recruited nationally for South Texas as well as served on the law schools admissions committee.

He is a native of Natchez, Mississippi. He received his J.D. from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas and a B.A. in English from Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi. Prior to law school, he worked in a management capacity within large and small retail companies.

He has been a frequent speaker at NALP’s Annual Education Conference, and its Newer Professionals Conference. Recent topics have been “What Can You Do With A Law Degree”, “Counseling Students of Color”, “Better the Second Time Around – Counseling Second Career Students” and “Army of Two - Counseling A Large Student Body with a Small Staff.”

el to other private and public entities prior to joining BP America Inc. in 2004.

Vincent Harding is a first-year law student at the University of Texas School Of Law. While at the University of Texas, Mr. Harding has been elected 1L representative for the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society (BLSA) and 1L representative for Texas Law Fellowships. His work experience includes interning at the City of Houston City Hall for Council Member Ronald Green, interning at the non-profit organization the Center for Houston’s Future, and working for the University of Houston as a Resident Assistant. Vincent received the 2009 Civic Houston Internship Program Award for his work at the Center for Houston’s Future.

He graduated with honors from the University of Houston in 2009, with a B.A. in political science. While there, he was named the 2008 University of Houston Homecoming King, rode in the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Parade, and was named Resident Assistant of the Year. He also served as a coordinator in the Metropolitan Volunteer Program, was President of Campus Crusade for Christ, and created Our Love Project. While at different conferences, Mr. Harding had the privilege of volunteering and speaking directly with individuals seeking asylum in the United States.

Since graduating from the University of Houston, Vincent has served as member of the Houston Area Urban League’s Young Professionals Civic Engagement Committee, joined the Houston Citizens Chamber of Commerce and the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, volunteered on a Houston Mayoral campaign and at the Democratic National Committee Meeting, and attended a DNC’s Black Caucus Meeting.

Mr. Harding is thankful for the individuals that came before him, and is grateful for the opportunities that he has been blessed with. As a Houston native, he hopes to return and make a positive difference in the community.

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.

Tiffany Harvey is a graduate of Ave Maria School of Law, Ann Arbor, Michigan. At Ave Maria, she was a volunteer with the Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA), a member of the Minority Law Student Association (MSLA), and the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. Prior to law school, she attended Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, where she graduated with a B.S. in Justice Studies in May 2004. She has also worked as an Academic Counselor at the University of Phoenix, in Phoenix, AZ and in Houston, TX, where she advised students on course planning and scheduling options.

Ms. Harvey was a research assistant for Professor Kevin Lee, where she assisted in the preparation of materials for the Jurisprudence course. She has interned with Washtenaw County Public Defender, Ann Arbor, MI, a summer intern for U.S. District Judge J.B. McDade, United States District Court-Central District of Illinois, where she assisted in drafting an order that is cited in LEXIS (2006 US Dist LEXIS 42568), reviewed motions researched ERISA, third-party intervention, 2201 Appeals, summary judgment motions, and parent-subsidiary liability. She also interned for the Third Judicial Circuit Court-Criminal Division, Detroit, MI, where she reviewed and analyzed copies of petitioners’ briefs, and researched and prepared corresponding opinions. She has also previously worked as a File Clerk for the Attorney General’s Office, Mesa, AZ, where she organized legal documents, and processed requests for production of documents.

Upon passing the Texas State Bar and being admitted into the practice of law, Ms. Harvey went to work for The Law Firm of Solomon M. Musyimi. At The Law Firm of Solomon M. Musyimi, Ms. Harvey assisted in drafting motions and petitions, conducting research and interviews, and preparing general documents in the areas of family law, immigration, employment law, civil and criminal litigation, and business law.

Ms. Harvey is currently a solo practitioner and focuses primarily in family law and personal injury cases.

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 has tried many jury cases on behalf of the City of Houston and is currently an associate at Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.

Adam Hoff, Esq. is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and Pepperdine University, where he served as the Associate Director of Admission. He is a published author and a former corporate associate at Sidley Austin LLP, and currently serves as the Director of Admissions Consulting at Veritas Prep, one of the leading authorities on Law School and MBA Admissions.

