Black Lawyers Journal’s Post

Proud to have participated in a thought-provoking discussion with the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) on the importance of estate planning for economic justice yesterday. We went beyond traditional wealth management, focusing on how estate planning can be a game-changer for underrepresented and disenfranchised communities. The NBLSA students truly impressed me with their insightful questions. Their passion was palpable, fueling a dynamic conversation. #estateplanning #marylandestateplanning #floridaestateplanning #marylandestateplanningattorney #floridaestateplanningattorney #marylandprobateattorney #floridaprobatelawyer #probateplanning #estateplanningattorney #legalprofession #dayinalifeofalawyer #lawyerdiaries #diaryofalawyer #lawyerlife #lawyerlifestyle #NBLSA57 #JuneteenthCelebration #EconomicJustice #lawstudents #lawstudentslife

My good friend Kate Dillon has been encouraging me to be more active on Linkedin and sharing a little bit more about my work at G+T. I thought it might be a good idea to start with the busy (and somewhat successful) appeal practice which I started shortly after coming to G+T. In the last year and half, I have: (a) been to Victorian Court of Appeal three times; twice for the applicants and once for the respondent - won 2 lost 1. (b) otherwise, been involved in High Court special leave applications twice (one for the applicant and one for the respondent) - won both. As a black letter lawyer, I find the experiences in the appeal courts extremely rewarding as the practitioners in this space are often confronted with a set of determined facts and only developing arguments regarding legal errors. The intellectual satisfaction arises from first working hard on developing an argument and witnessing it being pitched in front of the JJA who are always well-prepared and incredibly knowledgeable (I had an experience seeing a JA referring to a footnote in an affidavit filed in the proceeding below). Of course, there are many challenges associated with running an appeal. One I often front is to work out what has been or has not been put to the trial judge. One otherwise traverses into the territory Suttor v Gundowda. A bigger challenge however, appears to be working with the clients. Especially if one is acting for the applicant who has already incurred substantial costs and lost, it is always important for the lawyers to give clients hope whilst providing a frank advice on the prospect. To sum up, if you ever find yourself in the situation of needing to appeal or being appealed, I am more than happy to share a trick or two.

Mr. Eisner asserts "The law has often proved a tool of dispossession, and in the antebellum South, it was frequently a tool of white supremacy. But refusing to admit Black testimony created the same problems that other witness competency restrictions created: publicly known eye-witness accounts could not be admitted as sworn testimony. It was harder for courts to arrive at the truth, or, perhaps more importantly, it was harder for courts to convincingly present themselves to the public as arriving at the truth. The admission of free Black witnesses into court sometimes served the immediate interests of the white elite and sometimes it did not, but it always alleviated the friction created by having two public narratives, one widely known in the community but legally inadmissible, and another, narrower narrative, presentable at court. The legitimacy of the law, partly resting on its self-presentation as truth-seeking, benefitted from the minimization of this tension. The exceptions to the general bar against Black testimony in cases involving whites demonstrate the diversity of legal trends in the antebellum South. Competing pressures to administer a well-functioning legal system and to maintain racial hierarchy exerted force on the white elite. Southern elites, even before the great convulsion of the Civil War, sometimes divided on how best to administer a white supremacist legal regime."

University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law Prof. Tiffany D. Atkins has an eye-opening new article on the international and domestic responses to media-fueled violence, especially as it relates to Black Americans. It's coming out in the University of Louisville Law Review. Take a look! #UKLawProfResearch

Check out my undefined digital certificate/badge issued by National Black Lawyers via Sertifier! #sertifier #digitalbadge #digitalcertificate #digitalcredentials #thenationalblacklawyerstop40

Please give this article a read as it is applicable generally to the importance of affinity groups for firm engagement and associate growth.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻; According to the Black's Law Dictionary 9th edition, provocation is defined as the act of inciting another to do a particular deed - that which arouses, moves, calls forth, causes or occasions such conduct or actions on the part of one person towards another as to tend to arouse rage, resentment & thereby cause him to do some illegal act against or in relation to the person offering the provocation. 𝗘𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗴'𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 - 𝟭𝟬 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆!

What people think Lawyer is: - Black Suit Debater - Professional Liar - End time rescuer What he actually is: - Defend the innocent - Your Representative in court - Lawyers have the power to shape laws - Make your voice heard in front of the Judge - And ensure the fair resolution of your disputes Lawyer requires critical thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to craft persuasive arguments   Lawyers are the only profession where there are more, the more are needed.

Spotlighting Our Firm’s Very Own History-Maker: Alia Adkins-Derrick   What is your most notable professional accomplishment/triumph? Serving as the Course Director of the Texas Bar’s 2023 Civil Appellate Practice’s 101 CLE Course. Turns out, I was the first ever Black American, man or women, to ever serve in that role. It’s an honor that still amazes me to this day! I’m so glad that I answered the call of rock star Appellate Attorney Dylan Drummond who believed in my ability to lead.   What is your most rewarding professional achievement?  Making a difference. When I founded Adkins Lawyers, PLLC back in 2015, I did so with one goal in mind: make a difference for firm clients and personnel. For our clients, we do so by providing big firm legal expertise, smart solutions, and a strong legal defense without the big firm price tag. For our firm personnel, we do so by championing a diverse workplace where integrity, mutual respect, and results matter. Nine years in and we have not lost that commitment. It's what makes Adkins Lawyers a great place to work and an even greater firm for clients to partner with. #lawyers  #legal #diversity #integrity #work #TXlaw #TXlawyer #DiversityinLaw #BlackHistoryMonth

Professor Jones, a constitutional and criminal law expert & author, published his fourth book, which argues that a threatening narrative originating in slavery continues to link Black people to inferiority, dangerousness, and crime, causing them to be presumed guilty by society and the U.S. legal system. Read more at https://ow.ly/v2Tq50QAPzU