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Thanks to those supporting our efforts in Montego, Bay Jamaica. With over 18 CLE speakers and numerous CLEs to attend, we invested heavily in the continued development of our NBA YLD lawyers. We spent time volunteering at Montego Bay’s Howard Cooke Primary School. We read to the younger children and hosted a speech and debate competition for the older students. Due to your contributions and the support of our sponsors, American Association for Justice and Steptoe and Johnson LLP we donated $1,000.00 to help make repairs at the school, as well as over $2,500 in audio equipment, books and school supplies. Special thanks to the entire planning committee. Your work made a difference in the lives of children and attorneys attending.
One Love
Respectfully,
Alicia Awkard – Conference Executive Director
Ashley Upkins – Conference CLE Director
Chloe Woods – Conference Community Service Director
Amber Jackson – Conference Finance Director
Camille Glover – Conference Entertainment Director
Nick Austin – NBA YLD Chair
With 9 CLEs to choose from, conference goers gained numerous opportunities to enhance their legal skills. Ashley Upkins (NBA Secretary) curated and coordinated the CLE options for our conference goers.
Henry Floyd, Jr. (Associate, Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis and President, Washington Bar Association), Vanecia Kimbrow, (Partner, Kimbrow & Campbell) and Hamid Saahir, (President, Student Bar Association UDC Law) gave conference goers insights into what it takes to be effective leaders in a session entitled “The Definition of a Leader: Secrets to Leadership Success”.
Tyechia White (Associate, Steptoe & Johnson LLP and Conference Sponsor), Chloe Woods (Vice Chair, NBA YLD) and Cliff Dawkins (Associate, Sills Cummis & Gross) spoke to attendees on the Crowne Act and what it means for the future of discrimination laws in the U.S.
Charyln Stanberry (Chief of Staff, Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, U.S. House of Representatives) and Dominque Calhoun (Partner, Calhoun, Meredith & Simms) spoke to attendees regarding developing successful advocacy strategies.
Erick Tyrone (Principle, Tyrone Law Group) and Ashley L. Upkins (Managing Partner, The Cochran Firm – Nashville) spoke to those interested in starting their own practices and imparted helpful tips to ensure success.
Venroy July (Partner, Miles & Stockbridge), encouraged attendees to utilize “Opportunity Zones” in efforts to build wealth for themselves, their communities and future generations.
Lonita Baker (Attorney, Sam Aguiar Injury Attorneys & NBA Vice President), and Shean Williams (Senior Partner, The Cochran Firm) counseled conference goers on the finer nuances of deposition in the litigation process.
J. Wyndal Gordan (Principle, The Law Office of J. Wyndal Gordon) and Tebogo Hlapolosa (Director, T.T. Hlapolosa, Inc. Johannesburg, South Africa) spoke to members on the finer points of well executed cross-examinations.
Ashley Lee (Corporate Counsel, Coca-Cola Company) and David Bell (Counsel, Wells Fargo Bank), gave conference attendees a lesson in the secrets of success for in-house counsel.
Nicholas Austin (Senior Counsel & Vice President, Wells Fargo Bank) and Tyechia White (Associate, Steptoe & Johnson LLP and also a conference sponsor) imparted knowledge to law student attendees in a session entitled “The Things I Wish I knew About Becoming A Lawyer When I Was In Law School”
Aaron Taylor (Executive Director, AccesLex Center for Legal Education and Professor, St. Louis University School of law) reminded attendees regarding the importance of complying with ethics obligations in his presentation, “Disparate Treatment in Black Attorney Discipline: How to Avoid Becoming a Legal Statistic (Ethics)”
Chloe Woods (NBA YLD Vice Chair) led the YLD’s Community Service efforts in Jamaica. 26 YLD Volunteers ran a speech and debate competition for older students and read to younger students at Howard Cooke Primary School in Montego Bay. Chloe also led the YLD’s efforts to collect and donate more than 50 books to give to the school.
Underscoring the importance of seeing themselves reflected in both literature and the world around them, YLD volunteers read books featuring black and brown protagonists to children aged six through ten. Children must be able to envision the possibilities for their futures. such as “I Am Enough,” “Little Professor Skye,” “I Love My Hair,” “Black Boy Joy,” and “All Are Welcome,” were featured.
For the speech and debate competition the students debated whether Jamaica’s motto “Out of many, One people” accurately reflected Jamaica. YLD volunteers served as judges of the competition and also helped coach the children in the art of public speaking and advocacy. In the end, students advocating for the “Out of many, One People” motto proved victorious. All participating students received cash prizes and congratulations for their efforts on the day.
In addition, the YLD donated $1,000.00 towards the school’s efforts to fix building issues and over $2,500 in books, educational materials, supplies and a sound system. The YLD thanks Vice Chair, Chloe Woods, as well as Assistant Director, Sherika Wynter for making the community service event such a success.
Even though community service activities and CLE sessions took the majority of the activity time, YLD members still found time to enjoy some entertainment activities and fun in the sun. Many members dawned their beachwear for a fun time in the sun on the YLD Catamaran Cruise. Members enjoyed stops at Margaritaville and snorkeling in the crystal clear blue waters of Jamaica. Many thanks to Camille Glover for planning and coordinating the Entertainment options for conference goers.
Members also enjoyed game night while delighting in crowd favorites such as “Black Card Revoked,” “Spades,” “Uno,” and other fun games.
Members wanting to explore the local sights and sounds of Montego Bay joined us for our YLD “Day on the Town” where we visited local establishments and experience the best of Montego Bay.
TW Tote Giveaway
Thanks for our sponsors at TW Tote we gave away executive lunch bags to 4 lucky conference goers who won our raffle. You can find out more about TW tote or purchase your own bag at www.twtote.com
We thank our sponsors, Steptoe & Johnson LLP (Tyechia White: Sponsor Representative), TW Tote (Sherika Wynter: Sponsor Representative) and The American Association for Justice (Patrick Celestine: Sponsor Representative) for their contributions to our amazing conference!
We thank Conference Executive Director Alicia Awkard for all of her hard work, ensuring the ultimate success of the NBA YLD International Leadership Conference!
Please be sure to check www.NBAJamaica.com for more pictures and videos from our time in Jamaica!
Feel free to reach out to us at INFO@nbayld.org, or any board member if you have questions and or concerns.
Don’t forget to check us out on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
We hope to welcome you to the NBA YLD soon!
2022 by National Bar Association | Young Lawyers Division
Monette M. Davis is an associate attorney at Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann L.L.C. in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is a New Orleans native. She currently assist clients with fiduciary litigation, insurance defense, and family law matters. Monette joined Stone Pigman in 2019 and serves as a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, New Orleans Bar Association, the New Orleans Chapter Federal Bar Association, and GNO Louis A. Martinet Legal Society.
Monette attended Dillard University where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice in May 2013, and attended Southern University Law Center where she received her Juris Doctor degree in May 2019. She was inspired to become an attorney by her father when she was a teenager. However, when her oldest sister was murdered in New Orleans in 2011 as a result of domestic violence, her desire for the legal profession increased. With this travesty, Monette’s continuous aspiration is to be a change in Louisiana and provide a space
where people can rely and believe that they won’t be failed by the justice system.
Congratulations, Monette M. Davis