2026 Beginning Lawyers Program

Ms. Karlise Yvette Grier Related Seminars and Products

Executive Director

Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism

In September 2017, Karlise Yvette Grier became the Executive Director of the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism. Prior to assuming her current position, Ms. Grier worked as the managing attorney of Grier Law Office, P.C., an Atlanta law firm that concentrated in the areas of adoption, divorce, and family law. Ms. Grier was appointed to serve as a part-time Magistrate Court judge in Fulton County and served as a Judicial Officer in the Fulton County Superior Court Family Division from May 2006 through December 2008.  From March 2000 until June 2005, Ms. Grier served as a Judge Pro Hac Vice in the former City Court of Atlanta (“Traffic Court”).

Ms. Grier served as the Vice Chair of the State Bar of Georgia’s Child Protection and Advocacy Section and the founding chair of the GABWA Family Law Section.  She is a past president of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys and of the League of Women Voters of Atlanta-Fulton County.  She is a member of the 2015 Class (BCE) of Leadership Atlanta.

Ms. Grier received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Science from Dartmouth College in 1986, and her law degree from the Emory University School of Law in 1992. She was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in that same year.

Ms. Grier was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was graduated from Frederick Douglass High School.  She is a member of Ben Hill United Methodist Church.

Ms. Nicole Christine Leet Related Seminars and Products

Gray Rust St. Amand Moffett & Brieske LLP

Nicole Leet is a litigation partner with Gray, Rust, St. Amand, Moffett & Brieske LLP in Atlanta. She specializes in complex civil litigation and appeals, primarily in the areas of construction, product and premises liability. An experienced trial and appellate attorney, Ms. Leet has obtained successful outcomes for her clients in both state and federal court all over Georgia. Ms. Leet has been honored as a “Super Lawyer” in the area of Civil Litigation for 2022-2024 and was honored as a “Rising Star Super Lawyer” every year from 2012-2021. She is actively involved in the legal community, having served as President of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Georgia as well as currently serving on the Board of Governors of the State Bar.

Ms. Kelsie Jolene Mattox Related Seminars and Products

City Solicitor of Alpharetta & Milton

Kelsie J. Mattox currently serves as the City Solicitor for the Cities of Alpharetta and Milton, Georgia, having been appointed to the position in April 2022. A native of Fulton County, Georgia, Ms. Mattox was raised in Alpharetta and has dedicated her legal career to public service and the pursuit of justice.
Ms. Mattox is a career prosecutor with extensive experience in Georgia’s criminal justice system. Prior to her appointment as City Solicitor, she served as a Senior Assistant District Attorney in DeKalb County and previously as an Assistant District Attorney in Fulton and Dawson Counties. In recognition of her commitment and work ethic, she received the Dawson County Work Horse Award in 2018 for trying the most cases in a single year.
Ms. Mattox earned her Juris Doctor from The University of Alabama School of Law in 2017 and her Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, from Western Kentucky University in 2014, where she competed as an intercollegiate softball student-athlete.
In addition to her prosecutorial work, Ms. Mattox is actively involved in the legal community. She currently serves on the State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division Board of Directors and as Co-Chair of the Young Lawyers Division Leadership Academy, from which she is a 2024 graduate. She also serves as a member of the State Bar of Georgia Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency.
Ms. Mattox serves as part of the DUI prosecution training faculty for the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia. She is also a member in numerous professional organizations, including the Lawyers Club of Atlanta, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys, Atlanta Bar Association, Greater Atlanta Black Prosecutors Association, and Gate City Bar Association. In recognition of her service, she was named a 2024–2025 State Bar of Georgia Young Lawyers Division Award Winner for Outstanding Service to the Public.
Ms. Mattox has a strong passion for serving her local community and remains steadfastly committed to seeking truth, fairness, and justice for all.

Ms. Karen Brown Williams Related Seminars and Products

The Williams Firm PC

Karen Brown Williams

Karen Brown Williams is the Principal and Founder of The Williams Firm, P.C., a boutique Atlanta-based practice dedicated to family law and probate litigation. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, she has spent  more than 30 years she has spent more than 30 years helping families navigate divorce, custody, and estate matters with clarity, compassion, and unwavering advocacy. 

