MS.JD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- the Gender Gap: for Female Lawyers, Progress Slow in Equity Partnerships at Private Practice Firms
Akunna Cook is a second-year law student at Yale Law School. She is an Articles Editor for the Yale Journal of International Law and also serves as Alumni Relations Chair for the Yale Black Law Students Association. Akunna was Student Education Chair for Yale Law Women's Top Ten Family Friendly Firms Initiative 2014. Prior to law school, Akunna was a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State. She served overseas in Iraq, South Africa, and China. She has served in various positions in Washington, including as Special Assistant to former Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg and Executive Assistant to former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson. Akunna also worked for Senator Chris Coons as a legal fellow. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Howard University and has a masters degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. Akunna is the recipient of a Department of State Superior Honor Award and several Meritorious Honor Awards. Akunna loves spending time with her children Jackson and Jillian and entertaining friends
Amanda Gonzalez was Ms. JD's second Executive Director. She recieved her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law where she led the Latino Law Student Association and the DU chapter of Law Students for Reproductive Justice. While in law school she also served as a Research Assistant for Professor Ann Scales. Amanda holds a dual degree major in psychology and cognitive science from Occidental College, where she headed the college's Women's Center and conducted her senior thesis research on language and the cognitive framing of gender. Prior to coming to Ms. JD, she worked as a grant writer, fundraiser, and consultant focused on training organizations and companies on issues of social justice, inclusion, and leadership. In addition to her work with Ms. JD, Amanda serves on boards for HRC Colorado and the Colorado Family Resource Center Association.
Anjali Shenoy is a third-year law student at the University of Michigan, where she serves as a contributing editor and articles committee member on the Michigan Journal of Race and Law. She graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Bryn Mawr College, where she served as Class President for two years. During college Anjali worked as a legal intern for a bankruptcy attorney in Allentown, Pennsylvania and as an intern with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office in the Sexual Assault and Family Violence unit. Following graduation, Anjali worked at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom as a litigation paralegal and then spent a year working at the M.V. Foundation in Hyderabad, India, a non-governmental organization that works to end child labor and universalize education. Following graduation, Anjali will be spending a year traveling and working on women's rights issues before starting as an associate at Latham & Watkins.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Counsel at the New York State Department of Financial Services
Anna MacCormack is Assistant Counsel at the New York State Department of Financial Services in its Financial Frauds and Consumer Protection Division. Previously, she clerked for the Honorable Cathy Seibel of the Southern District of New York and worked as an associate at Hogan & Hartson LLP (now Hogan Lovells). She is a graduate of New York University School of Law, where she was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Legislation and Public Policy, a member of the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, co-chair of NYU Law Women, and held internships with the ACLU's Women's Rights Project and the Honorable Denny Chin of the Southern District of New York. She was also a founding member of Ms. JD and served as its Editor-in-Chief from 2006-2007.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Associate at Hogan Lovells US LLP
Ashley Beard is an associate at Hogan Lovells US LLP, where she thoughtfully advises clients in commercial and complex civil litigation matters. In her practice, Ashley has provided representation in a range of areas including contractual disputes, software licensing, and trademark infringement. She previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Thomas C. Wheeler of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and worked as Director of Academic Success at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Ashley earned a J.D., cum laude, from Howard University School of Law and a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania. Ashley is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and New York.
Ashley maintains an active pro bono practice, primarily counseling clients in domestic violence and small business matters. While in law school, she worked as a student attorney in the now-named Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Clinic, where she focused on discriminatory practices in education. She was also a student attorney in the Investor Justice and Education Clinic, where she secured a favorable settlement for her client in a securities matter.
Ashley is committed to uplifting and supporting women. In addition to proudly serving on the Ms. JD Board of Directors, she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and Epsilon Sigma Iota Legal Sorority.
Ashley Rutherford is a graduate of the University of Louisville, Brandeis School of Law. In 2010 Ashley wrote Savvy-Shopper At Lawbefore joining Ms. JD's leadership team as the first WIR Coordinator. While in law school, Ashley was an articles editor for the Journal of Law and Education and a National Mock Trial Competition Regional Semi-Finalist.
Becca Bell earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in classical archaeology from the University of Michigan in 2004 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago Law School in 2008. Becca was one of the founding members of Ms. JD and currently practices corporate law in New York. She is admitted to practice in both New York and Illinois and enjoys volunteering through the New York Cares Organization during her free time.
Job Titles:
- Fellow
- AUTHOR
- Fellow at Hunton
Carla Laroche is currently a Pro Bono Fellow at Hunton and Williams LLP. A 2011 Ms. JD Fellow, Carla graduated with a JD from Columbia Law School and a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School as a concurrent degree student. She also earned an A.B. in History, with a certificate in Women and Gender Studies, from Princeton University. While in law school, Carla was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, was a Staff Editor for the Columbia Human Rights Law Review and served on the Executive Board of Columbia's Black Law Students Association. Carla was awarded a Jane Marks Murphy Prize for her work with Columbia's Prisoners and Families Clinic. Prior to her fellowship, Carla was a law clerk in the Southern District of Florida and a banking associate at Paul Hastings LLP. She has worked and volunteered in Australia, Zimbabwe, Haiti, and Tanzania. In her spare time, Carla tries to improve her Haitian-Creole-her parents' native language-and enjoys traveling and reading.
Job Titles:
- Counsel
- Program Director
- PRE - LAW PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Carlos Eduardo Julca is Counsel at Keysight Technologies, an S&P 500 company formerly owned by Hewlett-Packard. His area of practice is focused on Mergers and Acquisitions, as well as International Tax Planning and Controversy.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he holds Accredited Investor status. He actively seeks investment opportunities and has created a self-financed fund diversified across publicly held companies, mutual funds, tech startups, and cryptocurrency tokens. He has completed a venture capital fellowship with Alumni Ventures Group.
Prior to his current role, he worked for the Honorable Chief Justice Myron T. Steele at the Delaware Supreme Court, and the Honorable Robert N. Scola Jr. at the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida. He is currently a Regional Chair for the ABA's Judicial Internship Opportunity Program. During law school he was elected President of the Latino Law Student Association.
He holds law degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Georgetown University Law Center (Juris Doctor and Master of Laws), a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Florida State University.
He is a first generation immigrant born in Peru, and raised in Miami, FL.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean
- Member of the Board
Chalak Richards is Associate Dean for Student Life, Diversity, and Belonging and Executive Director of the Parris Institute for Professional Excellence at Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law. She is dedicated to bringing diversity, equity, inclusion, and a true sense of ownership and belonging to the law.
Chalak previously worked as an immigration attorney representing individuals in immigration court and before USCIS. She was named in 2016 and 2017 as a "Top 100 Lawyer in Las Vegas" for her outstanding work and has won numerous Advocacy and Trial awards. Chalak earned her JD from Pepperdine University School of Law and her BA from Spelman College.
