After graduating from the University of Georgia School of Law, Miracle joined a boutique medical malpractice firm where she represented plaintiffs in complex medical malpractice, nursing home negligence and wrongful death actions. Miracle’s ability to parse through complex medical and legal issues, engage a jury, and build trust in her clients, resulted in favorable verdicts and seven-figure settlements. Later in her practice, Miracle accepted a position as defense counsel for two Fortune 100 insurance companies. Miracle brings with her the invaluable knowledge and insider’s view she gained while working as a defense attorney for two of the largest insurance companies in the United States.

As a Partner at the CP Law Group, Miracle’s practice focuses on catastrophic personal injury cases arising from trucking and automobile accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect and premises liability. She attributes her ability to prevail in even the most challenging cases to the relationship and trust that she builds with her clients. Miracle believes that to fully understand and appreciate her client’s injuries and pain and suffering, it is imperative that she maintains open and honest communication.

In addition to The University of Georgia School of Law, Miracle is also a graduate of Spelman College, where she received her B.A. In her free time, Miracle enjoys making an impact on her community through board service. She is the President of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, Director for the Young Lawyers Division for the State Bar of Georgia, board member for the Pink Frog Foundation, and board member and legal counsel for the Stride Ahead Horse Therapy Foundation.

Miracle has been recognized by numerous entities and has been named “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine (2019-2021), “On the Rise” by the Daily Report, recipient of an “Award of Achievement for Outstanding Service” by the State Bar of Georgia and selected as Barrister of the prestigious Joseph Henry Lumpkin Inn of Court. She is also a member of the 2019 Leadership DeKalb class and a graduate of the 2014 Young Lawyers Division Leadership Academy class.

Shiriki Cavitt Jones currently serves as a Commercial Transactions Attorney for Coyote Logistics, LLC, a UPS Company, where she is responsible for handling commercial deals and agreements, working with business stakeholders to identify and analyze potential business risks and recommending risk mitigation strategies. Shiriki also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Emory University School of Law, teaching a Corporate Externship Class to over 200 second-year and third-year law students since 2013. Prior to her current role at Coyote, Shiriki was Corporate Counsel for Equifax Inc., focusing on negotiating and closing complex multi-party commercial and third-party agreements, executing innovative company-wide legal solutions, and advising internal business stakeholders on legal strategy including third-party vendor issues, contracts, data privacy, and security escalations.

Prior to her current role at Equifax, Shiriki has served as a Term Law Clerk for the Honorable Linda T. Walker, federal magistrate judge for the Northern District of

Georgia, Atlanta Division and as Counsel at Oldcastle, Inc., where her primary focus was on commercial contractual deals and labor and employment issues. Her extended practice covered all of the areas that the business encountered, such as negotiating and drafting commercial deals, litigation management, MSHA and OSHA matters, compliance, training and antitrust issues. Prior to working at Oldcastle, Shiriki began her practice as an Associate at Troutman Sanders LLP in the Complex Litigation Practice Group where her focus was on business litigation and product liability matters.

Shiriki is very active in her Church, serving as a Small Group Leader and former Sunday School teacher and she is also highly involved in many professional and community organizations. By way of example, since 2004, Shiriki has served in many roles within the State Bar of Georgia, including her current position on the Board of Governors (Post

30) and Chair of the COVID-19 Virtual Planning Special Committee and her past roles with the State Bar of Georgia’s Young Lawyer Division (Community Service Projects Committee Co-Chair (2006-2009); Board of Directors (2007-2014); Public Internship Program Co-Chair (2009-2011); YLD Newsletter Co-Editor (2011-2013); and YLD Signature Fundraiser Co-Chair (2011)). Shiriki has also served on the ServiceJuris Steering Committee since 2009, organizing a community service day in which more than 300 members of Atlanta’s legal community participate. Shiriki was even awarded the Community Champion award in the 2017 Corporate Counsel Awards sponsored by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and the Association of Corporate Counsel Georgia Chapter for her GABWA and State Bar of Georgia volunteer service.