Her career includes serving as a Magistrate Judge, a Public Defender, and a Clerk to Justice Carol Hunstein of the Georgia Supreme Court, experiences that give her a unique perspective on both trial and appellate practice. A frequent lecturer and published author, Karen has presented for the State Bar of Georgia, Cobb County Bar Association, and  the Charles Weltner Inns of Court on topics ranging from high-asset divorce evidence to international custody disputes.

Karen earned her J.D. from Emory University School of Law, her M.B.A. from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, and her B.A. in Business Administration from Howard University. Karen is a dedicated mentor through the Georgia State Bar’s Beginning Lawyer Program and an active leader in the legal community, having served on the Executive Board of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia.

Audiences appreciate her ability to blend legal expertise with empathy, leaving them with both practical insights and a deeper understanding of the human side of law. Karen frequently shares insights on co parenting, legal planning, and family law tips to engage both clients and the broader legal community.

 Contact
 (770) 771-5020 |  [Email: admin@brownwilliamspc.com 
 10 Glen Lake Pkwy, Suite 130, Atlanta, GA 30328
  Firm Website: www.brownwilliamspc.com 
 

Mr. Damon Erik Elmore Related Seminars and Products

State Bar of Georgia

Damon serves as the Executive Director of the State Bar of Georgia. He was selected by a vote of the Board of Governors in October 2020. He is responsible for leading, managing, and executing the affairs of the Bar and implementing its policies and strategic direction for the overall benefit of the organization and the 55,000+ members, and Bar staff. He received his J.D. from the Emory University School of Law, and his B.A. from Savannah State University. Prior to joining the Bar, he served as Sr. Executive Director of People Strategy and General Counsel for Muncie Power Products. A native of Savannah, Georgia, Damon is a fan of community related activities and is the proud father of two daughters Ava and Simone.

Hon. Shawn Ellen LaGrua Related Seminars and Products

Supreme Court of Georgia

Shawn Ellen LaGrua has been a Justice on the Supreme Court of Georgia since January 7, 2021. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, Justice LaGrua was appointed to the Superior Court of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit by then-Governor Sonny Perdue and was sworn in on June 29, 2010. She served on the bench in the Superior Court of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit until January 2021, having been elected in 2012 and reelected in 2016 and 2020. Before serving on the Fulton County bench, Justice LaGrua served as Inspector General for the Georgia Secretary of State and has over 20 years of trial experience, serving as Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney in DeKalb and Fulton Counties, and Chief Assistant District Attorney in the Tallapoosa Circuit. Additionally, she served as the Solicitor General for DeKalb County. 

While on the bench in Fulton County, Justice LaGrua initiated and presided over “My Journey Matters,” a pilot accountability program designed to divert young offenders from a lifetime of incarceration, and presided over the Court’s first Re-Entry Court, which worked to integrate prior offenders back into the community using close supervision, substance abuse counseling, job-training, and advancing education. In 2016, Justice LaGrua received the St. Thomas Moore Award from the St. Thomas Moore Society in recognition of “specific actions manifesting a commitment to justice and humanity, especially in difficult circumstances” related in part to her formation of and continued commitment to the My Journey Matters Program.

In May 2020, Justice LaGrua was appointed by then-Chief Justice Harold D. Melton as the Chair of the Supreme Court’s COVID-19 Task Force. In January 2019, she was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to be a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission. She was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal and re-appointed by Governor Kemp to the Georgia Child Support Commission and served as Chair of the Judicial Council’s Process Servers Committee. Justice LaGrua also served as the President of the Council of Superior Court Judges in 2019-2020. She served on the Legislative Support Team, as vice-chair for the Access to Fairness and Justice Committee, and as a member of the Accountability Court and Bench and Bar Committees. She is a former member of the Criminal Justice Reform Sub-Committee, and she has served as the Chair of the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Georgia.

Justice LaGrua was recently awarded the 2024 Kathleen Kessler Award by the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers. In 2022, she was inducted into the Georgia State University College of Law Order of the Barristers. She is a founding member and past Chair of the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, Judicial Application Review Committee.

