Meet Our Faculty
The Barristers Society is a tax-exempt non-profit organization created and based in Atlanta with a mission to provide free legal training, mentoring, and professional support to the next generation of trial attorneys who primarily represent individual plaintiffs and those facing criminal charges from underserved and marginalized communities. Our faculty members are experienced and senior trial attorneys who will volunteer their time and resources to help build and grow a community of like-minded attorneys who view the law and their careers as a means of achieving equal justice for marginalized clients and communities. Our current faculty membership includes the following attorneys.
Akil Secret, Esq.
The Secret Firm
Criminal Defense, Civil Rights, Personal Injury
[email protected]
Akil Secret, Esq.
Attorney Akil Kenneth Secret is a licensed attorney in Georgia and Nebraska. His practice focuses on Serious Personal Injury Litigation, Wrongful Death Litigation, and Major Criminal Defense. Mr. Secret has represented defendants in numerous high-profile state and federal cases. He has tried hundreds of cases with extraordinary success. Secret has represented Lawyers, Doctors, Accountants, Real Estate Brokers, Agents, and Corporate Executives. Attorney Akil Secret attended the University of Nebraska and transferred to attend Morehouse College, where he pursued his undergraduate studies until 1973 with a major in Political Science. He attended Atlanta Law School and earned his Juris Doctorate Degree in 1979. The secret was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 1979 and the State Bar of Nebraska in 1983. He has served as Judge Pro Hac Vice in the City Court of Atlanta and City of Atlanta Municipal Court. He has served as Judge Pro Hac Designate in the Superior Court of Fulton County. Akil is currently a member of the State Bar of Georgia, Nebraska State Bar Association, United States District Court Northern District of Georgia, United States District Court of Middle District of Georgia, United States District Court Texas, United States District Court of Nebraska, State Courts of Georgia, State Courts of Nebraska, NAACP, Gate City Bar Association and Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Throughout the years, Akil has worked in various Civil Rights and Human Rights Organizations.
Amos Tyndall, Esq.
Law Offices of Amos Tyndall, PLLC
Criminal Defense Attorney
[email protected]
Amos Tyndall, Esq.
Amos has been working for people accused of criminal offenses and professional misconduct for over twenty-seven years, primarily in the Chapel Hill area. He has successfully represented people against a wide range of allegations, including first-degree murder, sexual offenses, white collar crimes, vehicular homicide, student misconduct, and professional ethics violations in State and Federal trial and appellate courts, before professional disciplinary panels, and in university disciplinary proceedings. Amos is honored by his selection to The Best Lawyers in America since 2013, by Super Lawyers since 2010, and an AV rating in Martindale Hubbell.
Brandi Harden, Esq.
Harden Law
Criminal Defense, Civil Rights, Personal Injury
[email protected]
Brandi Harden, Esq.
Brandi Harden is currently the Managing Partner at Harden Law, PLLC, a boutique law firm located in downtown Washington, D.C. Harden Law specializes in criminal defense and complex civil litigation, child custody, divorce, and family law. Ms.is also an adjunct professor at Howard University School of Law, where she coaches the Huver I. Brown Trial Advocacy Team. Ms. Harden also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the American University-Washington College of Law (WCL), teaching Evidentiary Foundations and Objections. Her teaching interest and research focus on Advanced Trial Advocacy, Race and Mass Incarceration Issues, and Criminal Defense Litigation. Prior to going into private practice, Ms. Harden served as a trial attorney and a supervising attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS). While working for PDS, Ms. Harden maintained a homicide caseload and supervised attorneys litigating serious felony cases in D.C. Superior Court. Ms. Harden also served as Chair of the Criminal Practice Institute, faculty for Summer Series training, served as a member of the PDS Forensic Practice Group, and led Felony Division-Trial Practice Groups. Prior to becoming employed at PDS, Ms. Harden worked for The Southern Center for Human Rights, The United States Department of Labor, and The United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division–Computer and Finance Section. In addition to her work in private practice, Ms. Harden also serves as faculty for the National Criminal Defense College, United States Marine Corps-Judge Advocate Training, Gideon’s Promise (formerly Southern Public Defender Training Center), Bronx Defender’s Trial College, Washington Council of Lawyers-Litigation Skills Summer Institute, and Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop.