Shiriki is excited and honored to serve as this year’s GABWA President-Elect and a Director on the GABWA Foundation, as these organizations and their missions are near and dear to her heart. Aside from Shiriki’s current roles, her GABWA leadership has included the following:

Co-Chair, Community Service Committee (2011)

Planned and orchestrated 30 Acts of Community Service to commemorate GABWA’s 30thAnniversary

Co-Chair, Inter-Bar Relations Committee (2012)

Co-Chair, Awards and Sponsorship Committee (2013) Co-Chair, Fundraising Committee (2014)

Chair, Sections Committee (2015) Chair, Sections Committee (2016) In-House Counsel Section (2017)

Member at Large and Vice President (2018) Parliamentarian (2019)

Vice President (2020)

Shiriki obtained her Bachelor of Arts in English (cum laude) in 2001 from Dartmouth College and her Doctor of Jurisprudence from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 2004. In her spare time, Shiriki and her husband love to travel, listen to and attend jazz concerts and cultural events and enjoy spending quality time with their family and friends.

Terrica Redfield Ganzy is the Southern Center for Human Rights’ (SCHR) Deputy Director, where she elevates SCHR’s mission through public speaking, writing, and community engagement, assists the executive director with coordination of SCHR’s strategy and programs, designs and leads SCHR’s development strategy and development team, and builds strategic partnerships.

Prior to becoming SCHR’s Deputy Director, Terrica was SCHR’s Development Director for four years and a Staff Attorney in SCHR’s Capital Litigation Unit for nine years, where her work focused on representing clients on death row in Georgia and Alabama. For five years, she also served as the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) Death Penalty Resource Counsel, providing training and resources to capital defense attorneys throughout the nation.

Terrica received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and an LL.M. in trial advocacy from Temple University Beasley School of Law. She received a B.A. in English and Humanities, summa cum laude, from Tougaloo College. She received a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Social Enterprise from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Public Policy. She is admitted to practice law in North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Georgia, and the United States Supreme Court.

Terrica is a member of Leadership Atlanta Class of 2022, a graduate of Leadership Clayton, a member of the 2015 Class of the Georgia Center for Nonprofits’ High Potential Diverse Leaders, a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow, and a graduate of Georgia’s WIN List’s Leadership Academy. She serves as Vice-President of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation’s Board of Directors, as Mentoring Co-Chair for the Atlanta Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and as Vice-President of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys’ (GABWA). Terrica also serves on the State Bar of Georgia’s Professionalism Committee and Seeking Equal Justice and Addressing Racism and Racial Bias Committee as well as the Judicial Council of Georgia’s Access to Justice Committee.

Casondra Turner grew up in Decatur, GA and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia. In 2013, she obtained her J.D. from Boston University School of Law, where she was an editor on the International Law Journal and the External Vice President of the Black Law Students Association. During law school, Casondra worked part-time with the UCLA Civil Rights Project on school-to-prison pipeline issues and with a Boston-based immigration firm on immigration appeals. After graduating, she practiced law at Goodwin Procter in Boston, MA as an associate in the Securities Fraud and White Collar Crime department. In this capacity, she represented companies and individuals in civil and criminal cases involving healthcare fraud, securities fraud, and contract disputes. She also enjoyed working on immigration cases pro bono and secured asylum for a Honduran domestic violence victim and a Ghanaian facing political persecution. In 2017, Casondra relocated to Albany, GA to work for the federal judiciary. Casondra also serves as adjunct faculty in the Criminal Justice Department at Albany State University. In her spare time, Casondra enjoys spending time with her husband and two little boys.

Amber Brantley was born in Savannah, Georgia, and was raised in Clyo, Georgia. After graduation she moved to Valdosta, Georgia and received her Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia Military College in December 2008; and her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Minor in Paralegal Assistant Studies from Valdosta State University in May of 2010.