She is currently serving as President of the Georgia State College of Law Logan E. Bleckley Inn of Court, Chair of the Judicial Council Standing Committee on Judicial Security, co-chair of the Judicial Council Standing Committee on Technology, liaison to the Judicial Workload Assessment Committee, advisor to the Ad Hoc Committee on Judicial Emergency Preparedness, and co-chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission. After graduating from the University of Georgia, Justice LaGrua received her Juris Doctorate from the Georgia State University College of Law. She is the daughter of Brooks and Anne LaGrua, career military parents. She is married to husband Chris and has two step-sons and two Bernese Mountain dog rescues. 

Hon. Kenneth Bryant Hodges III Related Seminars and Products

Judge

Georgia Court of Appeals

Kenneth (Ken) Bryant Hodges, III was elected to the Court of Appeals by the citizens of Georgia in 2018, winning every county in the state with wide bipartisan support in a contested election for a rare open seat on the Court. Judge Hodges took office on Jan. 1, 2019. With deep experience in diverse practice areas, Judge Hodges has served as a prosecutor, defended criminal cases, and been on both sides of a dispute in civil matters. He has been a court appointed receiver and a mediator. Judge Hodges is applying this experience on the bench to uphold the rule of law and ensure justice for all.

Judge Hodges was born and raised in Albany, GA. He graduated from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA, and earned his B.A. from Emory University in Political Science and Sociology with a minor in English in 1988. While at the University of Georgia Law School, he participated in a clinical program with a public defender and was sworn in under the Third Year Student Practice Act to try cases. He earned his J.D. from UGA Law in 1991 and set out to become a litigator. After working with a litigation firm in Atlanta, he returned to Albany as an Assistant District Attorney.

Judge Hodges was elected District Attorney of the Dougherty Judicial Circuit in 1996 at the age of 30. Within the first two years, he cleared out a backlog of eight death penalty cases and took them to trial. He formed trial teams which effectively ended unnecessary delays in moving cases forward, and focused on laws and programs to better protect children in the county. This included a child prosecution unit, a child advocacy center, a truancy program to target unauthorized school absences, and he also established a sexual assault unit. In his second term, he was named District Attorney of the Year for the State of Georgia. During his 12 years as District Attorney, Ken was committed to managing an efficient office, which operated under budget every year. He was elected President of the DA’s Association and also served as Chairman of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council; he was appointed by Governor Roy Barnes as Chairman of the Legal Loan Forgiveness Task Force and as a member of the Certainty in Sentencing Commission.

In 2008, he returned to private practice, working in transactional law and then litigation. In 2015, Ken started his own law firm, Ken Hodges Law, based in Albany and Atlanta with a focus on commercial litigation. Judge Hodges was elected President of the State Bar of Georgia (2018-2019), the first judge to lead the organization in its history. He currently serves on the State Bar’s Office of General Counsel Oversight Committee, is Chairman of the Advisory Board for Truist-Albany, and is Vice-Chairman of the Albany-Dougherty Airport Commission. Ken also serves on the Board of Advisors of University of Georgia’s State Botanical Garden and the Board of Directors of the Southwest Georgia Legal Self-Help Center, a non-profit that works to improve access to justice for low-income people in the region. Ken is a member of the Atlanta Rotary Club, the Emory Board of Visitors, and is a member and past-President of the Dougherty County Bar Association.

Judge Hodges has published articles in various legal and main stream media outlets, he has been a legal commentator on local and national television and radio programs, and has lectured at every law school in Georgia. He is a frequent presenter at legal education courses for practicing attorneys, and teaches classes for law enforcement personnel across the state. He has been named a Legal Elite, a Super Lawyer, and has earned the highest possible rankings with AVVO and Martindale-Hubbell, the preeminent attorney rating organization. He is a past Trustee and graduate of Leadership Georgia, a graduate of Leadership Albany, past Secretary and board member of The Urban League of Greater Atlanta, past President of the Artesian City Sertoma Club, former member of the Albany Rotary Club, past Chairman of the Easter Seals of Southwest Georgia, past Chairman of the Southwest Georgia Chiefs and Sheriffs Association, past board member of the Albany Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and has served on the boards of the American Heart Association and the Albany Civil Rights Institute. Ken was named a “40 under 40” by Georgia Trend.

