Executive Board

Shani C. Mitchell, Esq.

 

 

President

Shani C. Mitchell is an Assistant District Attorney with the Office of the Monroe County District Attorney, assigned to the local court division. She has been employed with this office since August 2013. Prior to taking this position, she was a criminal justice professor with SUNY Canton. She held that position for three years, and continues to teach classes online with this SUNY Canton. From 1999 through 2008, Shani spent her time as a prosecutor in the Metro- Atlanta, Georgia area.

Shani received her Bachelor’s of Mathematics from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and her Juris Doctor from Florida State University College of Law, in Tallahassee, Florida. In 2009, she obtained her Master’s in Criminal Justice from Boston University.

Mrs. Mitchell has always devoted her time and talent to enhancement of the community. While a prosecutor in Atlanta, she received the Ahmad Dabarran Community Service Award in 2002, given to her by the Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr. While in Atlanta, she was a volunteer with the Legal Lives Program, which taught fifth graders about the criminal justice system. When she returned, she began volunteering with Nathaniel Rochester Community School No. 3, by aiding those students who need extra help with their reading and mathematics. Currently, she is assisting the RBBA with their first ever mock trial team; preparing them for the Law Explorers Mock Trial Competition in April.

Shani is married and has a son, Miles, and four step-daughters. She is a member of First Genesis Baptist Church where she volunteers her time with the Youth Department. Shani is proud of the work that the Rochester Black Bar Association is doing in the community, and looks forward to serving this organization next year, 2016, as President.

 

Duwaine T. Bascoe, Esq.

Vice President of Programs

Duwaine T. Bascoe is an associate in the Litigation Department of Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP where he concentrates his practice in the areas of Business Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation; Debt Collection & Asset Recovery; Medical Malpractice; and Employment and Labor Litigation. Mr. Bascoe received his JD from University at Buffalo Law School and his B.A. from Morehouse College. While at UB Law, Mr. Bascoe was a National Trial team member; Treasurer for UB Law Black Law Student Association; Clerk for Buffalo Environmental Law Journal; Clerk for Buffalo Journal of Gender, Law, and Social Policy; and a Board Member of Frederick Douglass Moot Court Team. He was the Recipient of 2011 Robert J. Connelly Trial Advocacy Award presented by Western New York Trial Lawyers Association; Recipient of 2010 Marie Nesbitt Promise Prize; and Recipient of 2010 Frederick Douglass Moot Court Outstanding Performance Award.

 

Robert P. Turner, Esq.

Vice President of Membership

Robert P. Turner is a sole practitioner concentrating in family law. He is a past recipient of the Hon. Michael F. Dillon Attorneys for Children Award, and the New York Daily Record‘s “Unsung Legal Heroes Award.” Mr. Turner is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

 

Brittany A. Jones, Esq.

Treasurer

Brittany A. Jones is an assistant appellate court attorney at the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department. She is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law and Emerson College. At Syracuse University College of Law, she participated in the Children’s Rights and Family Law Clinic. She was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society and the Black Law Students Association. She was a member of the Thurgood Marshall Trial Team from 2012-2014. During her time at Syracuse University, she tutored at Henninger High School and Auburn Correctional Facility. In addition to her community work, she writes poetry.

 

Maria Reed, Esq.

Secretary

Ms. Reed is Lead Attorney for the law firm Fulton, Friedman, & Gullace, LLP, a national collections firm. As Lead Attorney, Ms. Reed oversees 9 attorneys in 9 states to ensure compliance with the Firm’s policies and procedures. Ms. Reed also handles all aspects of litigation for cases throughout New York State. She is admitted to practice law in the State of New York and in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York.

Ms. Reed is a graduate of Boston University School of Law and the University of Rochester. While at Boston University, Ms. Reed clerked at Greater Boston Legal Services, where she provided legal services to battered immigrant women. She was also president of Shelter Legal Services, providing legal services to homeless citizens. During her second year of law school, Ms. Reed clerked at Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, focusing on corporate immigration. While at Fragomen, she researched and assisted in writing an article published in the New York Law Journal entitled, “Special Registration and Monitoring of Certain Non-Immigrants,” July 22, 2002.

Prior to attending law school, Ms. Reed worked in Boston, Massachusetts for a charter school management company as a Student Recruitment Manager. She worked primarily with underprivileged Hispanic communities across the country.
In addition to the Rochester Black Bar Association, Ms. Reed is affiliated with the Monroe County Bar Association and the Greater Rochester Association for Women Attorneys.

Ms. Reed is a native of Bogotá, Colombia and grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She resides in Penfield, New York with her husband, Bryan, and daughters, Sophia and Olivia.