Mrs. Brantley worked as an Administrative Assistant for the Public Defender’s Office in Valdosta, GA from 2010-2012, and during that time she attended University of Phoenix online and obtained her Master’s Degree in Administration in Justice and Security. Mrs. Brantley’s dream was to peruse law, and that dream became reality in May of 2015 when she graduated and obtained her Juris Doctorate from Florida Costal School of Law. Mrs. Brantley passed the bar and is licensed to practice law in Georgia.

Mrs. Brantley was formerly an Assistant District Attorney for the Southern Judicial Circuit for four years in Valdosta, Georgia, and is currently an Assistant Solicitor General for Richmond County in Augusta, Georgia. She serves as trial team leader for Judge Kellie McIntyre’s Courtroom. Mrs. Brantley was the chosen prosecutor to help assist in the creation of the Domestic Violence Accountability Court in Richmond County, and to facilitate that program through prosecution.

Mrs. Brantley is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), the Augusta Bar Association, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA), Augusta Conference of African American Attorneys (ACAAA), and Young Lawyers Association. Mrs. Brantley is a member of the 2020 graduation class of the Judicial and Public Office Academy. Also, she has been accepted into the 2021 Young Lawyers Division Leadership Academy. The Prosecuting Attorneys Council selected her for the Leadership Challenge in 2020 and Train the Trainer in 2019. Mrs. Brantley teaches for the Prosecuting Attorneys Council at Basic Litigation, from Stop to State Court, and Fundamentals of Prosecution.

Mrs. Brantley resides in Augusta, Georgia and is six years married to Camry Brantley and has two beautiful children Ky’Mani Brantley and Marlee Brantley. Mrs. Brantley is active in her church, Ray of Hope, and loves to serve the community. In her spare time, she loves to spend time with family and friends, to travel, and go to on adventures.

Randi Mallori Adkins-Warren graduated from Spelman College in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Spanish Minor. In 2012, she obtained her Juris Doctor from Mercer’s Walter F. George School of Law. Randi is currently Corporate Transactions Senior Counsel at Aflac, where she provides strategic drafting, review, interpretation, advice and counsel to Aflac Inc. and its affiliates in various transactional matters. She is also the Chief Legal Advisor for Empowered Benefits, a technology company with 100 employees. Previously, she worked on the Internal Operations team and provided support to the Claims, Customer Service, and Policy Services departments. She drafted and revised policy language for Accident, Life, Specified Health, Cancer, and Hospital Indemnity products.

Randi returned to her love for ballet since 3 years, when she became an Adjunct Dance Instructor at Columbus State University’s Youth Dance Conservatory, where she teaches ballet to her students ages 9-12. Randi danced the role of Mrs. Stahlbaum in the Columbus Ballet’s Masked Nutcracker. Just recently, Randi started her company, The Graceful Pivot, LLC where she offers ballet to students ages 3-18 and to adults and pageant consulting.

Prior to joining Aflac, Randi was an associate at Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young, LLP in Atlanta, Georgia where she worked for 4 years as a civil litigator in the Toxic Tort, Medical Malpractice, Nursing, and General Litigation practice groups. Randi later joined Taylor English Duma, LLP in Atlanta, Georgia where she worked in the Litigation Dispute Resolution practice group. Randi received numerous awards to include selection as The National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, and just recently, her article Finding Your Happiness During a Pandemic, Social Unrest and Elections” was published in the The YLD Review for the State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division.

Randi is a member of New Birth Church in Columbus, GA. She is the GABWA Columbus Regional Vice President, and she serves as a host for GABWA’s “Legal Speaking” Show. Randi continues to be a servant leader through participating in impactful organizations that focus on empowering women. Some of Randi’s organizations include the Marietta Roswell Alumnae (MRAC) Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the State Bar of Georgia’s Committee to Promote Inclusion in the Profession, Association of Corporate

Counsel (ACC), American Bar Association, and a host of other organizations where she enhances the lives of young women through mentorship.