As an attorney, he was admitted to practice with the United States Supreme Court, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Northern and Middle Federal District Courts of Georgia, the Georgia Supreme Court, and the Georgia Court of Appeals. He is a Master with the Bleckly Inn of Court and the W. Louis Sands American Inn of Court, and is a Fellow with the Lawyer’s Foundation of Georgia. Judge Hodges has been widely recognized for his legal and civic accomplishments during his more than 27 years as a practicing attorney, including as the recipient of the State Bar’s Commitment to Equality Award, the Justice Benham Award for Community Service, and The Eagle Award from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council for his work on behalf of crime victims.

Ken and his wife, Melissa, married in 2004 and have two children, Margaret and Jack, and a field spaniel, Buzzy. They are parishioners at St. Teresa’s Catholic Church in Albany and remain active in their community. The family cherishes time together and enjoy being active, whether it’s time spent in the beautiful southwest Georgia outdoors or exploring the state, visiting friends and family. An avid pilot, Judge Hodges is commerical, instrument, and multi-engine rated and enjoys being up in the air, like his father and grandfather, a Naval aviator, before him.

Ms. Claudia Susan Saari Related Seminars and Products

Claudia Saari is the recently retired Circuit Public Defender for DeKalb County, Georgia.  Ms. Saari received a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a law degree from Emory University. She joined the DeKalb County Public Defender’s Office in 1987 and over the next three decades tried a wide variety of cases ranging from DUI to death penalty cases.  Ms. Saari led an office of over 110 people who represented clients in all courts.

 Ms. Saari is a Fellow with the American College of Trial Lawyers (ACTL), a 1999 graduate of Leadership DeKalb, a Master with the Carley-Clarke Inn of Court, a member of the State Bar Board of Governors, a former Chairperson of the Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency, and Chairperson for the State Bar Indigent Defense Committee. Ms. Saari also serves on a number of committees and boards including the State Bar, ACTL, the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, and Olmsted Linear Park.  In 2009, Ms. Saari was the recipient of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Indigent Defense Award, a recipient of the GACDL President’s Commitment to GACDL Award, in 2016 she was honored by the American Constitution Society with its Legal Legend Award, and in 2020 she received the Gideon’s Promise John Lewis Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr. Mark Arthur Johanson Related Seminars and Products

3M

Mark is a Director & Assistant General Counsel, Employment & Benefits at 3M. As the longest continuous member of the DOW 30, 3M is a scientific and manufacturing powerhouse, with over 100 plants located all over the world. Mark loves employment law, and spends his weeks advising clients, managing employment litigation, and leading teams that respond to the latest legal developments, including where they intersect with artifical intelligence.

Prior to his three years at 3M, Mark spent seven years as the sole labor & employment counsel at Mercedes-Benz USA. Mark was also a labor and employment associate at Ogletree Deakins and Paul Hastings in Atlanta. Before law school, he worked at Mazda North American Operations in sales, marketing, and service, where he even spent the occasional weekend helping out the motorsports team. Mark finds that this pre-law work experience in a large corporation, coupled with his MBA, give him a big advantage in understanding the needs of his business partners around the organization. He has a B.A., JD, and MBA from Emory University. Mark lives in Atlanta with his wife, five-year old daughter, and their greyhound Indiana. He loves all of Atlanta’s cursed sports teams, playing music, woodworking, and going for a long swim. 

Ms. Ashley Loren Massengale Related Seminars and Products

Porsche Cars North America, Inc.

Ashley is a graduate of Yale University and Duke School of Law.  She began her career as an associate in Alston & Bird's technology transactional practice before moving in-house in 2007.  She spent four years at Superior Essex before joining Porsche Cars North America in 2011 where she currently serves as Associate General Counsel.  Her practice varies across a wide variety of topics with a current focus on privacy and digitalization topics. 

Ms. Brenda King Woodard Related Seminars and Products

Georgia Department of Behavorial Health and Developmental Disabilities

Brenda King Woodard Bio

Brenda King Woodard serves as general counsel and ethics officer for the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities ("DBHDD"), a $2+ billion state agency that supports people with mental health challenges, substance use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, or any combination of these. In her role, she serves as chief legal strategist and is responsible for developing and implementing legal strategies that support DBHDD’s vision and mission. Woodard works collaboratively to help the agency thrive in this dynamic healthcare environment.  

Woodard is an active member of the State Bar of Georgia. She is an appointed member of the Communications Committee. Woodard is immediate past chair of the Commission on Continuing Lawyer Competency. She is a former member of the Arc of Justice Steering Committee and the Committee to Promote Inclusion in the Profession. She is admitted to the Georgia state and federal courts and the United States Supreme Court.  She is also a member of the Legal Division of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. 