While a law student, Chalak was an award-winning member of the Trial Advocacy and Moot Court teams, Western Regional Chair of the National Black Law Students Association, and participated in many volunteer activities in the community. Prior to law school, Chalak worked with Urban Promise, a non-profit organization supporting the academic and spiritual development of five- to ten-year-old children and mentoring teenagers in high-risk communities.
Chalak currently serves on the National Black Law Student Association National Alumni Advisory Council and was recently appointed to the State Bar of California's Council on Access and Fairness.
Chibundu Nnake is an education advocate in our nation's capitol where he works to close the achievement gap and improve education access and quality for all. He focuses on policy, strategy and utilizing data to inform those decisions. Chibundu holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with Minors in Spanish and African/African American Studies from The Ohio State University. He is a 2013 graduate of Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and Cox School of Business, where he earned his J.D. and M.B.A. (Strategy & Entrepreneurship Concentration with a focus in Business Formations and Nonprofits). In law school, he served in numerous leadership capacities including President of the SMU Black Law Student Association, SMU's American Bar Association (ABA) Representative and National Chair of the National Black Law Student Association (NBLSA). Chibundu is a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. In addition to serving on the Ms. JD Board of Directors, Chibundu serves on the National Advisory Board for NBLSA and the board of A Careful Mind Foundation - which works to eradicate the stigmatization of mental illness and health in our society. When he is not advocating against inequality, you can find him supporting his Buckeyes, playing flag football, brunching or traveling. You can tweet him @BunDraper.
Job Titles:
- President of the Cornell Women 's Law Coalition
Connie Lam is a third-year student at Cornell Law School and 2011-2012 President of the Cornell Women's Law Coalition and Treasurer of the Asian and Pacific-American Law Students' Association. A native of Los Angeles, CA, Connie became a permanent East-Coaster when she attended Dartmouth College. She graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in History with a focus in Imperialism and a Minor in Chinese. Connie is an avid cook, dog-lover, and coffee aficionado.
Courtney Gabbara is a licensed attorney in Michigan. She received her JD from Michigan State University College of Law in May of 2012. In 2009, she graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and then went immediately into law school where she continued to make the continuing success of women one of her top priorities. While in law school, she was the Community Service Chair and President for the Women's Law Caucus, the co-founder of the Women in the Law Leadership Counsel for MSU Law, the Treasurer and Vice Justice for Phi Alpha Delta, the National Trial Advocacy Competition Director, and a Trial Advocacy Moot Court Board Member. Courtney has had the good fortune of working as a law clerk at the Federal Public Defender's Office for the Western District of Michigan; the Michigan Attorney General's Office in the Health, Education, and Family Services Division; and for the Corporation Counsel Division of Oakland County. Courtney is currently the Assistant Director of Admissions at Michigan State University College of Law.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Executive Officer of
Danielle Allison is Chief Executive Officer of Ms. JD. She is a graduate of Florida State University and Harvard Law School. Danielle clerked for then Chief Judge UW Clemon of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. She spent six years working in the litigation group at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP (now Eversheds Sutherland) in Atlanta, Georgia. Danielle was the founding chair of Sutherland "Women Stepping Up" philanthropy initiative, co-chair of the firm's women attorneys group, and a member of the hiring committee. She is a former American Bar Association, Business Law Section Fellow (2013-2015) and a former member of the State Bar of Georgia Committee to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Profession; Leadership Atlanta, LEAD Atlanta Class of 2012; Atlanta Women's Foundation, Destiny Fund Class of 2009; Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, Former Executive Board Member; and Georgia Association for Women Lawyers, Former Foundation Council Member. Danielle is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Conference of Women's Bar Associations (NCWBA) and as the President of the Junior League of Lee County, Alabama. She lives in Auburn, Alabama.
Job Titles:
- Compliance Manager
- Member of the Board
Diana LaMorie is a Compliance Manager for a large investment adviser based in NY, where she manages a regulatory compliance framework to comply with SEC, CFTC, and NFA regulations (as well as FCA regulations for the firm's UK office). Diana holds a J.D. (2010) from Brooklyn Law School, as well as a B.S. in Finance (2006) and M.B.A. in Finance (2007), both from Fordham University. She is also a RYT-200 Registered Yoga Teacher (though she practices a lot more than she teaches). Diana first became involved with Ms. JD as a 2018 Writer in Residence and continues to contribute to the Ms. JD blog as a Board Member.
Job Titles:
- AUTHOR
- Dispute Resolution Associate
Elizabeth Hague is a Dispute Resolution associate in the Washington, DC office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, where her work focuses on complex civil litigation and global investigations. She has served on the Ms. JD Board of Directors since March 2013, and serves on the Board of Collective Action for Safe Spaces, a DC-based organization dedicated to making public spaces safer for women.
Elizabeth is a magna cum laude graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and holds a JD from Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, she served in the Board of the Women's Law Association and Law Students for Reproductive Justice, and participated in the Human Rights, Litigating in Family Court, and Gender Violence Clinics. Elizabeth is a former Fulbright Scholar to Morocco, where she researched women's legal empowerment. In her free time, she enjoys visiting national parks, reading, and listening to feminist podcasts. Her personal Twitter is @emh_esq
Elizabeth Pederson graduated Order of the Coif with Pro Bono Distinction from Stanford Law School, where she was a Public Interest Fellow and the Symposium Editor on the Executive Board of the Stanford Law Review. Since graduation, Elizabeth clerked on the Northern District of California and served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan DA's Office. Prior to law school, Elizabeth served in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica. She holds a M.P.A. from the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan as a Frey Foundation Fellow and a B.A. summa cum laude with highest honors from Brandeis University.
Erin is a 2007 graduate of Washington University in St. Louis and a 2011 graduate of Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in Dallas Texas. In law school, she served as Women in Law President for two years and as Student Bar Association President her last year. After graduation, she worked for Claim Adjustment Specialists, a small company in the insurance industry, where she was Vice President of Subrogation and Associate Counsel. After CAS, Erin worked for Philadelphia Insurance Companies in Dallas, Texas and Berkley Oil and Gas in Houston, Texas. She has held several Board of Director positions including Atlantic Housing Foundation, Dallas Women Lawyers Association and now Ms. JD. Erin attended her first Ms. JD conference in 2011 and served on the conference committee for two years before she was asked to join the board at the 2015 Conference. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter at @EsqErinCate.
Erin Wiley is an associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, in New York. At the Cornell Law School she served as an articles committee member on the Cornell Law School International Law Journal. She has a Master of Global Business Law at Sciences Po and Université de Paris I (La Sorbonne), in Paris. She graduated with a B.A.H in English and History from Queen's University, in Canada, where she directed Queen's Medical Outreach, a student-run non-profit organization, and served as Co-Secretary-General for the Queen's Model United Nations conference. During her first summer of law school, Erin worked as an intern for The Honorable Paul A. Crotty, a federal judge in the Southern District of New York. Erin spends her spare time running, practicing yoga, traveling and writing.