Chris Hart, Esq.
The Hart Law Firm, P.C.
Personal Injury, Workers Compensation
[email protected]
Chris Hart, Esq.
Growing up in South Carolina, Chris learned the value of hard work at an early age. His mother worked 2-3 jobs to help support their family, and his father was a bus driver for Greyhound Bus Lines. The values he learned at home encouraged him to serve his community, and he joined the military while he was a senior in high school. Six months after graduating high school, at the age of 18, Chris proudly served our country in Operation Desert Storm. He deployed near the Iraqi border in the town of King Khalid Military City, and He deployed near the Iraqi border in the town of King Khalid Military City and bravely performed duties in the operating room, assisting in healing our wounded soldiers. Upon returning from Saudi Arabia, Chris enrolled in Midlands Technical College and worked exceptionally hard to earn transfer credits to the prestigious Howard University. While at Howard University, he was proud to serve as a student ambassador and Chapel usher in the historic Andrew Rankin Chapel. Constant mental toughness accompanied by hard work rewarded him with a BA degree in political science in only three years. After graduating from Howard University, he began his legal studies at the University of South Carolina Law School. While 99% of the students in law school studied in the law library, Chris spent countless hours in the courthouse studying the best and most talented litigators and learning the necessary skills to accomplish amazing results. Today he continues his service to our community by humbly serving the citizen's House District 73 in the South Carolina House of Representatives; elected in 2006, Chris is a ranking member of the Military, Municipal, and Medical committee and serves as the chairman of the Health and Environmental Affairs subcommittee.
Christian Lamar, Esq.
Capital Defense Trial Attorney
[email protected]
Christian Lamar, Esq.
Christian Lamar is a Capital Defense Trial Attorney. Before coming to Georgia in 2005, Christian was a staff attorney at the Federal Defender Office in Greenbelt, MD, from 2003 to 2004. From 1994 to 2003, Christian worked at the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia (P.D.S.) as a staff attorney, felony supervisor, and as the first supervising attorney and Co-Chief of P.D.S.'s inaugural Community Defender Office. Christian graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in 1993. He received his undergraduate degree with honors from LeMoyne-Owen College, a historically Black college located in Memphis, TN, in 1990. While at LeMoyne-Owen College, Christian was selected as a 1988 Truman Scholar for the state of Tennessee. Christian served in the United States Army from 1979 to 1986 as an infantryman in airborne, mechanized, and light infantry units. He achieved the rank of Sergeant E-5 and Squad Leader during his honorable service.
Crystal Redd, Esq.
Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation
[email protected]
Crystal Redd, Esq.
Crystal Redd is a Staff Attorney at the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation. She works across the Safe and Stable Homes Project, providing individual representation in landlord-tenant, eviction defense, and wage cases, supporting the work of the SWON community-based sites, and consulting volunteer attorneys on legal matters. Additionally, she focuses on special initiatives and larger-impact efforts to promote affordable housing and anti-displacement measures in metro Atlanta. Prior to joining AVLF, Crystal was a staff attorney and capital investigator at the Southern Center for Human Rights and an educator in Atlanta Public Schools. She attended Harvard Law School.
Cynthia Roseberry, Esq.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Criminal Defense, Civil Rights
[email protected]
Cynthia Roseberry, Esq.
Ms. Roseberry works at the ACLU to reform the criminal legal system. She manages reform in federal and state systems through ACLU affiliates across the nation. She also co-convenes the Justice Roundtable and co-chairs the Criminal Justice Working Group at Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Additionally, she serves on the board of the Deason Criminal Justice Center. During the Obama administration, she served as Executive Director of the historic Clemency Project 2014. Often referred to as the nation’s largest law firm of nearly 4,000 lawyers, she provided pro bono support to obtain a release for nearly 2000 people. Ms. Roseberry was cited in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary when the word decarceration was entered. (Decarceration | Definition of Decarceration by Merriam-Webster (Merriam-webster.com)) Ms. Roseberry also served on the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections, a nine-member, bipartisan, Congressional blue-ribbon panel charged with examining the federal corrections system. The task force released its groundbreaking report Transforming Prisons, Restoring Lives: Final Recommendations of the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections in January 2016. Previously, Ms. Roseberry was the executive director of the Federal Defenders of the Middle District of Georgia, Inc., and taught at DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. For more than 10 years prior to teaching, she practiced federal and state criminal defense in Georgia. A founding board member of the Georgia Innocence Project, she was the first African-American female president of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. She received the 2016 COS Humanitarian Award, the 2017 annual service award from the Alpha Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, and the 2017 Champion of Justice Award from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Ms. Roseberry is also a member of the Council on Criminal Justice. Ms. Roseberry earned her Bachelor of Science from Wilberforce University in Ohio. She earned her Juris Doctor from Georgia State University College of Law. She currently serves on the Reebok Human Rights Awards Board.