Ms. Nkoyo-Ene Richard Effiong Related Seminars and Products

Director of Law Practice Management Program

State Bar of Georgia

Nkoyo-Ene Effiong is the Director of Law Practice Management Program for the State Bar of Georgia. In that role, she helps Georgia lawyers tap into innovation to build a profitable and purpose-filled practice with less struggle and stress. With a steadfast focus on equipping lawpreneurs with the confidence, competence and capacity to leverage the right tools for their practice, Nkoyo seeks to advance a more innovative and inclusive legal profession that meets the needs of legal professionals and legal consumers.

Additionally, Nkoyo is a frequent local and national speaker and writer on legal innovation and practice management topics. She regularly contributes to the Georgia Bar Journal, the ABA and other bar publications. 

Prior to joining the State Bar, Nkoyo was the founder and principal attorney at The Effiong Firm LLC, an education and nonprofit law firm that advocated unapologetically for excellence, equity, and education justice alongside marginalized communities. As a strategic partner, Nkoyo helped families and mission-driven leaders leverage the law to protect the people and purposes that mattered most to them using a mix of flat-fee and subscription legal services.

Nkoyo is a proud graduate of Brown University and New York University School of Law.

You can reach Nkoyo at nkoyoe@gabar.org or 404-527-8770.

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Mr. Russell David Willard Related Seminars and Products

State Bar of Georgia

On July 1, 2024, Russell Willard joined the State Bar of Georgia as General Counsel Designate. On February 1, 2025, he became General Counsel of the State Bar of Georgia, a unified bar organization with more than 54,000 members. As General Counsel, he serves as legal counsel to the State Bar, and his ten lawyer office also handles lawyer disciplinary matters for the State Bar.

Prior to joining the State Bar, Russell served for twenty-three years in the Georgia Office of the Attorney General. He began his service as Communications Director overseeing the communications and policy initiatives for the Attorney General, and then moved to a litigation position in the office, ultimately becoming Section Chief for the group in the office that handled legal matters for the state’s education agencies, including the Department of Education, the Board of Regents, and the Technical College System, the state’s election entities, including the Secretary of State and the State Election Board, the Georgia Public Defender Council, and the state’s Judicial Branch. Before joining the Office of the Attorney General, Russell served for three years as Counsel for the House Majority Caucus in the Georgia General Assembly.

A lifelong Georgian, Russell received his undergraduate degree with honors in 1993 from the University of Georgia and went on to receive his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1996.

Mr. William Dallas NeSmith III Related Seminars and Products

State Bar of Georgia

Mr. Johannes S. Kingma Related Seminars and Products

Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC

Joe is now General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer at Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC.  When in private practice, he represented international, national, and regional accounting and law firms in professional liability litigation and risk management.  He also represented a variety of business entities in commercial litigation, audit, secured lending, real estate, corporate governance and tax.  He has substantial experience in matters involving trusts and estates, conservation easements, mergers and acquisitions, captive insurance companies, local government, and election law contests.  He has represented clients in proceedings before the SEC (Washington, Fort Worth, and Manhattan), the FDIC, and the IRS.  He has more than 45 appellate decisions reported by Westlaw along with more than 100 trial court decisions issued by the Bankruptcy and Federal District Courts of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee.  He has been named one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Georgia 5 times and Legal Malpractice Lawyer of the Year 3 times, last in 2025.

Arbitration, Mediation & Alternative Dispute Resolution, Litigation & Appeals, Professional Liability Litigation, and Risk Management

Admitted Pro Hac Vice in Florida, Alabama, New York, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina

MEMBERSHIPS

American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow

State Bar of Georgia

American Bar Association, Standing Committee on Lawyers Professional Liability (2014-18)

Mr. Warren Carl Lietz III Related Seminars and Products

Finch McCranie LLP

Carl Lietz is a trial lawyer whose practice is focused primarily on complex, federal criminal matters in the white-collar area. But like all trial lawyers, Carl is comfortable handling any matter, civil or criminal, that may ultimately get resolved in a courtroom. For his entire career, Carl has worked almost exclusively in federal court, defending the most serious and challenging cases that exist in the federal criminal system. Although Carl has quietly resolved many matters without any charges ever being filed, Carl also has the experience, courage, and courtroom skills that it takes to go the distance, and obtain a favorable result at trial. As a result of his hard work, Carl has developed a reputation for courtroom success.