Amber Tiffany Jones is a proud Macon, Georgia native and a member of the Macon Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Amber graduated from Savannah State University earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication with a Minor in Business Management. She also earned an MBA from Wesleyan College and is a 2013 graduate of Leadership Macon. Amber is a 2019 graduate of Mercer University School of Law. There, she served as Co-President of the Association of Women Law Students, American Bar Association Chair, Black Law Student Association Community Service Chair/ Political Action Chair, and was a member of Mercer Advocacy Council. Amber serves the local community through her church ministry. The Progressive Women’s Ministry, Media Team, & Events Team at New Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and as a sitting Post 1 seat holder and Communications Director of the Macon Democratic Party. She also is a national presenter on Change Management Strategy. Additionally, Amber volunteers with local campaigns in Macon-Bibb County. A former WGXA anchor person and news personality, Amber is currently a Contact Negotiator for Lockheed Martin.

Denise M. Cooper is a Savannah native currently working for the City of Savannah, in house-in counsel as an Assistant City Attorney. Attorney Cooper is the first African-American woman in this position with the City of Savannah. Formerly, Attorney Cooper was in private practice, Cooper Law, focusing in the general areas of juvenile law, family law, State and Federal criminal law, personal injury, general civil litigation, and probate. Attorney Cooper is a graduate of Alfred Ely Beach High School. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan. She is a current member of the State Bar of Georgia, United States District Court of the Southern District of Georgia and the Georgia Court of Appeals. Attorney Cooper is also a certified Guardian Ad Litem. Prior to her matriculation to law school, Attorney Cooper was employed with the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles as a P.O.S.T. certified parole officer in Fulton County, Georgia, South Metro office.

With a strong passion for community service and outreach, Attorney Cooper is engaged as a volunteer with various community organizations and agencies – State Bar of Georgia Committees: Children and the Courts (2019 – present); Local and Voluntary

Bars (2016 – present); ICivics (2015-2016); and Committee to Promote Inclusion in the Profession (2014-2015); Court Appointed Special Advocates (C.A.S.A.) Board (2014- 2018); Savannah Bar Association; Port City Bar Association, President (2015-2016); Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, Vice President Savannah Region; Mock Trial Team – Savannah High School, attorney-coach and State Competition Judge; Savannah Law School Mock Trial – Competition Judge; Savannah Chatham County Public School System, Audit Committee Chair; King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation Board (2015-2019); Leadership Savannah Graduate; Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys Judicial and Political Office Academy Graduate; Savannah Bar Association, Young Lawyer’s Division recipient of the John B. Miller Award for community service; State Bar of Georgia, Commission on Professionalism Justice Robert Benham Award for community service; an inaugural recipient of The Savannah Sisterhood Symposium Award in the field of legal services.

Additionally, Attorney Cooper is an active member in various organizations

including Gamma Sigma Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (President 2019-2020), The Savannah (GA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated (Vice- President), Southern Area of The Links, Incorporated, Incorporated (Chair – National Trends and Service Facet), National Alumnae Association of Spelman College – Savannah Chapter (President), and Junior League of Savannah – Sustainer – Diversity Inclusion Committee Member. Attorney Cooper serves as a Trustee, Director of the Board of Christian Education, and Teen Church Advisor at St. Paul CME Church.

“To whom much is given, much is required.”

Roodgine Dominique Bray is a Senior Associate Attorney with the Davis Bozeman Law Firm. Attorney Bray leads in the Personal Injury Litigation section of the firm. Attorney Bray has been admitted to practice in the State of Georgia, the United States District Court – Northern District of Georgia, the Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia, and the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia. Attorney Bray is a graduate of the State Bar of Georgia’s Young Lawyers’ Leadership Academy and a member of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association (GTLA).

