Sylvania W. Woods Black Alumni Homecoming
On Saturday, April 15, 2023, nearly 100 Black alumni, current students, faculty, and staff gathered to celebrate the inaugural Black Alumni Homecoming at AUWCL in honor of Sylvania W. Woods, an alumnus who made significant contributions to the field of law. The event continued a 23-year tradition of honoring Woods and highlighting the achievements of Black lawyers.
The theme of this year’s event was “Building on Our Legacy: Expanding Access to Justice and Supporting the Next Generation of Black Lawyers,” which aimed to discuss the current state of access to justice, community service, and ensuring the success of the next generation of Black lawyers.
The event consisted of two panel discussions. The first panel, “The Future of Diversity in the Legal Profession,” was
20 THE ADVOCATE SUMMER/FALL 2023
moderated by AUWCL Professor of Law Lia Epperson. The panel featured William Barrow ’08, a partner at Mayer Brown; Sherry D. Soanes ’97, president of BLS Inclusion Mentors LLC and trial attorney at the U.S. DOJ; and Veronica Venture ’90, deputy officer/director for EEO & Diversity at the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, DHS. The panelists discussed the current state and future of diversity in the legal profession and shared their experiences and insights on the matter.
The second panel, “Public Service and Access to Justice,” was moderated by AUWCL Professor of Law Brenda Smith. The panel included Ebise Bayisa ’05, senior attorney advisor at the Office of the Pardon Attorney, U.S. DOJ; Abre’ Conner ’12, director of environmental and climate justice at the NAACP; Alex Johnson ’05, vice president of public affairs at Bryson Gillette; Charles Ross ’16, practitioner-in-
residence at Community Economic and Equity Development Clinic, and founder of Charles Ross Law, PLLC; and At-Large Councilmember Robert White ’07, of the DC Council. The panel discussed the importance of public service and access to justice, as well as the current challenges in ensuring equal access to justice for all.
“Growth happens not on your time clock . . . often times it happens when you least expect it”
The highlight of the event was the keynote address by Massachusetts State Senator Lydia Edwards ’06, who emphasized the importance of diversity and access to justice in the legal profession. She spoke about her experiences as a Black lawyer
PHOTOS BY AMY HART
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