At the beginning of his career, Carl clerked for two federal judges and then worked as a trial attorney for 5 years in the Federal Defender Office in Atlanta. In the Defender Office, Carl appeared in court regularly, presenting cases to juries, litigating evidentiary and sentencing hearings, and arguing cases before the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. In addition, he was also a member of the defense team in the Olympic Park bombing case of United States v. Eric Robert Rudolph.

Since leaving the Defender Office in 2006, Carl has continued to devote his career to the defense of individuals and entities facing or dealing with federal criminal charges, and the seemingly overwhelming power of the federal government. Indeed, because of his vast experience, Carl is qualified to handle anything and everything in federal court. Carl regularly handles matters under the more commonly utilized federal criminal statutes, including investigations and prosecutions involving allegations of mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, health care fraud, bribery, public corruption, overprescribing, adulteration and misbranding of drugs, and money laundering. Furthermore, Carl has also obtained favorable results in cases involving more obscure federal criminal statutes, including the federal criminal copyright statutes, the controlled substance analogue act and a host of other rarely used federal criminal provisions.

In addition to serving as lead counsel in countless federal criminal cases, Carl is also a team player. For that reason, other lawyers regularly recruit him to work on substantial white-collar matters and civil matters, as a member of a multi-lawyer team. Among other responsibilities, Carl has been recruited by criminal and civil lawyers to try cases as co-counsel, write pretrial motions, litigate issues involving expert witnesses, and prepare the mitigation portion of a sentencing presentation.

Carl is a Fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, a national, legal, honorary society for outstanding criminal trial lawyers, with admission to fellowship by invitation only. In addition, in every edition since 2012, Carl has been selected for inclusion into The Best Lawyers in America (White-Collar Criminal Defense). Carl regularly lectures at national and regional seminars pertaining to federal criminal law, and for the last seven years, he has taught a trial practice course as an adjunct faculty member at the Georgia State University, College of Law.

Carl currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Federal Defender Program, Inc., and he recently served as a member of the United States Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Panel for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. He is also a member of the Federal Bar Association's White-Collar Law Committee, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Lawyers Club of Atlanta.

Mr. James Lloyd Paisley Related Seminars and Products

Paisley Law, LLC

Ms. Mercedes Gabrielle Ball Related Seminars and Products

State Bar of Georgia

Mercedes G. Ball, Esq. is an Assistant General Counsel and the Director of the Client Assistance Program at the State Bar of Georgia. In this capacity, she leads the resolution of all informal complaints and certain formal grievances lodged against Georgia attorneys. Prior to her time with the State Bar, Mercedes served as a Child Advocate Attorney at the DeKalb County Child Advocacy Center where she holistically represented the interests of dependent children in civil court proceedings, mediations, and panels. Before her work with DeKalb, she was a Lead Trial Attorney at a Metro-Atlanta law firm.

Mercedes is driven by a commitment to improve and empower her community through service. From 2013-2020, she volunteered as the Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA) Foundation’s Sister2Sister Mentoring Program®, a juvenile court diversion program for court-involved teen girls. In this capacity, she increased the program’s volunteer base and expanded the program’s reach by creating a DeKalb County chapter. Under Mercedes’ leadership, the program served more than two hundred metro-Atlanta teen girls. Additionally, Mercedes also served as the first Director of the GABWA Foundation’s Women’s Health Initiative, an effort to bring needed medical services and health education to underserved communities through free community health fairs. During Mercedes’ tenure, the GABWA Foundation’s Women’s Health Initiative served more than one thousand individuals.

Mercedes is also a Sustainer member of the Junior League of DeKalb County where she served as the 2021-2022 President and Chief Executive Officer. In 2018, Mercedes created the DeKalb Saturday Scholars Initiative (DSSI), a literacy focused Saturday school, through a partnership with the Junior League of DeKalb and Oak View Elementary. DSSI served approximately one hundred children and received grant awards from Macy’s, Inc. Corporate Giving and the Forever Pink Foundation.

