2025-2026 Leadership Academy
The Leadership Academy provides leadership training to all highly qualified members, including those who are underrepresented within the association.
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Log inThe 2025-2026 application window has closed. For more details on the application process, please email leadership.academy@justice.org
The Leadership Academy is excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2025-2026 academic year. Seize this opportunity and apply today.
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
- Resume: Please attach a resume that includes your educational background, work history, professional and civic activities, and other information that would help demonstrate your aptitude and potential for leadership.
- Personal Statement: Please attach a brief written statement (one to two pages) describing (a) why you believe you should be selected to participate in the 2025-2026 AAJ Leadership Academy; (b) what you expect to gain from your participation; and (c) examples of your level of engagement in AAJ.
- Reference & Recommendation Letter: Please list two references, one of which must be a written letter of recommendation from someone who can speak to your leadership potential, and how you would contribute to and benefit from AAJ’s Leadership Academy.
- Photo (optional): Attach a photo with your application.
Please email leadership.academy@justice.org for more details on the application process
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Leadership Academy Graduates by Class
Class of 2012 – 2013
N. John Bey | Bey & Associates, LLC, Atlanta, GA
Vanessa Cantley | Bahe Cook Cantley & Nefzger, Louisville, KY
Trudy Fenster | Law Offices of Trudy Fenster, PC, Christiansted, Virgin Islands
Brenda Fulmer | Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, PA, West Palm Beach, FL
Brandi Gatewood | Gatewood Law, PLLC, Forest, MS
Katie Hubbard | Attorney at Law, St. Louis, MO
Priscilla Jimenez | Kline & Specter, PC, Philadelphia, PA
Brian Kent | Laffey Bucci Kent, LLP, Philadelphia, PA
Ricardo Martinez-Cid | Podhust Orseck, PA, Miami, FL
Curtis Osborne | Osborne Law Firm, PC, Charlotte, NC
A. Layne Stackhouse | Shrader & Associates, Houston, TX
Tad Thomas | Thomas Law Offices, PLLC, Louisville, KY
Tim Williams | Dwyer Williams Cherkoss Attorneys, PC, Bend, OR
Genevieve Zimmerman | Meshbesher & Spence, Ltd., Minneapolis, MN
Class of 2013 – 2014
Rick Barrera | Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, Albuquerque, TX
June Bashant | Rouda Feder Tietjen & McGuinn, San Francisco, CA
Lea Bucciero | Podhurst Orseck, PA, Miami, FL
Seth Cardeli | Levin & Perconti, Rockville, MD
Jennifer Greene | Scott Vicknair, LLC, New Orleans, LA
Raymond Jones | Law Offices of Raymond R. Jones, Washington, DC
Kristina Kastl | Kastl Law, PC, Dallas, TX
Annika Martin | Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, New York, NY
Jim O'Brien | O'Brien Law, LLC, Toledo, OH
Anastasia Pavich | Pavich Law Group, PC, Chicago, IL
Alyssa Segawa | Galiher DeRobertis & Waxman, LLP, Honolulu, HI
Leslie Wright | Rubio Law Firm, PC, Birmingham, AL
Class of 2014 – 2015
Lauren Barnes | Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, LLP, Seattle, WA
James Bilsborrow | Weitz & Luxenberg, PC, New York, NY
Roshawn H. Donahue †
Wendy Fleishman | Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, New York, NY
Julian Gomez | The Julian C. Gomez Law Firm, PLLC, McAllen, TX
Lexi Hazam | Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, San Francisco, CA
Kelly Hyman | The Hyman Law Firm, PA, West Palm Beach, FL
Adam Langino | Langino Law, Chapel Hill, NC
Jennifer Lipinski | Gordon & Partners, PA, Stuart, FL
Danielle Mason | Attorney at Law, Montgomery, AL
Kristen Miller | Attorney at Law, New York, NY