LaMonika D. Hurst is the Legal and Compliance Manager for Geokinetics Inc.. Geokinetics Inc. is a leading geophysical company that offers specialized geophysical services, including seismic data acquisition and advanced processing and interpretation worldwide. Ms. Hurst provides counsel on both domestic and international business issues, specifically litigation, contracts management and compliance.

Ms. Hurst graduated from Prairie View A&M University (B.B.A. – Finance, 2001) and Thurgood Marshall School of Law (J.D., 2004), where she was Comments Editor for the Law Review. While in Law School, LaMonika clerked for the Honorable Tim Taft at the 1st Court of Appeals and completed a Civil Externship under the direction of the Texas Legislative Internship Program, founded by Senator Rodney Ellis.

Prior to joining Geokinetics Inc., Ms, Hurst worked as a contract attorney for Coughlin Stoia (formerly Lerach Coughlin), primarily focused on the In re Newby Litigation (Enron class action law suit), which recovered over $7 billion for Plaintiff Shareholders.

Ms. Hurst serves as Co-Chair of the Houston Young Lawyers Association’s Tomorrow’s Attorney Pipeline Program, which teaches high school students about the field of law and encourages minority and underrepresented students to consider law as a career. She is also the Nominating Committee Chair of the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association.

Ms. Hurst is licensed to practice law in the State of Texas, and the United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Texas. LaMonika was appointed to the Board of Directors for the Harris County Improvement District Number 20. Additionally, Ms. Hurst serves as Vice President and Community Liaison of A Caring Closet, and is a volunteer at the Blue Triangle Branch of the YWCA. She is also a Charter Member of the Bay Area Houston Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Yolanda Ingram was born in Mound Bayou, MS and grew up in nearby Renova, MS. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Mississippi in December of 1991. While attending Ole Miss she was inducted into the Hall of Fame and was a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of MS, where she graduated with a 3.9 GPA. Mrs. Ingram graduated from Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas in May 1995 with Dean’s Honors in the top 12% of her class. She was honored as a Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO) Scholar and Who’s Who Among American Law Students. She holds a Juris Doctor and is licensed to practice law in Missouri and Kansas.

Mrs. Ingram practiced law in the areas of civil litigation and real estate upon graduation from law school with a law firm in Kansas City, Missouri. After leaving the law firm, she taught law school courses at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania before returning to Missouri to serve as a judicial law clerk for Judge Jay Daugherty. Later, Mrs. Ingram continued her legal career with the West Group, now Thomson Reuters, as an Account Representative where she provided computer assisted legal training to hundreds of lawyers, judges and law students throughout the southeast region. Currently, she takes on many roles at the University Of Memphis - Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. She is the Dean of Students, the Director of the TN Institute for Pre-law program, and the Director of the Academic Support Program. However, her hard work and continuous efforts extend well beyond the titles that she holds.

Dean Ingram works with all of students at the School of Law in some capacity. While encountering Dean Ingram, students often learn that she wears “many hats”. As the director of the Academic Support program, she conducts seminars for the entire first year class. During these sessions, she discusses with students how to handle the transition to law school. In her role as director of student affairs, she counsels students in all phases of their law school career. She also serves as a liaison between the faculty and the student organizations. Dean Ingram is also the director of the TN Institute for Pre-Law which is the state’s only diversity law access program. Her dedication to this program confirms her commitment to provide a diverse law school community.

Her commitment to diversity in legal education extends beyond the students at the on campus. Dean Ingram recruits minority students for both law school and the pre-law program locally and nationally. She coordinates a minority law days where she exposes students in high school and college to both the law school and legal communities. Dean Ingram is very active in the community as well. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the National Bar Association- Ben F. Jones chapter, and the Association of Women Attorneys, the Memphis and Shelby County Land Use Control Board. These are only a few of the many organizations in which she is involved. She sits on boards and is a committee member of a laundry list of other organizations. Her dedication to her students and community is unparalleled.

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.

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.”

Bill R. Johnson, Esq. is the principal of the Law Office of Bill R. Johnson, PLLC, which specializes in business and finance. He is a graduate of Hamline University School of Law. He also holds a master of arts in public administration from Hamline University and a bachelor of arts from Mesa State College. His professional experience includes Vice President & General Counsel of Fleetwood Retail Corp. and Home One Credit Corp., Vice President & Assistant General Counsel for The Credit Store, Inc., Senior Counsel of Conseco Fiance Corp., private practice, Consultant, Director of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity for Metropolitan State University, and Consultant for the Minnesota Department of Employee Relations. He is licensed in Texas and Minnesota.