Gary Andrews, Esq.
Cochran Firm Atlanta
Personal Injury
[email protected]
Gary Andrews, Esq.
Attorney Gary Andrews came to The Cochran Firm Atlanta in January of 2014 and is a multi-use player on the team. He can do anything and relishes each role he tackles. Mr. Andrews has a stellar reputation for high integrity, a strong work ethic, problem-solving talent, and analytical skills. Mr. Andrews Specializes in litigating state and federal cases, including complex civil cases covering a broad range of legal issues. He has hit the ground running at The Cochran Firm. He is thrilled to be working at a nationally recognized law firm where he can continue to grow as an attorney, help people of color in their time of need, and contribute to his community. The most satisfying part of his job? Having the ability to help clients right wrongs through legal channels. Mr. Andrews strives daily to produce quality work and foster a positive work environment that would make Attorney Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. proud.
James Valbrun, Esq.
The Valbrun Law Firm
Personal Injury
[email protected]
James Valbrun, Esq.
James Valbrun is engaged in multiple areas of civil litigation, including personal injury, medical malpractice, and commercial disputes. James began his private practice working as a defense attorney for insurance and large Fortune 500 corporate entities in serious personal injury cases. He has successfully handled complex cases in federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels, including several multi-million dollar disputes. James also frequently serves as a volunteer judge for moot court and mock trial competitions at the high school and law school levels. He regularly volunteers his time representing victims of domestic violence in obtaining temporary and permanent restraining orders against their assailants. James has served as a legal analyst for CNN’s Headline News and has offered his legal insights on multiple television programs. Based upon his experience, reputation, and legal expertise, James has been given several awards and recognitions, including Georgia Super Lawyer, an honor that goes to only 2.5 percent of Georgia attorneys; Atlanta’s Business Who’s Who; Who’s Who in Black Atlanta; National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers; Invited in 2013 to China to participate in a U.S. delegation for the improvement of international education systems. In 2015, he was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal to serve on the State Board of Juvenile Justice. Mr. Valbrun earned his law degree from Georgetown University and his B.A. from the University of Michigan. He served as a law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Victoria A. Roberts.
Jerilyn Bell, Esq.
Georgia Capital Defender’s Office
Criminal Defense - Capital Defender
[email protected]
Jerilyn Bell, Esq.
Jerilyn Bell is the Director of the Georgia Capital Defender’s Office in Atlanta, Georgia. She has handled over 25 capital cases while at the Capital Defenders Office. Prior to joining the Capital Defender’s Office in 2011, she was a public defender for 13 years at the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, New York. She has served on the training faculty for the Cardozo Intensive Trial Advocacy Program, Legal Aid Society Trial Advocacy Program, Wisconsin State Public Defender Training Program, and NACDL Regional BYOC Capital Training and is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College.
Jonathan Rapping, Esq.
Professor of Law, John Marshall Law School
Founder/President, Gideon’s Promise
Criminal Defense, Indigent Defense
[email protected]
Jonathan Rapping, Esq.