Kevin Monsour | Bruce Law Group, Louisville, KY
Jason Penn | Law Office of M. Edvard Shprukhman, Baltimore, MD
Adrian Vega | Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, Albuquerque, NM
Zachary Wool | Barrios Kingsdorf & Casteix, LLP, New Orleans, LA
Class of 2015 – 2016
Carla Aikens | Carla D. Aikens, PC, Detroit, MI
Caragh Fay | Fay Law Group, PA, Rockville, MD
Yvonne Flaherty | Lockridge Grindal Nauen, PLLP, Minneapolis, MN
Rachel Gusman | Graves McLain, PLLC, Tulsa, OK
Laurel Halbany | Kazan McClain Satterley & Greenwood, Oakland, CA
J.D. Hays | J.D. Hays Law, PLLC, Boulder, CO
Kate Jaycox | Robins Kaplan, LLP, Minneapolis, MN
Nicholas Johnson | Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, PLLC, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Matthew Nace | Paulson & Nace, PLLC, Washington, DC
Neil Nazareth | Martzell Bickford & Centola, New Orleans, LA
Ashleigh Raso | Meshbesher & Spence, Ltd., Minneapolis, MN
Laura Yaeger | Yaeger Law, PLLC, St. Petersburg, FL
Class of 2016- 2017
Lindsay Cordes | Morgan & Morgan | Nashville, TN
Joseph Gates | Gates Law Firm, PLLC, Little Rock, AR
Amy Heins | Monge & Associates, North Charleston, SC
Lisa Lee | The Joel Bieber Firm, Richmond, VA
Luke Metzler | Van Wey Metzler & Williams, PLLC, Dallas, TX
Andre Mura | Gibbs Law Group, LLP, Oakland, CA
Florence Murray | Murray & Murray Co., LPA, Sandusky, OH
Ervin Nevitt | Coplan & Crane, Oak Park, IL
Amber Pang Parra | Justinian & Associates, PLLC, San Antonio, TX
Shenoa Payne | Shenoa Payne, Attorney at Law, PC, Portland, OR
Rebecca Phillips | The Lanier Law Firm, Houston, TX
Domenic Sanginiti | Stark & Stark, Lawrenceville, NJ
Jared Smith | Kentucky Trial Lawyers, Louisville, KY
Emily Thomas | Birth Justice Law Firm, Royal Oak, MI
Christina Unkel | mctlaw, Sarasota, FL
Sean Walton | Walton + Brown, LLP, Columbus, OH
Class of 2017 – 2018
Alana Analone | Anzalone Law Offices, LLC, Denver, CO
Karen Beyea-Schroeder | Schroeder Law Office, The Woodlands, TX
Guy D'Andrea | Laffey Bucci Kent, LLP, Philadelphia, PA
Sarah Hansel | Motley Rice, LLC, Cherry Hill, NJ
Srinivas Hanumadass | Singleton Schreiber, LLP, San Diego, CA
Christopher Johnson | Waters Kraus & Paul | Dallas, TX
Lindsay Lawrence | Rittgers Rittgers & Nakajima, Cincinnati, OH
Carlos Llinas | Nelson & Fraenkel, LLP, Los Angeles, CA
Jeff Orenstein | Consumer Law Group, Montréal, QC
Tifanie Owens | Bey & Associates, LLC, Atlanta, GA
Leslie Pescia | Bullock Ward Mason, LLC, Louisville, KY
Brandon Vaughn | Robins Kaplan, LLP, Minneapolis, MN
Derrick Walker | Allen Allen Allen & Allen, PC, Richmond, VA
Lisa Weinstein | Grant & Eisenhofer, PA, Chicago, IL
Class of 2018 – 2019
John Abaray | Abaray Craddock & Smith, PLLC, Louisville, KY
Tyler Bailey | Bailey Law Firm, LLC | Columbia, SC
Kevin Biniazan | Breit Biniazan, PC, Virginia Beach, VA
Sejal Brahmbhatt | Williams Hart Boundas Easterby, LLP, Houston, TX
Gwen-Marie Davis | GDH Law, Lanham MD
Andre Dennis | The Dennis Law Firm, LLC, Atlanta, GA
Susan Faunce | Berman & Simmons, PA, Lewiston, ME
Amanda Fox Perry | Fay Law Group, PA, Rockville, MD
Danielle Gold | Weitz & Luxenberg, PC, New York, NY
Adam Gomez | Grant & Eisenhofer, PA, Wilmington, DE
Kelli Hooper | Thomas J. Henry Law, Atlanta, GA
Bridget Long | Allen Allen Allen & Allen, PC, Petersburg, VA
Stephanie Luzzi | The Luzzi Law Firm, East Brunswick, NJ
Jared Placitella | Cohen Placitella & Roth, PC, Red Bank, NJ
Jessica Ramirez | D'Arcy Johnson Day, Egg Harbor Township, NJ
Kelley Simoneaux | The Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm, PLLC, Washington, DC
Miranda Soucie | Spiros Law, PC, Champaign, IL
Class of 2021 – 2022
Jasper Abbott | Harris Lowry Manton, LLP, Atlanta, GA
Harold Boone | The Boone Firm, PC, Atlanta, GA
Erin Copeland | Fibich Leebron Copeland & Briggs, Houston, TX