A native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Attorney Bray is fluent in Haitian Creole. She graduated from Clayton State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice where she served as the President of the Student Government Association. She studied abroad in South Africa and interned at Roux de Wet du Plessis Law Firm in Pretoria, South Africa. Additionally, she served as a Student Orientation Leader, Peer Mentor, and the President of the Tau Epsilon Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Attorney Bray obtained her Juris Doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. As a law student, Attorney Bray served as an Associate Editor for the Thomas M. Cooley Journal of Practical and Clinical Law, Corresponding Secretary of the Black Law Student Association (BLSA), member of the Mock Trial and Moot Court Boards. In addition, she served as a Trial Skills Teacher Assistant, Graduation Marshall, and Cooley Ambassador. She served as a law clerk for the Criminal Division Chief at the State of Michigan Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney Bray was the BLSA Mock Trial Champion and competed in the BLSA National Mock Trial Team. She also served as a Pro Bono Junior Associate in the Service to Soldiers Program where she assisted in briefing deploying troops on deployment legal issues and to request benefits provided in the Service members Civil Relief Act (SCRA) including the power of attorneys and wills.

Attorney Bray was selected Top 40 Under 40 by the National Black Lawyers Association. She currently serves on Clayton State University Alumni Board of Advisers. Attorney Bray served as the Lead Attorney in Albany, Georgia for the Black Voters Matter Election Protection effort during the historic 2021 Georgia Senatorial Run-Off. Attorney Bray empowers the community and youth by educating them on their civil rights. She has appeared on various media outlets and community platforms discussing legal rights and issues including V-103, Save Our Selves, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated Henry County Alumnae Chapter. Additionally, Attorney Bray has served as a guest speaker at Clayton State University for “Remember the Titan’s Forgotten Faces”

– a dialogue about forgotten injustices and how to interact with the police. Attorney Bray is the inaugural President of the Atlanta Chapter of SisterCARE Alliance – an organization created to support women and to promote social activism and self-care as a strategic contribution to the lives of women.

Attorney Bray is married to her college sweetheart, Earl Bray, and is a proud mother to their daughters, Elise and Elisabeth. She is an active member of Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church and the Covington Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Stephanie Bonner-Wiggins is an associate at Richter, Head, Shinall, White & Slotkin, LLP as well as a Certified Public Accountant. She is a member of the Georgia Bar Association. Stephanie has been an active member of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA) since 2012. She participated in the Professional Development Academy in 2015. She will continue to serve GABWA as Treasurer.

In 2015, she received her Juris Doctor from Georgia State University College of Law with the Highest Pro Bono Distinction for completing over 150 hours of pro bono service. During law school, she was a student attorney in the Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic and Bankruptcy Assistance & Practice Program. She also served on the Executive Board of the Public Interest Law Association and was a member of the Black Law Students Association.

Prior to law school, Stephanie worked as a Real Estate Fund Controller at Morgan Stanley and was responsible for the overall accounting, reporting and operations for a

$250 million global private equity real estate fund. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, she was a Senior Audit Associate at CohnReznick. She has over eight years of experience working with both public and private companies in real estate and banking industries. She was a member of the Georgia Society of CPAs and National Association of Black Accountants. Stephanie attended Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance.

Gillian S. Crowl is a Senior Litigation Associate with Swift Currie McGhee & Hiers, LLP. She focuses her practice primarily in the areas of commercial litigation, trucking litigation, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, insurance coverage, premises liability, bad faith litigation, construction defect, ERISA and other life, health and disability matters. Gillian represents clients throughout Georgia and North Carolina. She also serves on the firm’s community service committee and oversees the firm’s annual food drive for the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Gillian is very active within the legal community. In addition to her roles with the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA), she serves as the Chair of the Nominating Committee for the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division (WLD), and previously served as the Deputy Director of Region XI of the National Bar Association. She also co-chairs the trucking section of the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association. She is a member of the Lawyer’s Club of Atlanta, American Bar Association, Atlanta Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, and North Carolina State Bar Association. She also participates regularly in the community service and social justice ministries at Cascade United Methodist Church.

