Welcome to NBA YLD

NBA YLD is comprised of lawyers who are under 40 years of age or have less than 10 years of experience in the legal profession.

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Greetings!

Welcome to the 2022-2023 National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (“NBA YLD”) bar year. I have the distinct pleasure of serving as your 39th NBA YLD Chair. I am honored and humbled to serve the National Bar Association and the incredible NBA YLD in this capacity. I am committed to continuing the tradition of elevating young lawyers to success.

The 2022-2023 bar year will focus on three (3) programmatic areas: 

Y – Young lawyers’ professional development & career success

E – Educating young lawyers on wealth creation, management, & preservation

S – Supporting our communities by advocating against social injustices.  

2023 international leadership conference

Elevating Lawyers to global success

june 1-4, 2023

Planet Hollywood Costa Rica

continuing legal
education credit

networking
opportunities

professional
development

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EVENTS

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MEMBERSHIP

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KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Listen to stories dealing with your rights

PRESS RELEASE

Read official statements from NBAYLD

Meet The Board


The National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division installed its 2022-2023 executive board officers during the National Bar Association’s 97th Annual Convention and Exhibits in Memphis, Tennessee. Ashley Lee was sworn-in as the Division’s 39th Chair.

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Ashley Lee

Ashley Lee

Chair
Ashley Lee is Associate General Counsel at Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Sales & Services Company LLC (CCBSS).
Amy Depuy

Amy Depuy

Chair-Elect
Amy Depuy is a litigation Associate at Reed Smith LLP.
Bria Kemp

Bria Kemp

Vice Chair
Bria Kemp is the Deputy Prosecutor at the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau

Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau

Secretary
Madjeen Garcon-Bonneau is an Associate at FordHarrison LLP.
Alex Mitchell

Alex Mitchell

Treasurer
Alex Mitchell is the Managing Attorney at Cumberland Law Group.
Chloé Woods

Chloé Woods

Immediate Past Chair
Chloe Woods served as the 38th Chair of the National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.
Ashley Weathers