Jonathan Rapping is a Professor of Law and Director of the Criminal Justice Certificate Program at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. He is also the founder and President of Gideon’s Promise, a non-profit organization whose mission is to transform criminal justice by building a movement of public defenders who provide equal justice for marginalized communities. Rapping recently authored Gideon’s Promise: A Public Defender Movement to Transform Criminal Justice. Most notably, among numerous recognitions, Rapping was the recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant for his cutting-edge approach to justice transformation. He also recently received the Alumni Professional Achievement Award from his alma mater, The University of Chicago, and was elected for membership to the American Law Institute. He is a frequent contributor to the national conversation on criminal justice reform and has been featured by numerous media outlets. Rapping has been a speaker at TEDx Atlanta and frequently presents nationally. Rapping is the host of the podcast Justice Rap-Up. Rapping’s work was the inspiration for the award-winning HBO documentary “Gideon’s Army.” After receiving a B.A. from the University of Chicago, he received a J.D. from George Washington University and an M.P.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.
Kendall Dunson, Esq.
Beasley Allen Law Firm
Personal Injury, Medication Litigation
[email protected]
Kendall Dunson, Esq.
Kendall says he was inspired by law from two sources. One was a legal television series popular in the 1980s called “L.A. Law,” which initially piqued his interest in the legal field. As he began to explore the field, Kendall says he realized the importance of the court system to the Civil Rights movement. Landmark court cases decided by the Courts in that fight were a major inspiration to his pursuit of a legal career. Kendall is married to Samarria Munnerlyn Dunson. Samarria was elected as a Montgomery Municipal Court Judge in 2020. Previously, she served as director of the Office of Compliance and Ethics for the Alabama Department of Public Health. Kendall and Samarria have three children. In his spare time, Kendall is an avid golfer and reader. He loves science fiction TV shows and movies. He says he is also forced to watch more Nick Junior and Disney Junior than he cares to admit at the behest of his daughters. He and his son enjoy watching and discussing professional wrestling.
Kevin Adamson, Esq.
Kevin A. Adamson, P.C.
Personal Injury
[email protected]
Kevin Adamson, Esq.
Kevin Adamson has always taken great pride in providing individualized attention and compassionate service to his clients. In fact, this desire to truly get to know clients led Kevin to start his own firm. “In some firms, the cases are just files and numbers,” he says. “But I wanted to give a personal touch to the clients. I started my practice with the thought of having a smaller number of cases on which I could focus more attention.” Kevin has provided full-service plaintiff’s counsel to clients who have suffered personal injuries since 2001. He did his undergraduate studies at LaGrange College, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration and international business while also playing on the baseball team. He then went on to get an MBA from Lynchburg College before enrolling at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. After receiving his J.D. in 2000, Kevin immediately went out on his own. In 2013, he joined forces with attorney Alan Cleveland, and the firm of Kevin A. Adamson, P.C. was formed. Kevin Adamson is also a registered arbitrator and mediator with extensive experience handling contract negotiations for a variety of professional services, including athletic contracts. Kevin brings the competitive spirit of his baseball days to his advocacy on behalf of clients and admits that he enjoys going up against opposing counsel in court. But his primary satisfaction comes from his clients. “I’m representing people with a soul,” he says, “helping them through the darkest days of their lives.”
Mawuli Davis, Esq.
Davis Bozeman Law Firm
Criminal Defense, Civil Rights, Personal Injury
[email protected]
Mawuli Davis, Esq.
Mawuli Mel Davis, the founding partner of the Davis Bozeman Johnson Law, is an African-Centered Civil Rights Attorney, Human Rights Organizer, and Author based in Atlanta. Davis Bozeman Johnson Law is one of Georgia’s largest African-American-owned law firms with offices in Savannah, Statesboro, and Decatur. For nearly 30 years, he has been involved in building coalitions, organizing protests, and conducting training to support the Black Liberation Movement. He was a member of the historic “Durban 400” that participated in the United Nations World Conference Against Racism in South Africa, where colonialism and slavery were declared crimes against humanity. He played a key organizing role in ending “cash bonds” in Atlanta and the removal of the Confederate Monument in Decatur. He has intentionally developed youth empowerment programs as a co-founder of Let Us Make Man, The Black Man Lab, and Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights. As an attorney, he has represented activists in the Occupy Movement, Moral Monday, and the Black Lives Matter Movement. He has represented victims of police brutality and community members falsely accused of crimes. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy, earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Bowie State University, and a law degree from Georgia State University College of Law. Mawuli was awarded the 2019 Ben Johnson Public Service Award by Georgia State University College of Law, the highest award the College of Law bestows. He has been named a Super Lawyer for 7 consecutive years in Atlanta Magazine and received the Justice for All Award by Rolling Out Magazine. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC). Recently, Attorney Davis released his first book. We Need You!: Encouraging My Sons’ Generation for Black Liberation, published by Third World Press. Attorney Davis married his childhood sweetheart, activist-educator Jana Johnson-Davis. They have two sons, Kobie Jason and Khari Malcolm.