A transplant to Atlanta, Gillian was born in Jamaica and raised in The Bronx, New York. Gillian earned her undergraduate degree and Master of Public Administration from Cornell University and her law degree from Indiana University Maurer School of Law.

Simone N. Hylton is a Senior Assistant District Attorney with the DeKalb County District Attorney’s office under the leadership of District Attorney Sherry Boston, where she prosecutes Domestic Violence and Adult Sexual Assault cases. These cases include intimate partner assault and battery cases; intimate partner homicide cases and rape cases. Prior to her assignment in the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, Ms. Hylton served in the Sexual Exploitation and Crimes against Children Unit. In that unit she handled human trafficking, child physical and sexual abuse and child homicides. In February 2021, Ms. Hylton will return to where she started her prosecution career, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office under the leadership of Fani T. Willis to serve as the Deputy District Attorney over the Domestic Violence unit.

Ms. Hylton has handled cases ranging from drug offenses to homicide cases.  While at the Fulton County District Attorney’s office, Ms. Hylton received several awards to include the Major Case Rookie of the Year award, the Trial Unit Attorney of the Year award and was selected as a Rising Star in the Fulton County District Attorney’s office in 2012. Originally born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. Ms. Hylton made Georgia her home after graduating law school. Ms. Hylton received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Legal Communications from Howard University in 2004. She received her Juris Doctorate from North Carolina Central University School of Law in 2008.

In addition to serving as Vice President of Programs for GABWA, Ms. Hylton is the Southeast Regional Director of National Black Prosecutors Association; is a Past President of the Greater Atlanta Black Prosecutor Association; Past Chair of the Criminal Law section of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys; and on the board of the DeKalb Lawyers Association. Ms. Hylton is an Adjunct Professor at Emory University School of Law where she teaches a trial techniques course. Ms. Hylton is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and serves her sorority through the Atlanta Suburban Alumnae Chapter. Ms. Hylton is a member of Cascade United Methodist Church in Southwest Atlanta, Georgia.

Ms. Edmondson-Cooper, a bilingual federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of the Solicitor (SOL), litigates labor & employment enforcement matters focusing on cases involving violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the “H” provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act—provisions regulating the working conditions of guest workers who enter the U.S. via temporary work visas, a significant number of whom are limited English proficient —, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, Mine Safety and Health Act & other federal labor laws. Additionally, Ms. Edmondson-Cooper counsels the Southeast Region DOL Wage and Hour Division on U and T Visa certifications for victims of labor trafficking and other qualifying criminal activities and serves as an in-house subject-matter expert on language access/limited English proficiency issues within SOL as well as its several client-agencies, including but not limited to the Wage and Hour Division, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.

A former legal interpreter and legal aid attorney, Ms. Edmondson-Cooper also spends a significant amount of time working to alleviate language access as an access to justice (A2J) and due process issue.  With over a decade of language access experience, Ms.

Edmondson-Cooper is the President and Chief A2J Officer of Edmondson Consulting, LLC , which seeks to improve access, promote equity, and preserve justice by providing A2J/language access consultation services to stakeholders nationwide. Ms. Edmondson- Cooper has contributed to the development of local, state, and federal language access policies and the development of state and national curricula for training attorneys and judges on language access as an A2J issue. Appointed by the Supreme Court of Georgia, Ms. Edmondson-Cooper is a member of the Court’s Commission on Interpreters. She led the development of a model administrative protocol (MAP)– the first of its kind in Georgia – which assists the state’s judiciary (a non-unified court system) with the provision of quality language services for LEP persons and persons with disabilities. The Judicial Council of Georgia unanimously approved the MAP as a model guide for all Georgia Courts and it was released to all Georgia courts in 2020. In addition to judicial entities, Ms. Edmondson-Cooper has worked successfully with school districts, law enforcement agencies, and other entities to develop and implement efficient, comprehensive, written A2J/language access policies.