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.

Chanler Langham, Esq., a native of Fort Worth, TX, received his Juris Doctorate as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar at Columbia Law School in May 2004. Mr. Langham graduated magna cum laude from the George Washington University Honors Program in May 2000, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs and Japanese Language and Literature. Mr. Langham speaks fluent Japanese and has worked at the Embassy of Japan; Takusu Board of Education in Gifu, Japan; Baker & McKenzie, Tokyo; and Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in New York and Washington, DC. As a student, Mr. Langham served as a Sub-Regional Director in the Northeast Black Law Students Association, Teaching Assistant for Constitutional Law, and Articles Editor for the Journal of Asian Law.

Currently, Mr. Langham is an associate at Susman Godfrey LLP. Prior to this, he worked as a law clerk to the Honorable Vanessa D. Gilmore in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. As a law clerk, Mr. Langham has drafted several opinions concerning federal civil law issues, including admiralty, patent, trademark, copyright, employment discrimination, social security, individuals with disabilities in education, antitrust, bankruptcy, immigration, fair labor standards act and oil & gas. Mr. Langham has also prepared memoranda for motions filed in the Enron Broadband Services wire fraud and securities fraud criminal trial. Mr. Langham is a member of the New York State Bar and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Nu Beta Chapter.

Mark Latham joined the faculty of Vermont Law School in 2005. Professor Latham’s areas of expertise include CERCLA, environmental issues in corporate transactions and commercial real estate, and brownfields redevelopment. Professor Latham teaches courses in Corporations, Environmental Law, Environmental Issues in Business Transactions, and Torts.

Professor Latham earned his BSN degree from Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, in 1979 and his JD from University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law in 1989. He was formerly partner and chair of the Environmental Practice Group of the Chicago and Washington, District of Columbia, law firm of Gardner, Carton, and Douglas. He represented as defense counsel businesses, municipalities, and individuals in state and federal, civil and administrative enforcement actions under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, CERCLA (Superfund), RCRA (hazardous waste handling), and EPCRA (protection of public health, safety, and the environment from chemical hazards), and has counseled regarding regulatory compliance under all major environmental statutes, particularly in the water, solid and hazardous waste, and spill/release reporting areas. He has evaluated environmental liabilities, drafted and negotiated environmental contractual provisions, and has advised in the remediation of contaminated properties.

Professor Latham’s numerous professional and community activities include serving on the Board of Trustees of the Vermont Institute of Natural Science; an appointment to the Illinois Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness; Chair of the Visiting Committee of the Northern Illinois University College of Law; and Commissioner of the Mettawa (Illinois) Planning Commission.

Nan Leverett, principal of the Leverett Legal Group, has a diverse practice representing Fortune 100 companies and small Texas businesses. She has represented corporations in various product liability litigation across the country. Nan has significant experience in identifying and developing expert witnesses across the United States. In addition, Nan served as a member of a team responsible for a state-wide docket of cases alleging injuries from hip and knee implants. Nan has also represented several device manufacturers and insurers.

Nan has advised clients on business formation, employment issues, federal compliance issues, and general business/legal issues. She has worked on import and export issues and general business matters, including contract review and drafting.

Nan has handled cases from inception to conclusion, including discovery, opposed motions, and several successful mediations. Her unique work in Texas venue law resulted in a successful venue transfer.

Nan utilizes all these experiences to advise her business clients to help them avoid costly litigation and focus on successful business practices.

In Nan was named Outstanding Committee Chair for founding Tomorrow's Attorneys Pipeline Program (TAPP), a diversity program that teaches high school students about careers in the law. The Texas Young Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division recognized TAPP for Service to the Public with First and Second Place Awards. TAPP also provides networking programs for law students. Nan has twice been named a Texas Super Lawyer Rising Star, a Texas Monthly award that recognizes approximately 2.5 percent of the best up-and-coming attorneys in the state. In 2005 Nan was named Outstanding Committee Chair for her service on the Houston Young Lawyers Fun Run Committee.