Hailey Hillsman is a student at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Troy University and a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Georgia College. At CM Law, Hailey is the research assistant to Associate Dean Carolyn Broering-Jacobs researching women in law, leadership, and grit. Hailey is also a member of the Dean's Leadership Fellowship Program, a selected group of students dedicated to learning leadership skills in the legal field. In addition, she is a staff writer for the law school's newspaper, The Gavel.
Prior to attending law school, Hailey was a secondary science teacher for six years in Georgia. Although she was passionate about her students, Hailey could not let go of her dream of pursuing a law degree. One of her main goals while attending law school is to find resources and mentors related to women in law. That goal led her to Ms. JD, and Hailey is excited to join this journey of promoting women in law with the organization.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of Ms. JD and Works Out of Atlanta
Heather Byrd Asher is Executive Director of Ms. JD and works out of Atlanta. She graduated summa cum laude from Howard University and also spent a semester studying at the University of Ghana. She graduated from Harvard Law School and, while in law school, served as Vice President of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau and as an admissions volunteer and BLSA committee co-chair. Heather returned to Atlanta, her hometown, after law school and spent six years working in the corporate restructuring field at Alston & Bird LLP.
Hollyn Randolph is a 1L at George Washington University in Washington DC. She is interested in a career in entertainment law and intellectual property. She is a graduate of Hampton University with a B.A in Print Journalism and minor in Sociology. Prior to law school she worked in marketing and was a freelance journalist. She enjoys mentoring, writing, traveling and cooking.
Jane Rosales is a third-year law student at New York Law School focusing on criminal defense. Jane is a long-time reader of Ms. JD and previously served as Ms. JD's social media manager. Previously, Jane was a senior paralegal in the Disability Advocacy Project at the New York Legal Assistance Group, where she represented disabled individuals in Social Security Administration hearings. She also served two AmeriCorps terms working in the education sector in Boston. Jane graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in Political Science and obtained her Master's degree in International Affairs from Northeastern University. In addition to serving on the Ms. JD Board of Directions, she also serves on the Board of Directors for the Binghamton University Alumni Association. You can find Jane online at her fitness blog, Run the Jungle, or on Twitter at @janeprosales.
Janee' Prince is an Assistant Public Defender at the Public Defender's Office of the 13th Judicial Circuit in Tampa, Florida. She graduated from Michigan State University College of Law in 2016. She has been involved with Ms. J.D. since 2014, starting out as a Ms. J.D. Journalist and she later became Content Director. Writing has always been at the forefront of Janee's career. Not only did she blog for Ms. J.D., but was Director of Legal Publications at Internet Lava, LLC, a digital marketing company for attorneys, and a former content-writer for the Michigan Policy Network. During law school, she participated in the Women's Law Caucus, the Black Law Student's Association, and published an article in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Law and Social Change entitled, "Can I Touch Your Hair?" Exploring Double Binds and the Black Tax in Law School, 20 U. Pa. J.L. & Soc. Change 29 (2017). Janee' grew up in Detroit, Michigan and currently resides in the Tampa, Florida area. She enjoys a good laugh, a great cup of tea, and a new place!
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- Counsel at Dealerware
Jazmin Youngblood serves as in house counsel at Dealerware, an automotive software company in Austin, TX. She acts as the point of contact for legal business initiatives as well as requests for advice from a wide range of business clients across all functions.
She earned her degree in Political Science at Stanford University. She then pursued her Juris Doctorate at the University of Texas School of Law. Jazmin discovered her passion for the intersection between business and law after completing internships at Visa, Adobe, and Ottobock. The J.L. Turner Legal Association awarded her the Barbara Jordan Scholarship for being the most outstanding female minority law student.
Jazmin currently mentors potential law school candidates as a Consultant at Ivy Grad Services. She remains committed to encouraging present and future female attorneys to stand together and rise together.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Fox Rothschild
Jennifer Gibert Mencarini is the Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Fox Rothschild, LLP, an AmLaw 100 law firm with 28 offices nationwide. Previously, Jennifer built a successful litigation practice in Dallas primarily representing health care providers who had been sued for malpractice. Thereafter, at Elon University School of Law, Jennifer provided holistic professional development and support services to law students and graduates. She was first exposed to Ms. JD through her work with law students. In addition to providing 1:1 career coaching and group programming, she taught professional development, managed Elon Law's pro bono program, and co-developed the law school's DEI program. She continues to serve as an adjunct faculty member supervising student externs, and mentor/coach to graduates studying for the bar examination.
Jennifer received her J.D. from Emory University School of Law, and her B.A. from the University of Virginia. She currently serves on three North Carolina Bar Association Committees (Minorities in the Profession, Pro Bono and Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity), is a Director of the Greensboro (NC) Bar Association, and a Trustee of the U.Va. IDEA Fund, focused on providing action-oriented leadership to grow inclusion, diversity, equity, and access throughout the University community. She practices yoga and Pilates, and loves to read and hang out with her husband, Steve and their dog, Scout.
Jessie Kornberg graduated in 2007 from UCLA School of Law, where she was Editor in Chief of the Women's Law Journal and Articles Editor for the Journal of Sexual Orientation Law. She holds a B.A. from Columbia University. During law school Jessie was the Helena Rubenstein Foundation Fellow at Legal Momentum, the legal defense and education fund for NOW. After law school Jessie served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Jon Phipps McCalla, Chief Judge of the Western District of Tennessee. Prior to law school, Jessie worked in homeless family services in New York City and co-authored Homeless in America, Part Two: A Statistical Reader with the Institute for Children and Poverty. In 2009, Jessie became Ms. JD's first Executive Director. Jessie currently also serves on the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession and on the Governing Board of California Women Lawyers. In 2011, Jessie joined the Los Angeles litigation boutique Bird Marella. Jessie has been recognized by The Recorder and Super Lawyers as a "Lawyer on the Fast Track" and "Rising Star," respectively. In 2014, Jessie became the first female CEO and President of Bet Tzedek.
Job Titles:
- Counsel in the Federal Civil Rights Litigation of the City of Chicago Law Department
Jill Russell serves as Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Federal Civil Rights Litigation of the City of Chicago Law Department. Prior to joining the City, she clerked for the Honorable John Feikens on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and practiced labor and employment law with an AmLaw 200 firm in Chicago. Jill graduated from the University of Michigan Law School cum laude in 2008. She is a founding member of Ms. JD and previously served as Secretary for the Board of Directors from 2006-2007 and as Conference Coordinator for the Ms. JD Conference in 2009.