Ms. Edmondson-Cooper has authored several publications on language access, including “Chapter 11: Appointing Qualified Interpreters” in the 2016 Georgia State Court Benchbook which has been adopted and is used currently by the majority of Georgia’s other classes of court. As a member of the Judicial Council of Georgia’s Access to Justice Committee (formerly Access, Fairness, Public Trust, and Confidence Committee “AFPTCC”), Ms. Edmondson-Cooper contributed to the development of the Access to Justice Committee’s 2017 ADA Judicial Handbook, a comprehensive judicial guide to court access for persons with disabilities. Currently, she serves on the Committee’s sub-committee charged with improving access to Georgia’s courts for persons who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing and who released a new bench card regarding court accessibility for persons with disabilities in April 2020.

Ms. Edmondson-Cooper is a seasoned A2J consultant and has been invited by several national and state organizations to discuss access to justice and language access challenges and solutions. Those entities include the American Bar Association, National Association of Judicial Interpreters and Translators, National Consortium of Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts, National Legal Aid and Defender Association, National Center for State Courts Council of Language Access Coordinators, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Trustee’s Office, U.S. Department of Education, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc., Georgia Legal Services Program, Georgia Institute of Continuing Judicial Education, Georgia Commission on Family Violence, the Supreme Court of Georgia Commission on Interpreters, and the Supreme Court of Georgia Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism. Ms. Edmondson also serves as a Faculty member for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.

Ms. Edmondson-Cooper’s advocacy and commitment to access, equity, and justice have been acknowledged widely including recognition by the Daily Report (Georgia’s leading legal publication) as one of “40 Under 40” rising legal stars to watch, recognition by former Governor Nathan Deal and the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity, selection as an American Bar Foundation Fellow, and recognition by the National Bar Association and the American Bar Association as one of the nation’s top lawyers who exemplify a broad range of high achievement in innovation, vision, leadership and legal and community involvement.

Ms. Edmondson-Cooper is a graduate of Spelman College and Mississippi College School of Law. She is also a graduate of GABWA’s Professional Development Academy and Judicial and Public Office Academy (JPOA). She served as Chair of JPOA in 2018.

With over 10 years of experience as a trial lawyer and an extensive background in advocacy and litigation, Maria expanded her professional sphere to include public policy because that is where, she believes, real change is made. From managing political campaigns to advising elected officials, she has had the opportunity to shape policy at the state and local levels. In addition to her law practice, she serves as the Legislative and Research Analyst for the Georgia Democratic House Caucus and Chief of Staff to State Representative Bee Nguyen.

In working with legislators at the Georgia General Assembly, she has been able to use her real-life experience as a lawyer to bring a practical understanding and much-needed perspective to new, progressive policy-making.

She has learned to look at every case file with an open mind and an open heart. She sees crime as another symptom of a greater problem in this country–one that cannot be solved by the Criminal Justice System alone. She believes that in order to get to the root of the problem, we must invest in our communities and focus on being proactive rather than reactive. This is a philosophy that colored her work as a progressive prosecutor and a public defender.

For six years, she served the DeKalb County community, both in the Office of the DeKalb Solicitor General and the Office of the DeKalb District Attorney. She took on the types of cases that many lawyers shy away from, often representing people who our society looks down upon. Serving in the Special Victim Unit of the Solicitor-General’s Office and Elder Abuse Unit of the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, she prosecuted domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, animal cruelty, and elder abuse and exploitation cases. 

Prior to her work as a prosecutor, she served in the Newton County Public Defender’s Office, providing legal representation for individuals accused of a variety of serious crimes. As she sees it, one of the things that really separates America from so many other places in the world, is the belief that every person charged with a crime deserves adequate legal representation. Even when an individual is guilty, we must take care to protect their liberties and provide forward-looking, equitable prosecution.