Roberta Lewis is a Senior Legal Counsel in the Health, Safety, Security and Environment section of the Regulatory & Compliance group of Shell Oil Company’s Legal Services – U.S.

For Shell, Ms. Lewis advises refinery, chemical, R&D, distribution and retail clients throughout the U.S. on environmental law and regulatory compliance, permitting, remediation and enforcement for air, water, and waste matters. She also advises Shell clients regarding facility security regulation, such as the Maritime Transportation Security Act and Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, and regarding health and safety matters at retail sites.

From 1991 to 2000, Ms. Lewis was in private practice at the Chicago law firm of Gardner, Carton & Douglas, where she represented corporate and municipal clients in private-party environmental litigation, and environmental permitting, compliance, and enforcement matters before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and numerous state agencies. Ms. Lewis left private practice in 2000 to take a position as in-house environmental counsel at BP America Inc., before joining Shell in June 2007.

Ms. Lewis earned her J.D., with honors, in 1991, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she served on the Editorial Board of the Law Journal. She earned a B.A. from Grinnell College in 1986. She is admitted to practice in Illinois and Texas.

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.

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.

Chant'a Parker is a staff attorney with the Orleans Public Defenders. Prior to joining OPD, Ms. Parker worked as a litigation associate with the New York law firm Kelley Drye & Warren LLP. Ms. Parker graduated from New York University School of Law in May of 2006 and served as the National Community Service Director for the National Black Law Students Association during her third year of law school. Ms. Parker has been dedicated to public service throughout her academic career, having interned with the Neighborhood Defenders Service of Harlem, the Legal Aid Society of New York Juvenile Rights Division, Georgia Legal Services and the Georgia High School Mock Trial Program. Ms. Parker completed her undegraduate studies in History at Spelman College and graduated magna cum laude in 2003 .

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.

Ms. Payne is of counsel in the Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP's Houston office and a member of the litigation group. Her practice focuses on environmental litigation as well as complex mass tort, insurance coverage litigation, personal injury, premises liability, product liability, toxic tort and wrongful death actions. She is also experienced in state and federal statutory and regulatory environmental legal matters.

she received her B.A. in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Tulane University, where she served as President of the pre-law society, Black American Lawyers of Tomorrow, and as chair of a mentoring program serving over 100 primary and secondary school children in New Orleans through the Live Oak Young Adult League (or Project L.O.Y.A.L.). As a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, she studied culture and the development of women's sports in Kenya, Swaziland, Botswana, Ghana and Jamaica. Ms. Lewis received her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law in 2000.

Ms. Payne is a member of the Texas, Houston, National and American bar associations. She is admitted to practice in the State of Texas and the United States Courts for the Southern District of Texas.

Attorney Payne has earned numerous awards and honrs including recognition in Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars for Environmental Litigation, Personal Injury Defense: Products, and Business Litigation (2008 and 2009), and Houston Top Lawyer (2008 and 2009), Houston Top Lawyer for the People (2009), and Top Professional on the Fast Track from H Texas Magazine, Houston Top Lawyer (2008 and 2009). She also earned the Woodrow B. Seals Outstanding Young Lawyer of Houston Award. She is also the recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award.

Brandice Burton Pierre is a native Philadelphian who recently relocated to Houston, Texas after earning a Juris Doctor from the James Beasley School of Law at Temple Universit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

Brandice is a result-driven, motivated professional whose accomplishments include both the legal and corporate industries. She has held a range of job titles, including Legal Assistant, Executive Assistant, LGBT Clinic Advocate, Research Assistant, Substitute Teacher, Law Clerk, and Business Analyst Consultant.

Brandice is also involved in the community. She volunteers at the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, is a Guardian Ad Litem for Child Advocates, and serves food at The Beacon, a day center for the homeless.

Brandice’s professional affiliations include the Houston Young Lawyers Association, the Houston Black Professionals, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.

Anthony D. Pledger, JD, is the Admissions and Student Services Coordinator at the University of Wyoming College of Law. He earned his juris doctor from West Virginia University (WVU) College of Law, graduating with honors—Order of the Barristers, 2008. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri – St. Louis and is pursuing a Master of Legal Studies from Webster University.