 

LaMarr J. Jackson, Esq.

Parliamentarian

LaMarr J. Jackson was admitted to the bar in Connecticut in 1994 and in New York in 1999. She is also admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York.

Ms. Jackson graduated from Central State University with a degree in Business Administration. In addition, Ms. Jackson earned an M.S. in Education from State University of New York at Brockport and a Graduate Certificate in Industrial Labor Relations from Cornell University. She obtained a Juris Doctor from University at Buffalo School of Law in 1992. Ms. Jackson is a member of the New York Bar Association, the Monroe County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the Rochester Black Bar Association.

Prior to entering the practice of law, Ms. Jackson was an Assistant Professor at St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York. Upon her appointment she was the first African American person to be on a tenure track at the college. She has taught law for over 15 years at area colleges on both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Ms. Jackson has served on the Adjunct Faculty at the State University of New York at Brockport, Cornell University School of Industrial Labor Relations and Rochester Institute of Technology. In addition, she holds a permanent New York State teacher license and is a former teacher in the Rochester City School District. She is the former Town Attorney and Special Prosecutor for the Town of Riga, Monroe County.

Ms. Jackson’s law practice is concentrated in the areas of criminal, civil and family law. She is a member of the New York Industrial Board of Appeals and conducts hearings across the state on wage and labor law. In addition she is a Hearing Examiner for the City of Rochester, and an arbitrator for the Rochester City Small Claims Court.

 

Fatimat O. Reid, Esq.

Immediate Past President

Fatimat O. Reid is Associate Counsel to the Rochester City School District. Ms. Reid is an experienced litigator who has practiced in Federal and State Court. Prior to joining the Rochester City School District, Ms. Reid was a municipal attorney with the City of Rochester Law Department. She has been honored for her excellent work in this capacity with a 2013 “Top Counsel Award” from the New York Daily Record. Ms. Reid has also previously worked as an associate at the firms of Davidson Fink, LLP and Wolpoff & Abramson, LLP. Ms. Reid is a 2005 graduate of the University at Buffalo School of Law.

She earned her undergraduate degree, a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 2002. Ms. Reid understands the importance of being visibly active and involved with the community that she works and lives in. To that end, she serves on several different community boards focused on youth development and empowerment including the Caring and Sharing Junior Academy and Federal Employees Parent Association. Ms. Reid lives in the City of Rochester with her husband Jerod and their three children Aniyah, Kiley and David.

 

Hon. Roy W. King

Awards and Scholarship Reception Co-Chair

Hon. Roy W. King is a former Rochester City Court Judge. Judge King currently adjudicates firearm permit applications as a Judicial Hearing Officer. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Roberts Wesleyan College and Northeastern Seminary. He is also assistant pastor at New Progressive Cathedral Church and confidential assistant to the Bishop of the Western N.Y. Jurisdiction for the Church of God in Christ. Judge King is an active member of the Monroe County Bar Association, the Rochester Black Bar Association, a member of the Board of Visitors for the State School at Industry. He has also become an established educator within the Rochester community as an adjunct lecturer at Keuka College and the State University of New York, College at Brockport.

 

Melissa Barrett, Esq.

Awards and Scholarship Reception Co-Chair

 

Sara Valencia, Esq.

Judicial Evaluation Committee Co-Chair

Sara Valencia is a municipal attorney for the City of Rochester.

 

Michael Lopez, Esq.

Judicial Evaluation Committee Co-Chair

Michael Lopez is a senior special assistant public defender for the Monroe County Public Defender’s Office.

 

T. Andrew Brown, Esq.

National Bar Association Delegate

T. Andrew Brown is Corporation Counsel to the City of Rochester. He is also the founder of the Rochester-based law firm of Brown Hutchinson, LLP. His practice is statewide, representing a nationwide clientele in the areas of civil litigation, employment and general business counsel. He has also been a mediator and arbitrator on commercial and employment panels of the American Arbitration Association since 1996. He has taught at the college level, serving as an adjunct professor of political science at SUNY Brockport and an instructor of law at Monroe Community College.

Mr. Brown is also former General Counsel of the National Bar Association, the largest association of attorneys and judges of color in the world. He is a past President of the Monroe County Bar Association, the first minority to serve in this capacity. He co-chaired the New York State Bar Association Task Force on the Future of the Legal Profession, which examined and recommended changes to the profession overall including radical changes to the education and training of new lawyers. He is also a member of The Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission, whose mission is to promote diversity and cultural awareness in the New York State Court System.

For professional, academic, business and humanitarian purposes, Mr. Brown has traveled extensively throughout the world, including Europe, Asia and Africa. He has been involved in many civic and community groups, holding advisory and leadership positions. He has received many awards for his business and civic achievements, and has repeatedly been named as one of the best trial lawyers in New York. He has been a frequent presenter at legal seminars and conferences.