She earned her Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School, focusing on international human rights and civil rights law. She truly considers herself a citizen of the world and have traveled abroad to study international human rights law, women’s rights, and international trade law in the Isreal/West Bank area and Guadalajara, Mexico. Before that, she attended Agnes Scott College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Africana Studies.

A member of GABWA since 2014, Mrs. Marcee L. Campbell has been a consistent presence on GABWA’s Board of Directors and several committees. She currently serves as the Elections Committee Chair and Judicial Review Committee Co-Chair. She has also served as a Sister2Sister Mentor since 2015. Marcee is a proud graduate of Albany State University and Howard University School of Law, and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Upon graduating from law school, she commenced a career in education that led to her becoming an Assistant Legal Officer in Legal Affairs and Charter School Coordinator for the DeKalb County School District. Since 2016, Marcee has served as Senior Staff Attorney to the Honorable Courtney L. Johnson in the Superior Court of DeKalb County.  Her experience includes a solid foundation of knowledge in civil and domestic law, legal research and analysis, and policy development and implementation. She has also attained experience in employee relations and conducting internal investigations. Marcee enjoys serving her community, visiting beaches, and spending time with her family and college sweetheart (husband), Elam.

Jahnisa has been a GABWA member since 2009. She has served multiple GABWA presidents and looks forward to serving as Chair of the Political Action Committee under President Miracle J. Rankin.

Jahnisa is a senior attorney in the Litigation & Trial Practice Group at Alston & Bird LLP. Her practice is diverse, focusing on government investigations, privacy and data security, insurance defense litigation, and general civil litigation. Jahnisa served as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. She attended the University of Georgia School of Law and Clark Atlanta University.

Liz Broadway Brown is a business and commercial litigation partner at Alston & Bird LLP. She concentrates her legal practice on the defense of high-stakes class action and privacy litigation matters, primarily in the health care, technology, and financial services industries. Liz has significant experience litigating complex disputes in trial and appellate courts across the county. She has defended matters involving the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Electronic Communications Privacy Act, ERISA, RICO, and numerous state consumer protection and deceptive trade practices act claims. Liz also represents attorneys and law firms in matters involving issues of professional liability, defamation, and malpractice.

Liz was named to the Daily Report’s “On the Rise” class of 2020, an elite group of Georgia’s most promising lawyers under the age of 40, to the Georgia Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list in 2018 and was named one of The National Black Lawyers’ “Top 40 Under 40” in Georgia in 2015 and 2016. She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America© in the area of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants for 2021. Liz served as GABWA’s 38th president in 2019.

Victoria Bethel, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, is a current 3L at Mercer University School of Law. Victoria graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Fisk University in Nashville, TN and a Master of Social Work from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA. Licensed as a Clinical Social Worker in the state of Georgia, Victoria has expertise in difficult situations such as child welfare, DFCS/DJJ custody, trauma, family work, adoption, educational programming, appropriate medication management, modalities of therapy, Medicaid and Medicare.

While in law school, Victoria has taken on the roles of BLSA Event Co-Chair and Student Ambassador to provide representation to potential and new students. She has also participated in the Joint Inter-Professional Workshop for Mercer Medical students and Law students to explore important issues of health care access and debt. Always advocating for those that have experienced traumatic situations and discrimination, Victoria has worked with the U.S. Department of Education in the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO), DeKalb County Juvenile Public Defender’s Office, and the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office – Special Victims’ Unit. Upon graduation, Victoria hopes to effect change in a prosecutorial role or at firm that specializes in health or family law.

Victoria met her husband while at Fisk University. They volunteer and give back to their community through their church – The dReam Center Church of Atlanta in Decatur, GA. They have three beautiful daughters and a gigantic German Shepherd puppy named Caesar.