As the Admission and Student Services coordinator, Anthony provides Law School admissions counseling; answers in-person, telephone, email and written inquiries from prospective students; serves as a member of the admissions committee; represents the College of Law at forums, panels, fairs, and other programs providing information about the University of Wyoming and the College of Law.

He also serves as the de facto registrar for the College of Law, maintaining the College of Law student database, coordinating grade postings, updating student files and student academic progress/degree checks though UW Registration and Records. Furthermore, he serves as the law school liaison to the University's Banner Committee, Enrollment Management Committee, UW Diversity Team, The Academic Deans/Student Affairs Advisory Counci and the Institutional Marketing Committee.

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.

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.

Professor Njeri Mathis Rutledge joined the faculty of South Texas College of Law in 2005 where she teaches in the area of Legal Research and Writing. She graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English from Spelman College and earned her law degree from Harvard Law School where she served as technical editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. After graduating from Harvard she clerked for the Hon. John T. Nixon, Chief District Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee. Professor Rutledge served as an associate for Baker Botts, L.L.P. where she represented clients in the areas of labor and employment, toxic tort and complex civil litigation for four years. Following Baker Botts, Professor Rutledge entered the public sector as a prosecutor for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. During her years as a prosecutor, Professor Rutledge served in the Family Criminal Law Division, Juvenile Division, Misdemeanor and Felony divisions. After leaving the District Attorney’s Office Professor Rutledge spent the 2004-2005 academic year as a visiting professor at South Texas College of Law. Professor Rutledge frequently speaks and writes in the area of domestic violence based on her extensive work with domestic violence victims in the District Attorney’s Office.

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.

Wilbur E. Suggs is a 2009 graduate of South Texas College of Law and earned his B.A. in Finance from Morehouse College. His legal experience includes interning for the Chief Justice of Guyana, United States District Judge Vanessa Gilmore, and Judge Eva Guzman while on the Fourteenth Court of Appeals of Texas. During law school, Mr. Suggs also served as President of the Black Law Students Association, a Research Assistant for the Frank Evans Center for Conflict Resolution, and competed in several National Mock Trial and Moot Court Competitions. In his final year, Mr. Suggs clerked with the law firm of Hughes Watters Askanase, LLP. Mr. Suggs plans to pursue a career in business litigation.

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.

Tamara D. Toles, J.D. of Brooklyn, NY is presently working at the Center on Race, Poverty and Environment in San Francisco, California and awaiting her bar exam results. As a recent graduate of the Vermont Law School, she spent a large part of her time on campus in the service of others, establishing a grief and recovery, peer support group. She served as President of the, fifty-member, VLS chapter of the Black Law Students Association 2007-2008. She has served as a senator in the Student Bar Association, co-Chair of the VLS big brothers and sisters program and continues as Juris Doctorate Blogger for the law school.

An urban environmentalist, Toles consistently sought out experiential, and practical legal experiences with a focus on underserved populations, natural resources and civil rights to complement the traditional classroom curriculum. In that vein, she has worked as an intern at organizations such as Natural Resources Defense Counsel, Vermont Law Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, and as an extern for a federal court judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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.

Travis Torrence, Esq. is an associate at Fulbright & Jaworski, where he represents creditors and debtors in bankruptcy and insolvency-related matters. Prior to joining Fulbright, Travis served as a law clerk for the Honorable Edward C. Prado, Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Travis graduated from Yale Law School in 2005. While at Yale, Travis was a Director of the Yale Nonprofit Organizations Clinic and the Treasurer of the Black Law Students Association. Additionally, Travis was an editor of the Yale Journal on Regulation. Travis received his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, in Communication and Political Science from Tulane University, where he was president of Zeta Psi Fraternity and Order of Omega. He was also vice-president of Omicron Delta Kappa and a member of the Tulane College Honor Board. Travis is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Houston Bar Association, Houston Young Lawyers Association, American Bankruptcy Institute, and American Inns of Court. Travis has also worked as an on-air personality for WEZB B-97 FM; New Orleans’ #1 Hit Music Station.