Miguel Dominguez, Esq.
Dominguez Law Firm
Civil Rights, Personal Injury
[email protected]
Miguel Dominguez, Esq.
Advocacy is more than just aligning yourself with a cause-it is making an impact on the lives of those that need it the most. Growing up in the South Bronx, Mr. Dominguez developed a keen perception of the systemic cycles that prevent communities from enjoying a safe environment to prosper and raise children. Fueled by his past experiences and driven by his desire to do justice, he rose from difficult circumstances, attended the State University of New York at Buffalo, and worked tirelessly to position himself to become a voice of the voiceless. Mr. Dominguez began his career as a social worker serving Atlanta's mentally ill and homeless. He also worked as a counselor on Georgia’s suicide hotline. These early years in mental health provided the training he needed to communicate persuasively with tact and compassion. After law school at Western Michigan University, he clerked for then Chief Judge Anne Barnes of the Georgia Court of Appeals. Later, he became a criminal defense attorney before leaving his practice to become a state prosecutor. As a prosecutor, he acquired significant jury trial experience. Despite his tremendous success in the courtroom, he acquired a reputation for being a conscientious prosecutor, discerning in creating opportunities for those in need of a second chance. His work as a prosecutor spans several metro Atlanta counties, including Rockdale, DeKalb, and Clayton, where he investigated and prosecuted a variety of felonies, from bank fraud to child molestation and homicide. Mr. Dominguez also enjoyed the honor and distinction of becoming the first Latino prosecutor in the history of those judicial circuits. Today, as a Partner at the largest Plaintiff’s firm in the Country, Morgan & Morgan, he specializes in personal injury, negligent security, and civil rights cases, where he has carved out a reputation for turning traditionally under-valued cases into six and seven-figure judgments. Mr. Dominguez is most passionate about his work fighting police brutality and on behalf of victims of violent crime who have been killed in crime-ridden neighborhoods while apartment complexes and motel owners profit. Time and time again, his secret weapon at trial has been his own personal hardships and unique perspective, which enable him to empathize with his client's struggles in a meaningful way and allow him to speak in an authentic and passionate voice on behalf of his clients.
Navan Ward, Esq.
Beasley Allen Law Firm
Personal Injury, Medication Litigation
[email protected]
Navan Ward, Esq.
Navan is a principal at Beasley Allen Law Firm. He is the firm’s lead attorney on the metal-on-metal hip implant litigation, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) litigation, and practices from the Atlanta office. Navan is licensed to practice in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and New York. He is also an Executive Board Member of “Shades of Mass.” Navan is honored to currently serve as the Immediate Past President of the American Association for Justice (AAJ). Before he arrived at Beasley Allen, Navan had experience working for an insurance defense firm and an employment law firm. He was involved in cases dealing with medical malpractice, auto accidents, contractor liability, race discrimination, and sexual harassment in the workplace. Navan serves in leadership positions for various legal organizations. He is the Immediate Past President of the American Association for Justice, formerly known as the American Trial Lawyers Association. This is Navan’s tenth consecutive year serving on the Executive Committee. He has also served as a past chairman of the Minority Caucus, past chairman of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and a member of the Board of Governors. Most recently, Navan is a founding member of the Executive Committee of “Shades of Mass,” which is a group that advocates and facilitates the appointment of minorities to leadership roles in federal and state-based centralized civil actions (including federal MDLs). In addition, Navan is an American Bar Association (ABA) member, a member of The National Black Lawyers Top 100 Executive Committee, serving as a former Alabama State Bar delegate for the ABA. He is a past president of the Alabama Lawyers Association, the Alabama State Bar’s Young Lawyers Section, and the Montgomery County Association for Justice. Navan also was a member of Leadership Montgomery’s Class XXI, a former chairman of the Father Walters Charity Golf Tournament, and a member of the Alabama Law Foundation Grant Committee.