Juliana Siconolfi is thrilled to serve on Ms. JD's Board of Directors, where she also serves as Chair of its Academic Committee and a member of its Marketing & Communications Committee. She is also the Ms. JD Writers in Residence Program Board Liaison. Previously, she served as Ms. JD's inaugural Academic Program Director, its 2014 Writers in Residence Program Director, and a 2013 Writer in Residence. Juliana is a Professorial Lecturer in Law at The George Washington University Law School. She graduated magna cum laude from Bates College, obtained her J.D. from Boston College Law School, and is an LL.M. candidate at The George Washington University Law School. Her unique perspective as a woman in law who has pursued a non-traditional career path, has a background in and great love for the arts, and is a passionate advocate for equality, diversity, and inclusion informs her work and research interests. The latter include diversity and inclusion within the entertainment, fashion, and beauty industries; intersections between forms of self-presentation and equality; legal education pedagogy; and all things professionalism. In her spare time, Juliana loves to read, travel, and eat cheese. She may be found on Twitter at @JulesSiconolfi.
Julie Silverbrook received a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, in Political Science from The George Washington University, after receiving the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Scholar Award - the highest academic award given to a student in the arts and sciences college. Julie earned her J.D. from William & Mary Law School, where she received the National Association of Women Lawyers Award and the Thurgood Marshall Award, and served as a senior articles editor for the William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal. She also created an award winning constitutional literacy program called Constitutional Conversations in collaboration with William & Mary Law's Institute of Bill of Rights Law, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and the Williamsburg Regional Library system. Julie currently serves as Executive Director of The Constitutional Sources Project, a non-profit based in Washington, DC.
Job Titles:
- Vice - Chair
- Associate at Davis Polk
Kanysha Elaine Phillips is a litigation associate at Davis Polk and Wardwell, LLP. Kanysha was selected to receive a pro-bono award based on her experience representing incarcerated people who were falsely accused. Kanysha is a graduate of Howard University School of Law and La Salle University. She served as the Treasurer of her law school class. Kanysha formerly served as an intern at the New York State Attorney General's Office as well as the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. Kanysha has volunteered on numerous political campaigns. Kanysha was a 2018 Ms. JD Fellow. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and previously received a scholarship from the Barristers Association of Philadelphia. Kanysha is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Adjunct Professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Kara Smith is an intellectual property attorney at Neal Gerber & Eisenberg in Chicago, Illinois, where she focuses her practice on intellectual property enforcement, defense and counseling. Kara represents clients in trademark, patent, and copyright litigation matters in federal court and in trademark matters before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Kara assists companies with online brand enforcement and in reclaiming domain names under the Uniform domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy.
Kara is also an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law where she teaches Advanced Legal Writing for Intellectual Property Practice, and coaches Loyola's Vienna Vis Moot Team. Kara is an Academic Committee Member of the International Trademark Association, and a member of The Richard Linn American Inn of Court.
Kara holds a J.D. (2017) from Loyola University Chicago School of Law as well as a B.S. and B.A. from Purdue University (2013). Kara first became involved with Ms. JD as an attendee of the LaddHer Up conference and then as a Board Member.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Founding Chief Financial Officer
Karen E. Deschaine is a Partner in the Cooley LLP Business department. She joined Cooley in 2007 and is resident in the San Diego office. Karen received a J.D. with a specialization in Business Law from the University of California, Los Angeles, where she was the Editor in Chief of the UCLA Women's Law Journal. She has a Masters of Business Administration from Auburn University and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the United States Military Academy, in West Point, New York. While at West Point, Karen was on the Sport Parachute Team and, as such, jumped the game ball into numerous Army football games and was named the Overall Novice Champion at the 1994 National Collegiate Skydiving Championships. Prior to law school, Karen served as a captain in the United States Army and commanded two companies. Karen was one of the founding members of Ms. JD's Board of Directors (2006-2012) and is a member of the State Bar of California.
Kat LaCoste is the founding attorney at Flex Counsel, a freelance attorney network offering nationwide legal research, writing, & litigation support from experienced attorneys dedicated to wellness and changing the world. Licensed in Colorado, she has government, in-house, state and federal judicial clerkship and internship experience, and is a former Professor of Legal Research and Writing at the University of Illinois College of Law.
Kat cares deeply about public service, and currently serves on the Resource Committee for the Colorado Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being. She is also a Class of 2016 graduate of Emerge Colorado, which identifies and trains qualified women to pursue public office and leadership roles, and was appointed by former Colorado governor and current presidential hopeful, John Hickenlooper, to represent low-income consumers on the Colorado Commission on Low Income Energy Assistance.
Job Titles:
- Associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Katherine Zhao is an associate at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, LLP in Palo Alto, CA. She is a graduate of Stanford Law School and a 2013 Ms. JD Fellow, where she interviewed her Ms. JD mentor, Jamie Studley, and published an e-book with other fellows on making the most of law school and beyond.
Before law school, she traveled to China as a Fulbright and Boren Fellow to analyze how policymakers adopt international legal frameworks to combat domestic violence and human trafficking. She later testified about her findings before Congress. Katherine received her B.A. in International Relations from Wellesley College and a M.A. in the Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. Most recently, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Johnnie B. Rawlinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Katie Day is a corporate in-house attorney based in Portland, Maine. She focuses on contract drafting and negotiation for US-based and international business units, as well as mergers and acquisitions, and corporate reorganizations. Katie earned her J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law where she was President of the Women's Law Society and a Member of the Quinnipiac Law Review. Katie also holds a B.A. in Journalism and Sociology from Hofstra University. Katie has worked with Ms. JD since she was a pre-law student and has served in several roles including social media manager, programs assistant, and as a member of the Ms. JD Board of Directors. Currently, Katie is the Program Director for NWLSO. She is looking forward to providing support and resources for female law students across the country.
Katie DeLong is a Grand Rapids, Michigan based Litigation attorney. She received her Bachelors of Art degree in Communication from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and her Juris Doctor from the Michigan State University College of Law. While at MSU College of Law, Katie served as vice-president of the Woman's Law Caucus and a member of the Multicultural Executive Counsel. She had the opportunity, during law school, to spend a month in Poland where she took classes with Polish law students on EU law, International ADR and Freedom of Expression in European Countries. She is admitted to the state bar in Michigan
Job Titles:
- Associate at Latham & Watkins LLP
Katie Larkin-Wong is an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP in San Francisco, CA where her practice focuses on antitrust and white collar litigation. She is the second President of Ms. JD. She graduated cum laude from Northwestern Law School. Katie is a long time Ms. JD reader, served as a 2010-2011 Writer-in-Residence, and was a 2010 Ms. JD Fellow. While at Northwestern, she served as the Managing Editor of the Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property and on the board of the Women's Leadership Coalition. She was also active in Northwestern's Program on Negotiations and Mediation where she became a certified mediator, mediating and settling cases in the Chicago courts. Katie holds a dual major in psychology and government with an emphasis in women's studies from Claremont McKenna College and, prior to law school, worked for Verizon's Corporate Counsel on antitrust and intellectual property matters.