Diana N. Walker is a Senior Associate in the Tax Controversy Services Group at alliantgroup lp, a tax consulting firm, where she works in audit defense. Diana graduated summa cum laude in 2001 from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While a student at Texas Tech University, Diana was inducted into Golden Key National Honor Society and was a Chancellor's Ambassador. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Houston Law Center in 2004. While a student at the University of Houston Law Center, Diana received the University of Houston Law Center Lex Award for Legal Research & Writing and was a semifinalist in the James H. Hippard Mock Trial Competition. Diana also served as Vice-President of the Black Law Student Association and was Regional Director of the Rocky Mountain Region NBLSA Thurgood Marshall Mock Trial Competition. Diana is a member of the Texas Bar Association as well as the Houston Area Urban League Young Professionals. She is also an Executive Board Member of the NAACP Houston Branch and serves as the Chair of the Young Adult Committee and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Diana also serves as the Trustee Chairperson of Disciples Tabernacle Church and is an a professor for DeVry University Online.

Judge Meca Walker is an associate judge with the 309th District Court. She received her B.A. degree in English from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. Thereafter, Judge Walker attended Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C., where she served as senior editor of the Howard Law Journal. Ms. Walker founded The Law Office of Meca L. Walker in January 2000 and merged her practice with the Law Office of Tonya L. Waller in 2003, thereby establishing Walker & Waller, PLLC. She managed the Houston office which focused in the area of family law.

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.

Lillie V. Wiley-Upshaw is currently the Associate Dean and Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at University at Buffalo Law School, State University of New York in Buffalo, New York. Prior to serving in this position, she was the Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Recruitment at University at Buffalo Law School. Dean Wiley-Upshaw has extensive higher education administration experience at The Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania including working as a Senior Diversity Planning Analyst at the Office of the Vice-Provost for Educational Equity, a Diversity Specialist at the Diversity Support and Education Center within the Affirmative Action Office, a Graduate Assistant in the Graduate Awards and Fellowship Office, an Assistant Program Coordinator in the Office of the Vice-Provost for Educational Equity, a Residence Life Coordinator, and a Student Services Assistant.

Dean Wiley-Upshaw earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York and a Master of Education in Counselor Education with a focus in Student Leadership from the Pennsylvania State University.

She has served as a board member of the YWCA of Niagara County, the Niagara Education Board, and a subcommittee member of the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).

Veronica Wilson is Director of Financial Aid at UC Irvine School of Law. She joined the Irvine campus in October 2008, after managing UCLA Law’s financial aid program for more than 10 years.

In addition to overseeing institutional and federal student financial aid, Veronica serves on philanthropic and professional advisory boards to influence the direction of financial resources aimed at graduate and professional students.

She is a former board member of the California Hispanic Council (2002-2003) and is a current Editorial Board Member of Transcripts, a quarterly magazine for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Helena Wooden-Aguilar is a Senior Case Manager for the External Compliance Team, within the Office of Civil Rights. She holds a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Howard University. She also holds a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School. While at Vermont Law School she was a member of the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) and the president of the Latin American Law Student Association (LALSA).

Her professional career began in 2002 at the Pennsylvania Coalition against Domestic Violence (PCADV) in Harrisburg, PA. At PCADV she was a Staff Attorney for the Battered Women’s Justice Project. She provided leadership and guidance within the civil law arena, focusing on quality legal representation in the civil courts and the impact of housing discrimination on Battered Women. In 2004, Ms. Wooden-Aguilar transitioned into the Federal Government and became a Case Manager for the External Compliance Program, Office of Civil Rights at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Washington DC. In 2008, Helena was promoted to Senior Case Manager. Ms. Wooden-Aguilar ensures that EPA financial recipients comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and other Nondiscrimination Statutes by conducting compliance reviews, investigating administrative complaints of discrimination, and drafting settlement agreements.

She has also published a Guidance document in the Federal Register entitled, Guidance to Environmental Protection Agency Financial Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against Nation Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons, developed a Civil Rights on-line training module, and developed Standard Operating Procedures for the Eternal Compliance Program.

Victor V. Wright is Senior Legal Counsel at TransCanada Corporation where he oversees all U.S. labor and employment law matters for the Company’s natural gas and power generation assets in thirty-one states.

Prior to joining TransCanada, Mr. Wright was an associate in the labor and employment practice group at Haynes and Boone, LLP. He has also served on active duty as a Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corp and is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve JAG Corp.

Mr. Wright received his Juris Doctorate magna cum laude from the University of Houston Law Center where he was a member of the prestigious Order of the Coif and Houston Law Review. He earned his Master of Business Administration from St. Mary’s University and his Bachelor of Science from the United States Air Force Academy.

