Assistant Professor & Researcher
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Taught Criminal Law, Legal Writing and Evidence. Research focused on juvenile court systems and restorative justice.
Assistant Professor & Researcher - Southern Illinois Simmons Law School
(2025-01 - 2026-12)
Taught Criminal Law, Legal Writing and Evidence. Research focused on juvenile court systems and restorative justice.
Teaching Fellow - Loyola University College of Law
(2023-01 - 2025-12)
Taught Legal Writing and a Child Welfare Symposium
Deputy Director of Labor Compliance, Mayor's Office of Workforce Development - Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) - Boston, MA
(2023-01 - 2023-12)
Developed and maintained labor and equity policy practices designed to improve economic health of Bostonians. Assisted in overseeing the Boston Living Wage Ordinance and Committee, the Wage Theft Executive Order and the Prevailing Wage Executive Order practices and procedures. Managed staff assisting with Boston Living Wage activities.
Provided advice on ordinance drafting, municipal law matters and legislative initiatives that impact OWD. Evaluated OWD's capacity and analyzed City of Boston vendors for labor law compliance. Position eliminated due to restructuring of BPDA.
Supervising Attorney, COVID Eviction Legal Help Project (CELHP) - Greater Boston Legal Services - Boston, MA
(2021-01 - 2021-12)
Supervised attorneys litigating in housing court on behalf of tenants facing eviction. Representation focused on tenants who were impacted by the COVID pandemic and had eviction proceedings filed against them by their landlords for non-payment of rent. Trained attorneys in trial practice with a focus on state and federal COVID housing legal protections.
Reviewed briefs and motions, trained attorneys in court, managed caseloads. Worked in collaboration with housing advocates and tenant organizations on local and national levels to strategize defenses against landlords who are targeting low-income communities of color.
Adjunct Professor, Bar Preparation Team - Suffolk University School of Law - Boston, MA
(2016-01 - 2019-12)
Taught students an approach to learning substantive material and bar exam test taking techniques. Test taking techniques included addressing specific obstacles within the MBE section such as understanding the call of questions, issue spotting within the fact pattern and identifying test question patterns. Class enrollment focused on law graduates who have previously failed a bar exam. Over 80% of my students on average passed their next bar exam.
Associate General Counsel & Procurement Manager - Office of the State Treasurer & Receiver General - Boston, MA
(2019-01 - 2020-12)
Served as in-house counsel for the Office of the State Treasurer & Receiver General's 13 entities. Advised on unclaimed property, public record, ethics, contract and procurement related matters. Managed the Treasury's procurement contracting process with onshore and international business entities. Worked in collaboration with Treasury Legislative team to further procurement and contracting diversity and ethics initiatives. Developed the legal intern program.
Attorney, Counsel II - Department of Children and Families - Boston, MA
(2015-01 - 2019-12)
Served a dual role as in-house counsel and litigator for the Department of Children & Families. Litigated emergency custody filings; parental rights termination trials; abuse of discretion hearings, reasonable efforts hearings and adoption proceedings. Provided counsel on compliance with Commonwealth, agency and Federal laws and regulations. Focus area on compliance with state, federal and agency laws during the Department's engagements with the Boston Juvenile Court. 160 cases/year.
Attorney - Maintenance Contractors Trust Fund of New England - Boston, MA
(2014-01 - 2015-12)
Developed strategies and policies to raise standards in the janitorial industry. Assisted workers filing wage theft complaints. Investigated janitorial companies with a history of labor violations. Monitored municipal public bidding processes for janitorial services. Educated advocates and workers on labor law including wage theft, the public bidding process and legislative initiatives.
Attorney, Mental Health Litigation Division, Private Counsel Unit - Committee for Public Counsel Services - Boston, MA
(2012-01 - 2014-12)
Assisted in development and implementation of Mental Health Certification and Re-certification Programs. Trained attorneys on mental health and guardianship law. Investigated client complaints regarding assigned counsel. Assisted in attorney performance evaluations. Represented clients in District Court proceedings and appeal proceedings.
Trial Attorney - Public Defender Corp., 10th Judicial Circuit - Raleigh County, West Virginia
(2010-01 - 2012-12)
Represented juvenile and adult defendants in both Magistrate and Circuit Court misdemeanor and felony cases. Provided representation for preliminary hearings, status hearings, parole and probation revocation hearings. Represented parents in abuse and neglect proceedings.
Assisted in jury selection. Prepared and argued pre-trial motions. Sat second chair on a first-degree murder case. Supervised law student interns in court appearances and client interviews. Advocated against racial sentencing disparities with a focus on cases in Raleigh County. 250 cases/year.
I was the first African American woman to practice as a public defender in Raleigh County.
Juris Doctor - University of Notre Dame Law School
BA - Chemistry - Smith College
Chemistry Pre-med Program - Xavier University of Louisiana