Christopher Fitzgerald | Law Offices of Christopher H. Fitzgerald, New York, NY
Eric Hernandez | Hernandez Lee Martinez, LLC, Miami, FL
Casey Johnson | Aitken*Aitken*Cohn, Santa Ana, CA
Tara King | Andrus Wagstaff, Denver, CO
Min Koo | Tosi Law, LLP, Atlanta, GA
Jackalyn Olinger Rochelle | Bailey Glasser, LLP, Webster Groves, MO
Tamarah Prevost | Cotchett Pitre & McCarthy, LLP, Burlingame, CA
Bhavani Raveendran | Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, Chicago, IL
Gladys Proa Santana | Proa Santana Law, LLC, North Aurora, IL
Ibiere Seck | Seck Law, PC, Los Angeles, CA
Bharati Sharma | Weitz & Luxenberg, PC, Cherry Hill, NJ
William Sykes | Claggett & Sykes Law Firm, Las Vegas, NV
Class of 2022 – 2023
Petra Aaron | GDH Law, LLC, Lanham, MD
Ron Austin | Ron Austin & Associates, LLC, Harvey, LA
Daisy Ayllon | Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, Chicago, IL
Brian Bailey | Gibbs Law Group, LLP, Oakland, CA
Wilson Dunlavey | Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, New York, NY
Kelly Fitzpatrick | Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder, PC, Bridgeport, CT
Lindsey Gale | Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Jamie Goldstein | Arias Sanguinetti Wang Torrijos, LLP, Emeryville, CA
Bhaveen Jani | Stark & Stark, Lawrenceville, NJ
Yari Lawson | Lawson Raines, LLP, Lawrenceville, GA
Patrick Luff | Luff Law Firm, PLLC, Dallas, TX
Britney McDonald | Marc Whitehead & Associates, LLP, Houston, TX
Melissa Ray | Nichols Zauzig, Woodbridge, VA
Sara Schramm | Blasingame Burch Garrard & Ashley, PC, Athens, GA
Parker Stinar | Denver Trial Lawyers, Denver, CO
Tiega Varlack | Varlack Legal Services, Hayward, CA
Sharon Zinns | Zinns Law, LLC, Atlanta, GA
Anthony Beneduce | Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf, New York, NY
Class of 2023 – 2024
Monier Abusaft | Law Office of Mo Abusaft | Spartanburg, SC
Matt Adair, Esq. | Miller Weisbrod Olesky, LLP | Dallas, TX
Andre Archuleta | Curtis & Co. Law Firm | Albuquerque, NM
Emma Brockway | Doyle Dennis LLP | Houston, TX
Rashanda Bruce | Robins Kaplan LLP | Minneapolis, MN
Sara Couch | Motley Rice LLC | Mt. Pleasant, SC
Nabilah Hossain | Cotchett, Pitre, and McCarthy | Burlingame, CA
Devin Kelly | Roxanne Conlin and Associates, PC | Des Moines, IA
Katherine Kiziah | Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. | West Palm Beach, FL
Jami Oliver | Law Offices, Inc. | Dublin, OH
Sarah Schindler | Kolsby Gordon Robin & Shore | Philadelphia, PA
Chinsu Shajan | Stark & Stark PC | Hamilton, NJ
Rachel Sykes | Pearson Butler | South Jordan, UT
Mark Troutman | Gibbs Law Group LLP | Columbus, OH
Selina Valdez | Marc Whitehead & Associates | Houston, TX
Anita Washington | Bey & Associates | Cincinnati, OH
Matthew Whitley | Greene & Schultz Trial Lawyers | Bloomington, IN
Courtney Winston | Allen, Allen, Allen & Allen | Richmond, VA
Class of 2024 – 2025
Marta Batiste | GDH Law Firm | Upper Marlboro, MD
Johnnie Bond | The Bond Law Firm, PLLC | Washington, DC
Roodgine Bray| Davis Bozeman Law Firm, PC | Decatur, GA
Elizabeth Connell | Connell Council, LLC| Baltimore, MD
Rachael Flanagan | Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC | Palm Beach Gardens, FL
Blake Gibney | RSH Legal |Cedar Rapids, IA
Remy Higgins | Pendley, Baudin & Coffin | New Orleans, LA
Tom Jacob| National Trail Law | Austin, TX
Chris Kwon | Kwon Law, PLLC |Pearland, TX
Elyse Mckenna | Fox McKenna, PLLC |Birmingham, MI
David Muncy | Plaxen Adler Muncy | Columbia, MD
David Neiman | Wallace Miller | Chicago, IL
Cristiana Perez Hesano | Perez Law Group, PLLC | Glendale, AZ
Carson Phillips-Spotts | Schroeter Goldmark & Bender | Seattle, WA
Mary Allen Ramprasad| The Cole Law Firm | Houston, TX
Pablo Rojas | Podhurst Orseck | Miami, FL
Elizabeth White | EPW Law PLLC | Washington DC
Jessica Wieczorkiewicz | Wallace Miller | Chicago, IL