DeMonica D. Gladney, Esq., is a native of Houston, Texas. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, cum laude, from Lamar University and 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 14th Court of Appeals in Houston, Texas. She is now Counsel for Exxon Mobil Corporation, where she has practiced for over fourteen years.

In addition to a successful legal career, Ms. Gladney is an inspiring and accomplished author, poet and speaker. She is the author of two inspirational books, Willing to Wait: From Revelation to Manifestation and Reflections from God. Her book, Willing to Wait, was recently ranked #7 on the Black Christian Book Distributors National Independent Publishers’ Top 50 Bestseller’s List. She is currently working on her third book, “Identity Theft: Discovering the Real You,” which is scheduled for release in the fall of 2009.

Ms. Gladney is a highly sought after motivational speaker and was recently featured on the Daystar TV Network - Houston Celebration Show and in the Pearland Journal. She has also been featured in Ladies First Magazine, Cush Magazine, Black Christian News Network, and Who’s Who in Black Houston, and on various television and radio talk shows around the country.

Ms. Gladney is the personification of commitment and excellence and received the National Bar Association’s 2008 Presidential Award and the NAACP Award for Legal Excellence. Her professional and community involvements have been many and varied. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the Commercial Law Section and Women Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association. She is a former President of the Houston Lawyers Association and Chair of the African-American Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Texas. She is also a member of the Houston Bar Association, the Corporate Counsel Women of Color and the Downtown Women Lawyers Group.

Ms. Gladney previously served as the Pro Bono Coordinator for ExxonMobil and on the Executive Board of the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program. She is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation and former Chair of the Board of the Houston Lawyers Foundation. She is also a member of the Mu Kappa Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Shelia Dansby Harvey is a writer by early morning, a lawyer by day and a Texas swing-out dancer at night. She is author of the popular Raven Holloway mystery series which includes Illegal Affairs, Bad Girls Finish First and Aww Sookie Sookie: Omar's Revenge. Shelia became a novelist by chance. “I began writing a short story, just for me, and it got longer and longer,” she says. The end result was a manuscript which Shelia literally threw into a closet where it stayed for two years. A colleague urged her to polish her novel and submit it for publication. After a dozen or so rejection slips, Shelia decided to self-publish her book, titled, Illegal Affairs. Kensington Books purchased the rights to Illegal Affairs and rereleased it in 2005. Next came Bad Girls Finish First, the sequel to Illegal Affairs. The final book in the trilogy is Aww Sookie Sookie: Omar's Revenge. Shelia describes the novels as an entertaining mixture of mystery and spicy romance.

Shelia has served as a visiting professor at Texas Southern University’s School of Law and an adjunct professor at Rice University’s Graduate School of Business. She is a board member with Inprint, Inc., a national leader among non-profit literary organizations. Shelia is a member of the National Bar Association, the Houston Lawyer’s Association and former board president and strong supporter of Houston’s Northeast YMCA branch. Shelia hosts Stimulating Conversations, a monthly public discourse that discusses thought provoking issues from health to hip-hop.

She is also a frequent public speaker at literary and other events. Shelia’s deepest passion is helping young people achieve academic excellence. To that end, she recently established the Edna Merle Green Academic Scholarship, which annually helps one student pay for an extracurricular academic activity that he or she could otherwise not afford.

Shelia and her husband, Henry published Black Tie, the first regional black lifestyles magazine to achieve statewide distribution in major retail outlets throughout Texas. Shelia has also had several opinion pieces published by the Houston Chronicle. Over the years, she has received countless honors, including Southwest Region Attorney of the year by her employer.

Norma L. Jarrett is an inspirational speaker and the Essence Bestselling author of the fictional novels Sunday Brunch, Sweet Magnolia (An Essence magazine national book club selection) and The Sunday Brunch Diaries (sequel to Sunday Brunch) all published under Doubleday/Broadway books.

Her work has gained attention in Ebony, Essence, Southern Living, Upscale, USA Today, Gospel Truth, QBR, Black Expression, Publisher’s Weekly and other publications. Norma has been a featured guest on ABC 13’s Crossroads, Outlook Houston, as well as radio stations such as The Yolanda Adams Morning at 102 KMJQ, 97.9 The Box, and V103 (Atlanta, GA).