Keisha N. Stanford is a graduate of Stanford Law School, where she served as the Co-President of the Stanford Law Students' Association and the Women of Stanford Law. Keisha previously worked as an associate at Covington & Burling LLP's San Francisco office. She graduated summa cum laude from Emory University, majoring in Philosophy and Spanish. Following graduation, Keisha began working in the Immigration practice group at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP in Atlanta, GA and then began a graduate program in philosophy at Emory. Continuing to work at Paul Hastings part-time during her graduate program, she completed her Master of Arts degree in Philosophy in May 2007. Keisha spends her spare time reading, practicing yoga, and playing with her seven-year old Weimaraner, Geist.
Kim Watson graduated Order of the Coif from the University of Illinois College of Law and magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in History. She is recently completed a Public Interest Law Fellowship at The Law Project in Chicago, and will be starting as a full-time associate at Kirkland and Ellis in October 2012. During law school, Kimberly was a Notes Editor for the Elder Law Journal, the Vice-President of Women's Law Society and the President of the Corporation and Business Law Association. Kimberly was also a recipient of the Ms. JD Fellowship in 2011 and was a student representative to the Women's Bar Association of Illinois in 2010 and 2011.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Portfolio Manager at Equal Justice Works
Krista Selnau is a fellowships portfolio manager at Equal Justice Works, where she oversees Fellows and stewards Fellowship sponsors on the East Coast. Krista received her B.A. summa cum laude from Curry College and earned her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, where was an active member of the Health Law Moot Court team.
Prior to joining Equal Justice Works, Krista founded and managed the Veterans Medical-Legal Partnership at Pine Tree Legal Assistance in Augusta, Maine with VA Maine Healthcare System. She practiced veterans law and coordinated Pine Tree's veterans pro bono projects. She also served as Co-Chair of the Veterans Law Section in the Maine State Bar Association. From 2013-2015, Krista was an Equal Justice Works Fellow sponsored by Walmart and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, and hosted by Legal Aid of Arkansas. Her Fellowship project expanded the Arkansas Children's Hospital's Medical-Legal Partnership to include a legal clinic focused on the unmet needs of children with cancer or sickle cell disease and their families. Before that, Krista co-founded and coordinated a pro bono medical-legal partnership for children in rural Northwest Arkansas.
Krista has guest lectured on medical-legal partnerships at Berkeley School of Law and Georgetown University. She has written about and presented extensively on medical-legal partnerships nationwide.
In her free time, she volunteers as a member of the Pro Bono and Public Interest Committee for the Washington Council of Lawyers and as a pro bono volunteer at various legal clinics in Washington, DC. She also volunteers at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp in Connecticut, for seriously ill children and their families. She enjoys rock climbing and running. As a survivor of childhood cancer and an amputee, Krista is passionate about empowering and supporting young people in achieving their goals.
Lauren R. Jackson is a Labor & Employment associate with McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP, in their Newark office. She is a graduate of Howard University School of Law where she served as President of the Student Bar Association and member of the Huver I. Brown Trial Advocacy Team. Throughout law school, she interned with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Additionally, she served as a judicial intern for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the District Court for the District of Columbia. Lauren's also served as a Student Attorney with the now named Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Clinic at Howard University. As a Student Attorney, she presented oral argument before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Prior to joining her firm, Lauren clerked for Judge Magali M. Francois, J.S.C. of the New Jersey Superior Court, Family Division. Additionally, Lauren is the Founder and Program Director of Instilling My Ability to Naturally Embrace Excellence, Inc. (IMANEE), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the empowerment and elevation of middle school girls throughout New York and New Jersey. She has received various recognition for her community and advocacy work such as the EmbraceHER DC "My Sister's Keeper" Award and the Olender Foundation Earl H. Davis advocacy award. She also received the Dean's Leadership Award from Howard University School of Law. Lauren is a 2016 Ms. JD Fellow and 2015 Lawyers of Color Fellow.
Lauren holds a Master's in Public Administration and a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration from Seton Hall University. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Epsilon Sigma Iota Legal Sorority.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Mergers & Acquisitions Associate
Lilybelle Davis is a Mergers & Acquisitions Associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York. Lilybelle graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Economics from University of Maryland in 2015 and received her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2018.
In undergrad, Lilybelle interned at Google in Mountain View, CA, and studied at the London School of Economics for her entire junior year. During law school, Lilybelle was an Articles Editor on the Columbia Science and Technology Law Review and a Corporate Law and Policy research assistant. Lilybelle spent her final semester of law school studying at the University of Oxford in the Masters in Law and Finance program, and Columbia awarded her the Parker School Recognition of Achievement in International and Comparative Law. Before joining Skadden, Lilybelle clerked for the Honorable Joseph R. Slights at the Delaware Chancery Court. While clerking, Lilybelle worked with her judge on several high-profile corporate disputes and an appraisal case that was affirmed by the Delaware Supreme Court.
Lilybelle currently volunteers as a mentor for Rising Leaders, Inc. in Harlem, working with underserved middle school students.
Maleaha Brown is a family law attorney for Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, where she represents low-income survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Maleaha was selected as a Fellow with the American Bar Association's Section of Family Law in 2018, and she currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Section's Domestic Violence Committee. Maleaha is a graduate of Howard University School of Law and Baylor University. She is licensed to practice law in Texas and she is a Registered Legal Services Attorney in California.
While at Howard Law, Maleaha became involved with Ms. JD as a 2015 Ms. JD Fellow. After graduation, she served as the organization's Fellowship Director before joining the Ms. JD Board of Directors in 2017. Maleaha is passionate about advocating for women's issues. Notably, her articles "When Pros Become Cons: Ending the NFL's History of Domestic Violence Leniency" and "The Unfair Choice: A Call for Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnant Workers" have been published in the ABA's Family Law Quarterly and the Howard Human and Civil Rights Law Review, respectively.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor
- Member of the Board
Maureen Edobor is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law in the Master of Legal Studies program at Penn State Law and a Litigation Associate at Goldberg Segalla. Maureen's research interest focus on voting rights jurisprudence through a critical race theory lens, drawing on her experience as a Staff Attorney at the League of Women Voters of the United States, where she managed the national litigation portfolio on election administration and voting rights in the 2020 election cycle. Maureen has spoken about the importance of voting rights at the University of Virginia School of Law, American University Washington College of Law, and Penn State Law. A first-generation lawyer, she received her B.A. from the University of Texas at Arlington and a J.D. from Washington and Lee School of Law, where she also worked for the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, the House Judiciary Committee, Restore the Vote, and Common Cause. After law school, she clerked for Judge Pamela J. White on the Baltimore City Circuit Court.