Naveen Ramachandrappa, Esq.
Bondurant, Mixon & Elmore LLP
Criminal Defense, Business Law
[email protected]
Naveen Ramachandrappa, Esq.
Naveen’s practice focuses on appeals and class actions. As one of Georgia’s top appellate attorneys, he is frequently sought by attorneys and clients to provide trial lawyers with preservation assistance, for strategic legal guidance during trial, and as lead counsel for post-trial, appeal, and certiorari proceedings. Naveen regularly appears and gives oral argument before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals, as well as assisting in jury trials across Georgia. Naveen also maintains an active class action practice and has been appointed as class counsel for both national and Georgia classes. In addition to his legal practice, Naveen is a dedicated advocate for mental health and suicide prevention, actively promoting awareness through legislative advocacy work and speaking at law schools and law firms. He serves on the Board of Directors for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Georgia Chapter. Naveen also serves on the Board of Directors for Gideon’s Promise, an organization dedicated to providing training, mentorship, and a community of support for public defenders and to fulfill the constitutional promise of Gideon v. Wainwright.
Robert Kenner, Jr., Esq.
Law Offices of Robert Kenner, Jr.
Criminal Defense, Personal Injury
[email protected]
Robert Kenner, Jr., Esq.
Robert Kenner, Jr. has been practicing law for over 20 years. He is a highly experienced criminal defense and personal injury attorney. Robert received his undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Savannah State College; a Master’s Degree in Administration of Justice from Penn State University, and received his law degree from John Marshall Law School in Atlanta, Georgia. Robert has handled several high-profile criminal cases wherein his clients have been found not guilty of murder, felony murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and D.U.I. Robert has argued before the Georgia Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals where he has gotten several of his clients’ convictions overturned and/or evidence ruled inadmissible at trial. Robert has represented clients throughout Georgia, and in several other states. As a personal injury lawyer, Robert has gotten large settlements and verdicts for clients in civil cases involving wrongful deaths, nursing home abuse, slip and fall, false arrest, malicious prosecution, tractor trailer accidents, auto accidents, premises liability, and contract disputes. Robert also represents clients in real estate closings and transaction, contract disputes, and entertainment law. Robert is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Gamma Chi Chapter, Savannah State College. He also serves as a member of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (GACDL), and a member of the Dekalb County Lawyers Association.
Sam Starks, Esq.
Cochran Firm Atlanta
Civil Rights, Personal Injury
[email protected]
Sam Starks, Esq.
Sam Starks is a Senior Attorney at The Cochran Firm Atlanta and is involved in all aspects of the firm’s litigation practice, including medical malpractice, premises liability, civil rights, and wrongful death cases. Sam graduated from Duke University School of Law in 1992, where he was a Note Editor for the Duke Law Journal. After graduating from law school, Sam Clerked for Judge Damon J. Keith on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Following his clerkship, Sam began his legal career as a practicing attorney as a staff attorney at The Washington Post. While in Washington D.C., Sam also worked as a staff attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia for several years. After relocating to Atlanta in 1999, Sam began his career as a plaintiff’s trial attorney representing individuals in various types of personal injury and property damages cases. Over the past 15 years, Sam has represented hundreds of clients, served as lead counsel in civil trials in state and federal courts, and briefed and argued numerous appeals in state and federal courts. Sam is a veteran of the U.S. Army and a native of South Carolina. He has taught at numerous programs for civil and criminal trial attorneys, including Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College.
Shean Williams, Esq.
Georgia Capital Defender’s Office
Criminal Defense - Capital Defender
[email protected]
Shean Williams, Esq.