She is a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and Thurgood Marshall School of Law; and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA). Among other honors, Ms. Jarrett has received a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for her literary work.

She is married and resides in Houston, Texas where she is currently a member of Pastor Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church. Visit her website at www.normajarrett.net

DaSean A. Jones was born on August 12, 1978 in Georgetown, South Carolina, to Richard Ashley and Jacquelyn Elaine Jones. As a child, his interests included music and theater. His father’s career as an Army tanker allowed him to enjoy many experiences in both music and theater during his childhood.

As an undergraduate, Sean attended Tuskegee University were he was quite active in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). In Army ROTC, he led the Ranger Challenge team (Company Commander), and he was a senior member of the National Society of Pershing Rifles—Drill Team. He subsequently graduated cum laude from Tuskegee University in 2001 with a B.A. in English. In 2006, Sean earned a M.A. magna cum laude from Webster University in Management and Leadership.

While in the Army, he served as a Field Artillery Officer. During his military career, he served as the Battalion Fire Support Officer for the 4th Battalion, 227th Regiment Attack Reconnaissance Battalion. Prior to that duty, he functioned as the Operations Officer for 17th Field Artillery Brigade, the Battalion Liaison Officer in the 5th Battalion, 3rd Artillery “First Round”; the Battalion Logistics Officer in the 3rd Battalion, 18th Field Artillery “Steel Professionals”; the Executive Officer for Alpha Battery, 3-18th Field Artillery; and a Platoon Leader and Executive Officer for the 6-37 Field Artillery Battalion (Republic of Korea).

He has deployed twice to Southwest Asia to support Operation Iraqi Freedom; first as a Platoon Leader and Battalion Logistics Officer and again as a Fire Support Officer in an Aviation Tactical Operations Center. While there, Sean participated in various large-scale training exercises such as Ardent Sentry (Homeland security) and Ulchi Focus Lens (Joint simulation with the Korean Army).

His military education includes the Armor Captain’s Career Course, Cavalry Leadership Course, Modern Army Combatives Program (Level II Instructor Certified), Joint Fire Control Course, Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, and Airborne School. Furthermore, his military honors include the Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Commendation Medal, with one oak leaf cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, with one oak leaf cluster, the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

DaSean is an active member of two social fraternities that provide scholarship opportunities and build civic camaraderie and responsibility. In addition, his hobbies are writing, music and traveling. As a child, he dreamed of being an attorney and a published writer. The sudden death of his mother, Jacquelyn, prompted him to focus on both goals. Currently, DaSean is a first-year student at Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas, and his first book of poetry, Momentum: Love, Life & Melodies, became available during the first quarter of 2009.

Shannon King Nash is a CPA, Attorney, Author and Adjunct Professor. She is a partner in Register Lett LLP, where she chairs the tax group and is also a partner in the corporate and sports/entertainment groups. She is also the President of the Nash Management Group, a business management firm based in Los Angeles and Atlanta.

Shannon is the author of the award winning book, “For the Love of Money: The 411 to Taking Control of Your Taxes and Building Your Net Worth,” which uses popular song lyrics from Marvin Gaye to Snoop Dogg to teach tax and finance lessons. She also wrote the “Vault Guide to Tax Law Careers,” “Helping the Nonprofit Client, and “The Tax Exempt Toolkit.”

Shannon has been featured as a tax/legal expert on many programs such as: The John Salley Block Party (KKBT 100.3 FM Los Angeles), Lamont King and Friends (XM Radio), and Washington Business Radio’s Market Close Live (WDMV 700 AM), Style Network’s Modern Girls Guide To Life and BET’s The Center.

In addition, she penned a weekly finance/tax column for Lee Bailey’s Electronic Urban Report (www.eurweb.com) and has been featured as the finance/tax expert in publications such as: The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Global Finance Magazine, Jet Magazine, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, LA Parent Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Bankrate.com, ABC News Online and The Washington Times.

She is the former Secretary of the American Bar Association (ABA) Tax Section and also former chair of the National Bar Association’s Tax Committee. Shannon is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America, Inc.

Shannon received her BS in Accounting from the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce and her JD from the University of Virginia School of Law.