Ashley Weathers

Historian
Ashley Weathers is the Assistant Attorney General for the State of North Carolina Department of Justice.
NBA-YLD wishes you all a Happy Mother’s Day! 🌺💐
Congratulations to Alea K. Roberts, NBA YLD’s Young Lawyer of the Week! 🎉 Ms. Roberts is a litigation attorney specializing in personal injury and medical malpractice. She is dedicated to advocating for her clients through all stages of litigation to ensure that they obtain the relief to which they are entitled.   Prior to joining the firm, Alea was an Agency Attorney Interne with the New York City Administration of Children’s Services, Family Court Legal Services. As an Agency Attorney Interne, Alea handled Family Court Act Article 10 child neglect matters in New York Supreme Court and the Appellate Division.   As the first lawyer in her family, Alea recognized the responsibility that she holds to future Black attorneys to mentor, support, and uplift them on their legal journeys. When she isn’t advocating for clients, Alea serves as the Secretary on the Executive Board of Black JD, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to providing law school preparatory resources and ensuring readiness for Bla…
Congratulations to Tariqua J. Morrison, NBA YLD’s Young Lawyer of the Week! Tariqua J. Morrison, Esq.  is a Jamaica, Queens native  who currently serves as Deputy General Counsel for the Office of the Queens Borough President, Donovan Richards Jr. where she focuses on compliance, policy, and is a principal legal advisor to the agency. She previously served as Assistant Corporation Counsel, litigating on behalf of the City of New York and its agencies in personal injury and property damage claims in State Court.   Tariqua graduated Cum Laude from the University of the District of Columbia-David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC), earned a Masters of Urban Planning from CUNY- Hunter College, and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from Howard University. She served as the Editor-in-Chief of UDC’s Law Review, where she led symposiums celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act and examined the impact of marijuana legalization at the state and federal levels.    Ms. Morrison…
Congratulations to India Rios, NBA YLD’s Young Lawyer of the Week! Attorney India Rios is the founder of the Seven Eleven Law Group, a trademark and business boutique law firm. India is a US Navy vet with a bachelor's degree in political science from The Ohio State University and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law. Attorney Rios also serves as a board member for No Matter What, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that serves inner-city youth by providing transformative life experiences. . . . Do you know of a young lawyer who exemplifies NBA YLD’s 2021-2022 theme, “LEAD: Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy, and Developing the Pipeline”? Nominate them for NBA YLD’s “Young Lawyer of the Week” Spotlight Program! If chosen, the young lawyer will be featured on NBA YLD’s social media platforms! Self-nominations are allowed.
Congratulations to Kenisha Day, NBA YLD’s Young Lawyer of the Week. Kenisha Day is an Assistant District Attorney in Houston's Harris County, the third largest DA's office in the US. She is assigned as a Trafficking/Child Exploitation prosecutor. She serves on the Texas District and County Attorney's Association Diversity Recruitment and Retention Committee. She is an amazing friend and mentor to many up and coming young Black and Latino Students and Attorneys. She's originally from Compton, CA and graduated from King Drew Medical Magnet High School in 2006. She received her Bachelor's Degree in English and Sociology from the University of CA, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 2010. There she served on the Legislative Council, a RA, an intern for the dean of students office of Judicial Affairs, and a Career Services Peer Advisor and held positions in Akanke and the Black Student Union. She received her JD from the University of San Francisco School of Law. There she served as the president of th…
History in the making!
Madam NBA YLD Chair sending greetings from Palenque, Colombia! #YLDinColombia 🇨🇴
Here’s the itinerary for this week’s International Leadership Conference in Cartagena, Colombia. See you there!
Congratulations to Willishia Plant, NBA YLD’s Young Lawyer of the Week! Willishia Plant, Esq. is a Jacksonville, FL native. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Central Florida in 2015. She was accepted into Law school and two months after graduation she moved back to Jacksonville to attend Florida Coastal School of Law. While in Law school, she ultimately took an interest in criminal law and interned at the Fourth Judicial Circuit Public Defender’s office. Willishia went on to study abroad in Clermont Ferrand where she studied French Business Law and Human Rights Protection in Regional and Global Context.  Later she took a summer internship on Capitol Hill at a small boutique firm through the Fund for American Studies program. There she learned how the day the day operations of a small firm goes and ultimately spiked her interest in one day opening up her own firm.  Willishia received her Juris Doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law where she finished a semester ear…
In honor of Women’s History Month, NBA YLD recognizes: ✨ Jacqueline A. Berrien✨ Jacqueline Ann (Jackie) Berrien was an American civil rights attorney and government official. Under Barack Obama, she served as Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 2009 to 2014. Prior to that she served as Associate Director Counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. She was a graduate of Oberlin and Harvard Law School. She served in positions at the American Civil Liberties Union and Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. While at the Ford Foundation she oversaw grants to often under-represented groups in the area of peace and justice.
In honor of Women’s History Month, NBA YLD recognizes Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Although Waters serves the 43rd Congressional District of California, she was born in the St. Louis area. She began to display her work ethic when she joined the workforce at age 13. She has now gone on to be deemed one of the most powerful women in politics, consistently advocating for the poor, children, women, international peace, justice, human rights, and Black communities. Congresswoman Waters was the first Black Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. In 1990, Waters became the second Black woman elected to congress. She has been a powerhouse in politics for more than 30 years. She has been on numerous committees, organizations, and movements she’s used her voice to lead. An outspoken woman, Waters said in a simple yet moving quote, “I’m a strong Black woman, and I cannot be intimidated. I cannot be undermined.”
In honor of Women’s History Month, NBA YLD recognizes Blanche E. Braxton. The first African American woman admitted to the Massachusetts State Bar in 1923, Blanche E. Braxton also became the first Black woman admitted to practice law in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts. She graduated from Portia School of Law (currently New England Law | Boston) in 1921.
Here’s your friendly reminder about the International Leadership Conference. Registration deadline is Wednesday, March 30.
Congratulations to Antwaun Gavins, NBA YLD’s Young Lawyer of the Week. Antwaun Gavins always longed to be an advocate for the voiceless. As an assistant attorney general, he gets to do that on a daily basis. “I don't want to be on a conveyor belt, pushing people through this criminal justice system,” Gavins says. “I wanted to bring meaningful advocacy to law, and stand up for people who don’t have a voice.” As a New Yorker who has lived in every borough except Manhattan, Gavins embarked on a career of public service early in life: He joined the office of the Staten Island borough president as a senior in high school, and worked there while studying at CUNY’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Since then, Gavins has worked at the state Senate and on a few political campaigns, including state Attorney General Letitia James’ bid for New York City public advocate in 2013. After completing his studies at Touro Law Center, he joined then-Public Advocate James as assistant deputy counsel,…
In honor of Women’s History Month, NBA YLD recognizes: ✨ Deborah Batts✨ In 1994, Deborah Batts became a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. At that time she became the United State’s first openly LGBT African American federal judge. Judge Batts was a graduate of Radcliffe College and Harvard Law School. She clerked for Judge Lawrence Pierce in the Southern District of New York. She was an Assistant United States Attorney from 1979 to 1984. In 1984, she became the first African American faculty member and an Associate Professor of Law at Fordham Law School. From 1990 to 1991, she was a special associate counsel to the Department of Investigation for New York City.
In honor of Women’s History Month, NBA YLD recognizes Dorothy R. Crockett. When segregation was still legal in much of the country, African American women attended Portia Law School from its earliest days. Dorothy Crockett was one of those pioneers, becoming the first black woman lawyer admitted to the bar in the state of Rhode Island, in 1932.
In honor of Women’s History Month, NBA YLD recognizes ✨Lutie Lytle✨ Lutie Lytle was the third black woman to earn a law degree in the United States, the first black woman admitted to practice law in the states of Kansas and Tennessee, and in 1897, she became one of the first female law instructors in the world. She held a deep love for the law and as the daughter of former slaves, understood intimately its powerful impact. “I like constitutional law because the anchor of my race is grounded on the constitution," Lytle said. "It is the certificate of our liberty and our equality before the law. Our citizenship is based on it, and hence I love it." She embraced her passion and used it to serve the black community for her entire legal career.
In honor of Women’s History Month, NBA YLD recognizes ✨Mahala Ashley Dickerson✨ In 1946, Mahala Ashley Dickerson became the first black woman to practice law in the state of Alabama. She later became the first black woman to be admitted to the Alaska State Bar, and the second in Indiana. Dickerson was a civil rights champion for her entire career. One of her most notable cases came in 1975 when she emerged victorious in an equal pay case for female professors at the University of Alaska. In 1982, she was recognized by the NAACP for her civil rights work, and in 1983, she became the first Black President of the National Association of Women Lawyers. She practiced law until the age of 91 and passed away in 2007 at the age of 94.
Save the date: On May 13th, join us for a lunchtime conversation about using cryptocurrency for real estate transactions: advantages, limitations, legal implications and future possibilities. https://form.jotform.com/220734888314158
This moment between a mother breaking barriers and her daughter there to watch is everything. ✨

Feel free to reach out to us at INFO@nbayld.org, or any board member if you have questions and or concerns.

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2022 by National Bar Association | Young Lawyers Division

Monette M. Davis

Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann L.L.C. New Orleans, Louisiana

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