Mr. Brown received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1984 and earned a B.A. in political science at Syracuse University in 1981.

Mr. Brown resides in Rochester with his wife, Carole A. Bilson and his daughter, Alina.

 

Langston D. McFadden, Esq.

National Bar Association Delegate

Langston D. McFadden is a Partner with The Law Offices of Pullano & Farrow, PLLC. He is an alumnus of SUNY Buffalo Law School and SUNY Brockport. Langston’s law practice focuses on defense litigation for many of the Nation’s Fortune 100 and 500 companies, as well as many local businesses and business owners. In his nearly 12 years of practice, Langston has proven himself to be a very skilled and dedicated practitioner. Langston has significant experience in the area of professional liability defense, with a concentration in the areas of architects’ and engineers’ liability. He also has significant experience in the areas of employment litigation, civil rights litigation, personal injury and products and premises liability.

Langston’s countless hours of volunteer service to bar associations are a testament to his passion and respect for the promise and power of the legal profession to support communities and effect social change. Langston has served on the President’s Special Committee on Equal Access to Justice, the Pro Bono Committee, and the Special Committee on Youth Courts, as a member of the New York State Bar Association. Langston is also an involved and dedicated member of each of the American Bar Association, the Monroe County Bar Association, the National Bar Association, and the Rochester Black Bar Association. Langston is also a frequent contributor to The Daily Record, writing on such topics as “The Power of Faith in the Practice of Law,” “Coping with First-Year Associate Stress,” and “The Awesome Power of Being an Attorney.”

Langston has also demonstrated a commitment to the community of Rochester through his service as a member and volunteer for the Rochester Urban League, the Rochester Black Business Alliance, the Greece Basketball Association, the Rochester Fatherhood Resource Initiative, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Rochester.

Langston has been recognized by the prestigious New York publication “Super Lawyers” magazine in 2013 and 2014 as an attorney that is a “Rising Star” in his field of practice. In the past two years Langston has also been recognized by the business community in the City of Rochester, New York as not only one of the city’s 40 Under 40 African American Leaders but also as one of the top 40 Under 40 professionals in the city as well. Langston is a past recipient of the Harter Secrest & Emery LLP Pro Bono Services Award, The Daily Record Up & Coming Attorney Award, the Judge Matthew J. Jasen Appellate Practice Award, the Lewis F. Powell, Esq., Excellence in Trial Advocacy Award, Justice Dolores M. Denman Award, and the Minority Bar Association of Western New York Achievement Award.

Langston resides in Greece, New York with his wife of 7 years Shaleeya McFadden, Esq., and their 4 children.

 

Jennifer Wright, Esq.

Director of Education

Jennifer Wright is a commercial real estate attorney with the The Law Offices of Pullano & Farrow, PLLC. She was formerly an associate in the real property group at Harter Secrest & Emery LLP. Throughout her 10 years of practice, Ms. Wright has focused her practice on the purchase and sale of commercial real estate, commercial leasing, financing, and land use. Ms. Wright earned her JD from Georgetown University Law Center in 2005 and graduated magna cum laude from Gettysburg College in 2002. Ms. Wright is admitted to practice law in the State of New York.

 

Chenoa Maye, Esq.

Director of Nominations

Chenoa Maye is an attorney in private practice and a proud graduate of the University at Buffalo Law School, Howard University and Rochester’s The Harley School. She recently launched the Law Office of Chenoa A. Maye, where her areas of practice reflect her commitment to meeting the needs of her community, and include family, elder and matrimonial law. She also serves as an Attorney for the Child for the Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department.

In her previous work as a legislative analyst for an education lobbying organization, Ms. Maye was instrumental in helping to implement education policies nationwide that sought to prioritize students’ interests over those of bureaucracy. Never shying away from the opportunity to cultivate efficiency, Ms. Maye was instrumental in creating an analytical structure within the Organization’s policy team which provided a framework for setting priorities for state-based legislative agendas.

In addition to her involvement with the Rochester Black Bar Association, Ms. Maye serves as Director of Community Relations for Rochester Free Radio, Inc., and frequently volunteers with the Center for Youth and the Urban League of Rochester.

She lives in the heart of Rochester’s Center City, where you can find her marveling at the bravado of the RPO’s new conductor and (playfully) critiquing local baristas.

 

Amber J. Diem, Esq.

Director of Communications

Amber J. Diem is an admissions data processor at the University at Buffalo Law School. She is a graduate of the University at Buffalo Law School, and Rochester Institute of Technology.