Mercedes is the Vice Chair of the DeKalb County Department of Family and Children Services Advisory Board, a former member of the DeKalb Pro Bono Board of Directors, and a proud member of the Decatur Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She is a 2017 graduate of Emerging Leaders of DeKalb and a 2018 New Leaders Council Atlanta Fellow. She is the recipient of the 2019 University of Georgia School of Law Young Alumni/Alumna of Excellence Award, the 2019 Junior League of DeKalb County President’s Award, and the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys’ 2020 Bensonetta Tipton Lane Award for Commitment to the Family. Mercedes is also a 2022 Outstanding Atlanta Honoree, the recipient of the 2024 Committee to Promote Inclusion in the Profession’s Commitment to Equality Award, and she was named a 2024 Civic Champion Honoree by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Mercedes earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science, cum laude, from Spelman College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law. She resides in Decatur where, in her spare time, you can find her baking, reading, and spending time with loved ones.

Mr. Jarvarus Antwon Gresham Related Seminars and Products

BakerHostetler LLP

Jarvarus Gresham’s litigation practice encompasses a variety of industries, including sports liability, healthcare inside correctional facilities, property disputes, False Claims Act litigation and business dispute litigation.

Jarvarus has experience in all stages of civil litigation and counsels clients from case initiation through trial and subsequent appeals. He is adept at facilitating and advising clients through the civil discovery process, including propounding pragmatic discovery, taking and defending depositions and tracking key admissions throughout the process. Notably, Jarvarus has counseled and advised Major League Baseball and National Football League teams on issues related to general liability, I-9 compliance, garnishments and bailments.

Mr. Jeremy Jamal Abernathy Related Seminars and Products

Abernathy Ditzel Hendrick, LLC.

Jeremy grew up in the west Cobb county area, and graduated from John McEachern High School in 1997.  He then graduated from Morehouse College (Bachelor of Arts, 2001), and Loyola University of New Orleans College of Law (Juris Doctorate, 2005).

Jeremy practices family law at the law firm, Abernathy, Ditzel, Hendrick, LLC. in Marietta, Georgia.  Jeremy has been named a Super Lawyer and Georgia Trend Legal Elite Attorney.  Jeremy is the vice chair Family Law Section for the State Bar of Georgia.  Jeremy also is a municipal court judge in Woodstock, Georgia.

Ms. Oni A. Holley Related Seminars and Products

Oni Holley Brown is a seasoned professional with a unique career trajectory that has taken her from the high-stakes world of managing “bet the company” litigation to becoming a transformative professional development coach. Oni earned her J.D. from Emory University School of Law, and she is also a proud graduate of Florida A&M University’s renowned School of Business & Industry. From 2015 to 2023, Oni served in various executive in-house counsel roles, including as Chief Litigation Officer for a multi-billion dollar, publicly traded healthcare company. Before going in-house, she spent fifteen years as a civil litigator in private practice, first at a large international law firm, and later at her own boutique law firm.  Oni’s ability to analyze complex issues, offer strategic and practical advice, and maintain her sense of humor and composure under pressure earned her the respect of clients and colleagues alike.

Throughout her career, Oni has seen the importance of mentoring and coaching in fostering the career success of lawyers and other professionals. Her background as a senior attorney and experience as a leader have shown her how integral effective leadership is in developing talent and ensuring the success of a law firm or company. Driven by a passion for entrepreneurship and nurturing personal and professional growth, Oni decided to shift her career focus from working full-time as a lawyer to becoming a certified professional coach in 2023.

Her strong foundation in practicing law, serving in corporate leadership roles, and developing talent gives her a distinctive blend of skills that empower her clients to excel in leadership and in business.   

Mr. Adam Lindsay Hebbard Related Seminars and Products

HY Law

Selected as Athens' Favorite Lawyer by Flagpole Magazine, Adam L. Hebbard has practiced in Athens since his graduation from UGA Law in 2008; a proud double dawg, Adam maintains a diverse practice including criminal, civil, and administrative litigation, juvenile and probate court work, and providing transactional services to individuals and small businesses.

In addition to his practice, Adam serves on the board of the General Practice and Trial Section of the State Bar of Georgia, teaches a pre-trial criminal litigation seminar as an adjunct professor at the University of Georgia School of Law, and enjoys spending time with his kids and playing in a handful of bands when he can find the time.