Melissa Gardner works at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein in San Francisco, where her practices focuses on consumer protection class actions and torts. She graduated from Harvard Law School, where she was a Student Attorney with the Harvard Prison Legal Assistance Project and South Brooklyn Legal Services. Before attending law school, Melissa served in the United States Peace Corps, where she taught college students at Gansu Forestry College in Tianshui, China. Melissa has been a member of the GEF Program Council since 2013. She is passionate about helping women navigate the legal profession, in and outside of the United States. In her spare time, Melissa studies foreign languages and sings with Lieff Cabraser's rock band, the R-23's.
Job Titles:
- Interim Dean of UC Berkeley School of Law
Job Titles:
- Paralegal With the Law Firm O'Leary Wallace LLP
Michele Perrin is a paralegal with the law firm O'Leary Wallace LLP, where she assists the founding partners with estate planning, probate, and estate and trust administration. She graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a Bachelor's degree in History in 2007. She obtained her Masters degree in Modern European History from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2010. Michele began her legal career with Duggan Smith & Heath LLP in 2010, and completed her paralegal course work though the University of California, Santa Cruz extension program in 2011. Michele joined the law firm Adamski Moroski Madden Cumberland & Green LLP in 2015. Michele served as the Editor-in-Chief of Ms. JD from 2012-2017. Michele lives in Santa Margarita with her husband, Kyle, and their daughter, Taylor. She enjoys running and hiking with her two labs (Kali and Cooper), traveling, and wine.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Litigation Associate
N'Dea Hallett is a Litigation Associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in New York. N'Dea graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Psychology from Tufts University, where she received a Honos Civicus recognition for her commitment to public service and civic engagement. N'Dea then received her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2020. N'Dea is licensed to practice law in New York.
During her undergraduate studies, N'Dea interned in the Harvard Business School Social Psychology Lab with Professor Amy Cuddy and at the Center for Reproductive Rights as a Global Legal Intern. During law school, N'Dea participated in Columbia's Challenging the Consequences of Mass Incarceration Clinic, where she provided pro bono counsel and services to incarcerated individuals. Additionally, N'Dea served as an editor on the Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems and as an editor and judge for the Harlan Fiske Stone Moot Court. N'Dea spent one semester studying international law and arbitration in the Netherlands at Amsterdam Law School.
N'Dea dedicates her free time to mentoring students of color and solving an occasional jigsaw puzzle. N'Dea is a former Consultant at Ivy Grad Services where she mentored and provided resources to potential law school candidates. N'Dea is committed to amplifying the voices of women and people of color in the legal profession.
Nancy O'Malley, Alameda County District Attorney, inspired hundreds of women on Saturday morning in San Francisco at the California Women Lawyers Annual Conference during her breakfast keynote speech on May 4, 2013. I've compiled my favorite quotes from O'Malley's keynote to share with you all:On Leadership:People line up behind good leaders. Those following role models become role models for those behind us.Women-step up, become leaders, and take charge. Attitudes, laws, and resources of societies will change. It takes guts and courage to move ahead. Access to leadership is open to anyone that can say yes to the calling.The more of…
Nazia Khan is a corporate and securities attorney at Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton, where she passionately represents public and private companies across various industries including, but not limited to, life sciences, healthcare, cannabis, technology, transportation and food and beverage. Ms. Khan has extensive experience representing investment banks and domestic and international companies in securities offerings including, but not limited to, initial public offerings, including initial public offerings of SPACs, as well as private securities offerings. She also has extensive experience with listings to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq and compliance related matters.
Ms. Khan graduated with honors and a concentration in Business Law from California Western School of Law and cum laude with a B.S. in Finance from George Mason University. Ms. Khan is passionate about supporting the advancement of women in the legal industry and serves as a Leadership Council on Legal Diversity mentor.
Nicole Chiu-Wang is, above-all-else, an entrepreneurial "Jill of all trades". A trademark attorney by trade, Nicole embarked on a career transition by going back to school to become a front-end developer and user experience designer as well as forming her own small business. Through this transition, Nicole found her place among the emerging fashion tech startups of San Francisco where she worked at both Rocksbox, a designer jewelry subscription startup, and Share Some Style, a marketplace for personal stylists. To pursue her entrepreneurial dreams, Nicole's company released its first line of fashion-forward athletic socks for women under the brand-name TREADFAST in February 2014 and has since produced a line of long and short sleeve graphic tshirts. In January 2015, Nicole announced her new title (and latest passion forward move) as Co-Founder and COO of Boon + Gable, a styling startup that brings the dressing room (and the stylist) to you. Nicole graduated cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Irvine, with degrees in Women's Studies and Asian American Studies. In 2009, she received her JD from Loyola Law School of Los Angeles where she served as a production editor for the International and Comparative Law Review, competed on the nationally recognized Byrne Trial Advocacy Team and the Scott Moot Court Honors Board. During law school, Nicole served on the Executive Board of Directors for the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles, was crowned Miss Los Angeles County 2007 and was fourth runner-up to Miss California USA 2008. In 2010, Nicole competed on Season 10 of NBC's The Apprentice from which she launched a speaking tour at college campuses focused on finding your dream job and a weekly segment on a national syndicated talk radio show, The Block Radio. If you asked Nicole how she got where she is today, she would tell you, "I live Passion Forward."
Job Titles:
- Associate at Husch Blackwell LLP
Nicole Grabianowski is an associate at Husch Blackwell LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where her practice focuses on banking and finance matters. She is the Chief Financial Officer of Ms. JD. She graduated cum laude from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and also received her M.B.A. from Loyola's Quinlan School of Business. Nicole is a long time Ms. JD reader and was a 2014 Ms. JD Fellow. While at Loyola, Nicole served as a Lead Articles Editor on the Loyola University Chicago Law Journal, as a staff editor for the Loyola Consumer Law Review, and on the board of the Women's Law Society. She also was a Student Fellow for the Loyola Institute for Consumer Antitrust Studies from 2013-2015. Originally from Parker, Colorado, Nicole attended Arizona State University graduating cum laude with a B.S. in Finance with an International Business Certificate in addition to earning her B.F.A. in Dance. In addition to her academic pursuits, Nicole completed an externship at the Cook County Department of Revenue and the Circuit Court of Cook County and also worked part-time throughout law school as a Corporate Tax Law Clerk at WEC Energy Group. Prior to attending law school, Nicole worked for a small finance company in Phoenix, Arizona. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering, all things outdoors, body pump fitness class, yoga, movies, shopping, and football.