A dedicated fighter in the battle against injustice, Attorney Shean Williams is a masterful litigator who prides himself on his strong work ethic and tenacity. Mr. Williams simply doesn’t give up and always puts his clients first. For the last 20 years, Mr. Williams has been committed to fighting for injured people and their families in the areas of trucking litigation, auto accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home litigation, premises liability, civil rights litigation, and product liability. His jury verdicts and settlements are in excess of $80 million. Mr. Williams is proud to have obtained many multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for his injured clients. Specifically, Mr. Williams was one of the lead attorneys who obtained a $20 Million wrongful death verdict in Clayton County, Georgia, and a $17.5 Million verdict in Fulton County, Georgia. Mr. Williams’ specialty is the unique way he connects with members of his jury panel, making complex themes more relatable to the everyday person. Shean has his finger on the pulse of his community, donating time, talent, and money to many diverse civic groups, including New Mercies Christian Church, Project Destiny, Inc., Green Pastures Christian Church, The Winning Circle, and Star Struck Foundation. Mr. Williams shared a special bond with Founding Partner Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Their relationship went beyond the typical mentor-mentee relationship. They were more like father and son. Mr. Williams is reminded daily of the lessons and wisdom that Mr. Cochran imparted and that inspiration is a driving force for him to continue Mr. Cochran’s legacy today.
Tanya Miller, Esq.
Georgia Capital Defender’s Office
Criminal Defense - Capital Defender
[email protected]
Jerilyn Bell, Esq.
Jerilyn Bell is the Director of the Georgia Capital Defender’s Office in Atlanta, Georgia. She has handled over 25 capital cases while at the Capital Defenders Office. Prior to joining the Capital Defender’s Office in 2011, she was a public defender for 13 years at the Legal Aid Society in Brooklyn, New York. She has served on the training faculty for the Cardozo Intensive Trial Advocacy Program, Legal Aid Society Trial Advocacy Program, Wisconsin State Public Defender Training Program, and NACDL Regional BYOC Capital Training and is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College.
Thaxter Cooper, Esq.
Thaxter A. Cooper Law Office
Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice
[email protected]
Thaxter Cooper, Esq.
Upon graduation from Duke University School of Law in 1993, Thaxter Cooper became a general litigation associate at Carlton Fields Ward Emmanuel Smith & Cutler, P.A., a large full-service law firm in Tampa, Florida. He represented insurance companies, medical device manufacturers, hospitals, consumer goods manufacturers, and individuals. By 1997 he found his niche, representing people harmed by predators and the careless, and joined Wagner, Vaughan & McLaughlin, P.A., a venerable plaintiff’s personal injury law firm. As an associate and later a partner, he recovered damages for clients in veterinary negligence, auto negligence, and premises liability cases. In 2005, Thaxter started the Law Office Thaxter A. Cooper, P.A., expanding his practice to medical malpractice, VA malpractice, and dental malpractice. For Thaxter, the law is a third career. He served as an Army Officer and a Human Resources professional for eleven years before pursuing a law degree. His bar service includes serving on a local grievance committee (member and chair), Hillsborough County Bar Association (member, chair Programs, Secretary), and George Edgecomb Bar Association (member, officer, President). Thaxter is active in ministry at the Bible-Based Fellowship of Temple Terrace, where he serves as the men’s ministry coordinator, is a male chorus member, and provides pro-bono legal services.
Tiffany Williams Roberts, Esq.
Southern Center for Human Rights
Public Policy Director
[email protected]
Tiffany Williams Roberts, Esq.
Tiffany Williams Roberts is the Director of the Public Policy Unit at the Southern Center for Human Rights. She joined the organization in April 2018 as the Community Engagement & Movement Building Counsel. She has practiced criminal defense since 2008, first as a public defender with the Atlanta Judicial Circuit Public Defender and later as a solo practitioner. As a public defender, Tiffany represented hundreds of indigent clients facing felony prosecution and graduated from Gideon’s Promise trial advocacy training program. She expanded her private practice to include civil rights litigation for victims of police abuse. A significant portion of Tiffany’s private practice was dedicated to the pro bono representation of activists and organizers. Several organizations have recognized her for movement lawyering and activism. A community organizer, she co-founded the police accountability organization Building Locally to Organize for Community Safety (BLOCS) in 2008 to promote a holistic approach to public safety. BLOCS successfully advocated for legislative improvements to the Atlanta Citizen Review Board along with other critical local policy changes. She is also a founding member of the Atlanta chapter of the global Black Lives Matter network. In 2010, she was appointed to the search committee for the selection of Atlanta’s police chief. In 2013, she served on an Atlanta City Council working group to evaluate legislation to address the equitable treatment of sex workers in the city limits. Tiffany joined the Atlanta Fulton County Pre-Arrest Diversion Program (PAD) Design Team in 2017 and continues her support of PAD (now “Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative”). Tiffany was Co-Chair of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ Progressive Agenda Working Group Criminal Justice Commission and served on the City’s Taskforce to Reimagine the Atlanta City Detention Center. She also served as Co-Chair of Mayor Bottoms’ Use of Force Advisory Council. Recent awards include being named in Atlanta Magazine’s 500 Most Powerful Leaders since it began and, in 2020, received the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys’ Barbara C. Harris Award for Community Service. Tiffany is the former Deputy Director of the National Institute for Teaching Ethics and Professionalism (NIFTEP) at Georgia State University College of Law, where she now serves as an Instructor. She also serves as Chair of the Social Justice Ministry at Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Torris Butterfield, Esq.
