BLAKE AND DETCHEMENDY LAW FIRM - Key Persons
Bio
Garner Stapp Ellison was born in Tucker, Georgia and moved to Augusta before starting elementary school. Garner attended Stevens Creek Elementary, Riverside Middle School and Lakeside High School, where she graduated from in 2012. After high school, Garner attended college at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
Education
During her time at Mercer University, Garner graduated magna cum laude, with a major in History and a double minor in Spanish and Law and Public Policy. While at Mercer, Garner was an associate justice on the student-led Honor Council, a member of four different Honor Societies, and a member of the Phi Mu Sorority.
After graduating from Mercer in 2016, Garner attended law school at Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Virginia. While at law school in Virginia, Garner was appointed to serve on the Executive Committee's University Board of Appeals and was Chair of the Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series. Garner's legal studies primarily focused on domestic law and immigration law and she was a member of the Immigrant Rights Clinic, a legal clinic that provides legal services to persons in removal proceedings, both detained and non-detained, with a particular focus on refugees, unaccompanied minors, and victims of domestic violence. Upon graduating from Washington and Lee in 2019, Garner joined Blake and Detchemendy Law Firm as an Associate Attorney.
Bio
Sarah Floyd Blake, grew up in the CSRA, attended Our Lady of Peace Elementary School in North Augusta before moving to Georgia where she attended Forrest Hills Elementary, Riverside Middle School and Greenbrier High School in Evans. Sarah received her undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia, and graduated in 2004, double majoring in Political Science and Russian.
Education
During her academic career at the University of Georgia, Sarah graduated Summa Cum Laude with Highest Honors through the University of Georgia's prestigious Honors Program. Sarah also graduated first in her department, winning the prestigious Scott Sikes Award for Outstanding Russian major in 2004. Sarah was also accepted into the internationally recognized honor society, Phi Beta Kappa.
Sarah then attended law school at Washington and Lee University School of Law in Lexington, Virginia. Sarah's legal studies focused on constitutional criminal procedure and litigation and she was a member of the Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse, a unique legal clinic that provides legal support to all indigent defendants facing the death penalty in Virginia. Sarah also fine-tuned her trial skills while attending law school at Washington and Lee University, winning the Mock Trial Competition in 2006, and running the competition in 2007. Sarah graduated cum laude in 2007.