Noorain Khan is a corporate associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York City. She appeared on the 2014 Forbes "30 Under 30" List for Law & Policy and received the Pro Bono Publico Award from the Legal Aid Society. Noorain serves on the boards the Association of American Rhodes Scholars and Ms. JD and spent three years leading the girl planning efforts to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting in 2012. She also served on the selection committee for the inaugural Peace First Prize. Noorain Khan is a graduate of Yale Law School, where she was a Soros Fellow. At Yale, Noorain served as the co-editor-in-chief of the Yale Journal of Law & Technology, chaired Yale Law Women, and was a member of the Balancing Civil Liberties and National Security After September 11 Clinic. Noorain also hosted a popular culture radio show on WYBC AM New Haven and contributed to the blog Jezebel. She has worked on editing the Beijing +10 goals on behalf of Pakistan at a women's rights NGO in Karachi, on advocacy for the uninsured in Texas, on free speech and censorship at Google, and on organizing youth activists at Amnesty International USA. Noorain received an MPhil in migration studies at Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar, and a BA from Rice University. She has traveled abroad with the U.S. State Department to speak about Islam in the U.S. and has worked at Goldman Sachs and the Department of Justice.
Noorulanne Jan is currently a law student at the University of Texas School of Law. Her current legal passions include indigent defense and research into toxic torts, especially in low-income communities. Before law school, Noorulanne spent some time as a high school English teacher and as a policy fellow with the Urban Leaders Fellowship, where she researched effective principalship programs. Though she is a newcomer to the Austin area, she hit the gorund running by being selected as a Ruth Ellinger Labor Leader Fellow with the Texas AFL-CIO. Currently, she spends her evenings teaching English to non-native speakers with Austin Community College.
Noorulanne graduated from Texas Tech University in 2015 with a triple major in English, Political Science, and Sociology. After her time in Austin, she plans to move back to her hometown of Houston and would like to pursue employment in the public sector.
Paige Griffith is currently serving as a law clerk for the Honorable Dana L. Christensen, Chief United States District Judge for the District of Montana. She graduated in May 2016 from the University of Montana School of Law in Missoula, Montana, and also holds a double BA in Economics and Political Science from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. During her time in law school, she was actively involved in the Women's Law Caucus, Montana Law Review, and National Moot Court Team. Paige became involved with Ms. JD as a Ms. JD Fellow in 2015 and was the Conference Coordinator for the 2017 Ms. JD Annual Conference. In her free time, Paige loves to OULA (check out oulafitness.com), binge watch TV show marathons, hang out with friends and family, make delicious food, and take photos!
Ms. JD is proud to announce that Pat Gillette, Partner at Orrick, will keynote the 2015 Ms. JD Honors which will mark the beginning of Ms. JD's 2015 Stronger Together Conference. During the Ms. JD Honors, Ms. JD will present seven awards to inspiring legal professionals. Ms. JD chose Pat as the 2015 Ms. JD Honors Keynote because her career history demonstrates her commitment to this year's conference theme, Stronger Together. Pat has been a tireless advocate of women in the legal profession. She is the founder of the Opt-In Project and a co-founder of the San Francisco Bar's No… read more
Job Titles:
- President - Elect of the American Bar Association
On October 27, 2014, we sat down with Paulette Brown, the President-Elect of the American Bar Association. She spent an hour answering Ms. JD community members' questions. When she takes the reins as President, Ms. Brown will be the first African-American woman to lead the ABA. Ms. Brown is also a labor and employment law partner and chief diversity officer at Edwards Wildman Palmer and has served in many other positions, including as in-house counsel to Fortune 500 companies and a municipal court judge. In private practice, she has focused on all facets of labor and employment and commercial litigation.
Job Titles:
- Immediate past President
- AUTHOR
- Law Clerk to Chief
- S New President
Raychelle A. Tasher is the sole law clerk to Chief Bankruptcy Judge Kathy A. Surratt-States, U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Prior to her bankruptcy clerkship, Raychelle practiced bankruptcy law-creditor's rights throughout the State of Florida. Raychelle first became involved with Ms. JD as 2012 Ms. JD Fellow, and has served on the Ms. JD Board of Directors since August 2013. Raychelle is a magna cum laude graduate of Florida A&M University ("FAMU") and also holds a JD from FAMU College of Law. As an undergraduate student, Raychelle became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and was elected Senior Class President. While at FAMU College of Law, Raychelle held numerous leadership roles, most notably National Vice Chair of the ABA Law Student Division. Recently, FAMU College of Law honored Raychelle with a Distinguished Alumni Award for Professional Excellence in Government. Raychelle has also been named to Lawyers of Color, LLC's inaugural 2013 "Hot List", recognizing early-to-mid level career lawyers who are excelling in the legal profession. Notably, The National Bar Association honored Raychelle with its 2016 Nation's Best Advocates: "40 Lawyers Under 40" Award for her commitment to the community and leadership in the legal profession. In 2013 Raychelle was selected to the American Bar Association ("ABA") Young Lawyers Division's ("YLD") inaugural Emerging Leaders program and in 2015 she was selected as an ABA YLD Scholar. Currently, Raychelle serves as Chair of the ABA YLD Bankruptcy Law Committee and recently she was selected by the ABA Business Law Section as a 2016-2018 Fellow. Raychelle serves as Ms. JD's chief liaison to the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession where she is active in the Sexual Harassment and Bullying subcommittee. Raychelle frequently speaks on issues such as unconscious bias, gender and race in the law.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Senior Associate
Ruby Garrett is a senior associate and trial attorney at Munger, Tolles & Olson in Washington D.C. where she leads case teams in pursuing civil litigation, conducting internal investigations, and defending clients facing white-collar investigations and prosecutions. She received her J.D. from The University of Chicago Law School where she served as editor-in-chief of The University of Chicago Legal Forum and president of the Black Law Students Association. She earned her B.A. in psychology from Stanford University where she became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and later captain of the cheerleading team.
Prior to joining her current firm, Ruby held clerkships with Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She is licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C. and New York.
Her passion is rooted in providing access and supporting people in overcoming obstacles. Along with starting a conference entitled, Law School Is for Diverse People, she has pursued pro bono casework representing the underrepresented in wrongful conviction cases, civil rights matters, anti-SLAPP litigation, and immigration cases. She began actively investing in the communities she lived in as an undergraduate student at Stanford. She has grown nonprofits and taught dance classes to help others achieve personal freedom, and she continues to do so today in D.C. She is also a champion of diversity and inclusion at her firm where she serves on and leads multiple committees to expand the firm's reach and broaden access to minority communities. Ruby is a founding member of The Gathering Spot in D.C., a Black-owned collaborative community of entrepreneurs, creators, disruptors, executives, artists, and forward-thinkers who possess the ambition to make an impact in the world.
Ruby is invested in opening pathways to women navigating their careers in law. Inspired by her personal experience with Ms. JD and the connections she made, she was honored to join the organization as a board member in 2022.
Sarah Dunn Davis graduated Order of the Coif in 2008 from the University of Kentucky College of Law, where she was editor-in-chief of the Kentucky Law Journal. She has her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Virginia, where she graduated with distinction. After law school, she was a law clerk to the Honorable Eugene E. Siler, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She will be serving as the 2009-2010 Ms. JD Fellow before joining the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. She is a member of the state bar of New York and the American Bar Association.