Butterfield Law Firm, P.C.
Criminal Defense, Civil Rights, Personal Injury
[email protected]
Torris Butterfield, Esq.
While at Fort Valley State College, he earned a distinguished record in the academic community. He made the Dean’s List every quarter from 1989 to 1993; was named to Honor’s Convocation from 1989 to 1993; named Greek with the Highest Grade Point Average in 1993; received the Ralph P. Malone Scholarship in 1990; was listed in the book “Who’s Who in America’s Colleges and Universities” in 1992; received the Blue Tip All-American Scholar Award in 1992. He was also selected to the Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society and is a lifetime member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated. In 1993, Torris graduated at the top of his class Summa Cum Laude. While at the Mercer University School of Law, Attorney Butterfield was named by his classmates as “The Best Person to Represent You in a Criminal Case.” Torris is an experienced and highly successful litigator with many years of successful trial and appellate work. He has litigated hundreds of criminal cases literally since 1997. Several of his cases have been reported by the Supreme Court of Georgia and the Court of Appeals of Georgia. He is the owner, president, and CEO of The Law Offices of Torris J. Butterfield & Associates, P.C., a full-service law firm in Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, and Wrongful Death throughout the state of Georgia. Prior to going into private practice, Torris worked as a Senior Trial attorney for the Fulton County Public Defender’s Office, where he was engaged in the practice of Criminal Law. He was responsible as lead counsel for major felonies, multiple defendants, and complex cases before the Fulton County Superior Court and the various appellate courts of Georgia. He was responsible for all major felony criminal defense aspects, including discovery, investigation, motions, witness interviews, trials, and appeals.
Zanele Ngubeni, Esq.
(Pronouns: she/her)
Executive Director of Gideon's Promise
[email protected]
Zanele Ngubeni, Esq.
(Pronouns: she/her) Director of Defender Development Gideon’s Promise, Inc. 101 Marietta St, NW Ste. 250 Atlanta, GA 30303 P: 404-525-4505 E: [email protected] Strengthening Public Defenders. Transforming Public Defense Zanele Ngubeni is the Director of Defender Development for Gideon’s Promise, Inc., a national non-profit Public Defender organization whose mission is to transform the criminal legal system by building a movement of client-centered Public Defenders who provide zealous advocacy for marginalized communities. In her past, she served as a Supervising Attorney in the Atlanta Judicial Circuit Public Defender Office in Atlanta, GA, where she worked for more than a decade. She was the first Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Maryland Office of the Public Defender (MOPD), where she focused on creating a framework for inclusion practices that reflected the organization’s core values, and was a member of the MOPD Gideon’s Promise training faculty, Leadership Team, and Recruitment Team. Before joining MOPD in 2018, she served as a Senior Staff Attorney with Atlanta Judicial Circuit Public Defender Office in Fulton County, GA, where she represented clients charged with murder(s). Zanele also served as a Staff Attorney in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina, and during the introduction of its first state-wide public defender system before returning to Atlanta in 2009. She is a member of several legal organizations, an Alumni, and/ or returning faculty member for various legal programs including Gideon’s Promise, Inc. (2007), the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Bill Daniel’s Trial Advocacy Program (2010), the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (2009), and the Maryland Equity and Leadership Program (2019). She received her J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2007 and her B.S. from Alabama State University in 2003.