Sarah June Benjamin is a human rights and international criminal law attorney. She is passionate about developing dialogue and community advocacy to raise awareness and take action on the most critical issues. As a former refugee from the Liberian Civil war, she holds an interest in the rights of women and children in conflict zones. June has provided trained cultural and gender specific legal assistance to victims of human rights abuses in international forums, tribunals, and domestic immigration courts. June holds a Juris Doctor and a Masters of Art in international peace and conflict resolution from American University. Her work in the International Human Rights Law Clinic was recognized with the Dean's Award for Professional Responsibility. June represented the War Crimes Research Office in the ICC Moot Court competition and to the Washington Working Group on the International Criminal Court. She studied abroad in Geneva completing the International Organizations, Law and Diplomacy program. June has served as a visiting scholar at the Bahá'í Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland where she is co-publishing a book on transcending barriers to a global peace model.
Sarah Visnovsky is an intellectual property attorney at Pulse IP. She counsels businesses, entrepreneurs, and creatives on trademark selection, clearance, proper use, and other brand protection matters across various industries. Sarah received a B.A. in English with a minor in French from the University of North Florida and received her J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law with a concentration in the Business of Innovation, Law, and Technology.
During law school, Sarah interned with the Brooklyn Nets, served on the executive board of the Business Law Society, served as a teaching assistant, and was an active member of Miami Law Women and the Entertainment, Sports, and Arts Law Society. She was also inducted into the Society of Bar and Gavel, an honors society specifically dedicated to recognizing law students who demonstrate outstanding service and dedication to goodwill. Sarah is a Dean's Certificate of Achievement Award and CALI Excellence for the Future Award recipient. She has been a member of the Sports Lawyers Association since 2016 and enjoys attending the annual SLA conferences.
As a first-generation lawyer and youth sports coach, Sarah has a passion for mentoring young women.
Originally from Montgomery, Alabama, Shannon McNeal is a 2011 graduate of the University of Florida ("UF") and a 2014 graduate of Howard University School of Law. While in law school, Shannon competed at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington, D.C. During college, Shannon served as the President of the UF Black Student Union, and spent her last semester interning full-time with Senator Jeremy Ring (D) of Florida District 32 through the UF Bob Graham Center for Public Service. Based on her leadership throughout college, Shannon was selected for membership in Florida Blue Key, the oldest honorary society in the state of Florida. Shannon is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Shannon works as a government investigations associate at Hudson Cook LLP in Washington D.C.
Job Titles:
- Associate at Vinson & Elkins LLP
Sheila Forjuoh is an Associate at Vinson & Elkins LLP in Houston, Texas. She is a recent graduate of The University of Texas School of Law and the McCombs School of Business as a member of the JD/MBA Class of 2013. While in school, she was a member of the Texas Law Review, Managing Editor of the Texas Review of Entertainment & Sports Law, a member of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, and a Board Fellow with United Way Capital Area. She was also a founding member of Beyond Any Bar, a student group aimed at connecting UTLaw students with members of the UT Law's non-practicing alumni community in hopes of educating students about non-practicing career paths. Sheila remains an active alumni of both the Thurgood Marshall Legal Society, the UT Law chapter of the National Black Law Students Association, and the Black Graduate Business Association. She is a graduate of the Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, with a B.S.B.A. in Marketing and a second major in Entrepreneurship, where she was involved in many student groups and received numerous scholarships and awards.
Sheryl Sandberg recently released her new book, Lean In, which she describes as "sort of a feminist manifesto." Sandberg was named the fifth most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine. She currently holds the position of Chief Operating Officer at Facebook.On a recent Ms. JD Board call, we, the Ms. JD Board, decided to read this book in a book-club fashion, so that we can discuss it during our upcoming retreat in Austin, Texas. We want to also invite our wonderful blog readers, volunteers, and program participants to join our "book-club" by picking up a copy of Lean In and reading along…
Sonya Laddon Rahders is a Staff Attorney with Regulatory Assistance for Abortion Providers (RAAP), a project of Resources for Abortion Delivery (RAD), offering pro-bono healthcare compliance assistance to providers across the country. Prior to joining RAAP, Sonya held positions as associate attorney at Athene Law, LLP; regulatory legal counsel with Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California; and with Advocates for Youth in Washington, DC as a federal domestic policy analyst and If/When/How Reproductive Justice Fellow. Sonya earned her J.D. with a concentration in Social Justice Lawyering from UC Hastings College of the Law, where she was editor-in-chief of the Hastings Women's Law Journal, a founding member of Ms. JD (NWLSO) at UC Hastings, and a 2014 Ms. JD Fellow. Sonya previously served on the national Board of Directors of If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice.
Prior to her legal career, Sonya worked for several years in nonprofit administration and human resources. She earned her A.A. in Sociology with High Honors from Cabrillo College, and her B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Women's/Gender Studies, summa cum laude, from University of California, Los Angeles. In her spare time, Sonya teaches an online graduate class on Human Sexuality and Public Policy for University of Minnesota, volunteers with ACCESS Women's Health Justice, and takes slow walks with her elderly dog.
Tanya Falleiro is an attorney based in San Jose, California. She practices business transactional law at Structure Law Group LLP. Tanya was a 2011 Ms. JD Fellow, and a previous Writer-in-Residence for Ms. JD in 2010. She received her JD from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco in 2012, where she was in the Honors Law Program, an Associate Editor on the Environmental Law Journal, member of the Moot Court Board, and recipient of the Joseph R. and June B. Rensch Endowed Law Scholarship. She received her Bachelor of the Arts degree in Legal Studies from UC Berkeley in 2008. In her free time, Tanya enjoys hiking and trying new restaurants around the Bay Area.
This week, Ms. JD is officially launching Ms. JD's TIM Initiative. TIM is an acronym for The Incredible Men and the initiative aims to recognize and promote men who are sponsoring and investing in women's careers and women's initiatives. Althought TIM is an acronym, it is also a nod to Ms. JD's male board member and CFO, Tim, who is an unabashed feminist and has been an incredible supporter of Ms. JD. Like many new projects, Ms. JD's TIM Initiative began in a small way. (Is it weird that I'm envisioning GE's Ideas Commercial as I write this?) The first… read more
Timothy Miller currently works in the Research Compliance and Integrity unit at the University of California, Davis. He began working there after graduating from UC Davis School of Law (King Hall) in 2012. At King Hall, Tim served as the Managing Articles Editor for the Journal of Juvenile Law & Policy. Prior to law school, Tim worked in Risk Management at JPMorgan Asset Management and in Legal and Compliance at a New York City hedge fund. While in New York, Tim mentored high school students with Minds Matter of NYC. He graduated from Cornell University in 2004 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. In his free time, Tim enjoys rock climbing and snowboarding.