The executive Board
REGIONAL CHAIR
Fontaine Chambers is a rising part-time 4L at Quinnipiac University School of Law. She graduated Cum Laude from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor’s in political science and a minor in criminal justice. Fontaine is a New Haven, CT native, the first in her family to attend college, and will be the first lawyer in her family.
Prior to serving as Chair, for the Northeast Region of the Black Law Students Association (NEBLSA). Fontaine has had the honor to serve as the 2023-2022 Vice-Chair and 2021-2022 Connecticut Sub-Regional Director for NEBLSA. Her support was meaningful because she served as the impetus for success, whether that pertained to behind-the-scenes tasks to ensure programming and events or attending meetings with me directly related to the ‘welfare’ of NEBLSA. From serving as Chair of the Grievance Committee, facilitation of events and engagement with corporate sponsors, implementing mental health awareness initiatives, to supporting all things Convention.
Before stepping into the role as Chair, Fontaine wanted to serve her local chapter to ensure her “home” was taken care of first. Thus, she served as the President of Quinnipiac University School of Law BLSA from 2022-2023. One word she would describe her term is “fulfilled”. Fulfilled that she accomplished everything she sought out and the legacy will continue with her successor. In addition, she serves as a senator for her school’s Student Bar Association (SBA) and a student member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Fontaine will be a Legal Privacy Intern with T-Mobile in Seattle, Washington aiming to pursue a career in Data Privacy She previously worked full-time as an Analyst and General Liability Professional for Travelers Insurance Company for 7 years. Prior to law school, Fontaine served on the Greater New Haven NAACP board for 3 years and was the Legal Redress Co-Chair for 2 years.
Outside of work and school, Fontaine enjoys all things fashion, vacationing across the world (she studied abroad in London, UK focusing on Human Rights) and has since visited 23 countries), and spending time with her family and friends. She is passionate about creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive experiences for communities of opportunity. Fontaine hopes that she will not only be remembered for the work she has done, but to be missed because of her impact on the lives of many.
Vice Chair
Brianna Gordon is a 2L at Columbia Law School. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Brianna now resides in Long Island, NY. She attended Temple University where she received a B.A in Political Science with a Certificate in Political Economy. At her law school, she was a participant in the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competition. She currently serves as the Career Chair for the Society for Law, Science & Technology, Moot Court Director for the High School Law Institute and Editor for the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Team at Columbia. As Director of Communications, Brianna hopes to increase NEBLSA member and alumni engagement while streamlining access to the region.
Brianna is interested in pursuing a career in Telecommunications, Media & Technology (TMT) Law. She enjoys traveling, brunching and anything Jamaican!
secretary
Janelle Williams is a rising 3L at The University of Connecticut School of Law. She graduated from Binghamton University with a Bachelors in Sociology and a minor in Africana Studies. She is a first-generation law student from Bloomfield, CT. She is pursuing a law degree because it provides a wide array of professional opportunities. Possessing a J.D. provides a lot of flexibility because the law touches every industry, which enables her to constantly engage with and learn new things. Additionally, she wanted to contribute to the 4% of attorneys in the profession and help create more spaces within the legal field for those who look like her. Currently, she is most interested in doing transactional work after law school. While she is still exploring my interests, she is leaning towards data privacy or cybersecurity.
Attending the NEBLSA Convention during her 1L year was the first time she had ever been in the presence of hundreds of black successful professionals, and it was truly inspiring. Janelle hopes to carry on NEBLSA's legacy of fostering a space to promote and support black excellence and look forward to serving in the role of Secretary.
TREASURER
Lawrence Wint is a candidate for Juris Doctor at Brooklyn Law School, class of 2025. Lawrence was originally born on the beautiful shores of Ohio Rios Jamaica; however, he grew up in Orlando, Florida, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Cum Laude, from the University of Central Florida. Before law school, Lawrence worked in an executive role at a non-profit organization, overseeing marketing, leadership development, and volunteer recruitment, among other things.
Lawrence’s legal interest is in corporate law, particularly private equity M&A, and he is passionate about helping people and serving his community – especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. Lawrence is the recipient of the LCLD Diversity Scholars Program Scholarship and will spend his summer in big law. in his spare time, Lawrence enjoys long walks on the beach, board games, traveling, food and is a movie enthusiast.
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ATTORNEY GENERAL
Rebeca Lafond is a rising third-year student at the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law where she served as the 22-23 President and 21-22 Vice President of the Black Law Students Association. Rebeca received her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology at Brooklyn College, where she double minored in Criminal Justice and Political Science. Before enrolling in law school, Rebeca served as the Director of Constituent and Support Services in the New York State Assembly. Rebeca enjoys supporting others who aspire to go to law school and manages an Instagram and Youtube channel where she shares her law school experience. In the future, Rebeca plans to pursue a career in law and policy.
CHIEF OF STAFF
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DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE ENGAGEMENT
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ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE
ENGAGEMENT
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Connecticut Sub-Regional Director
Ce’Ondra Ellison is a 2L at Yale Law School. She attended Duke University as a QuestBridge Scholar and graduated magna cum laude in 2021 with a B.A. in Psychology and African and African American Studies and a certificate in Human Rights. While at Duke, she was awarded the Faculty Scholars Award, Duke Cornerstone Award, and John Hope Franklin Award for Academic Excellence. She studied refugee migration during her study abroad at the University of Oxford and after graduation, she was a PathWays Fellow and worked in Immigration Legal Services and Refugee Resettlement at World Relief Durham.
At Yale Law School (YLS), Ce’Ondra is Co-Managing Editor for the Yale Journal on Law and Liberation, Project Editor for the Yale Journal on Regulation, Communications Chair for First Generation Professionals, a Diversity Representative for YLS Admissions, a student mentor for the YLS Launchpad Scholars Program, and a student attorney for the Ludwig Center for Community and Economic Development. She is also an Afro Law Scholar, JD Advising Scholar, and Pipeline to Practice Fellow. Ce’Ondra is very passionate about building community and helping low-income and/or first-generation students thrive in the legal profession. As sub-regional director, she is focused on designing programming that forges personal and professional connections across chapters and supports students’ academic success!
Combined Northern New England
Sub-Regional Director
Melissa Niles is from Brooklyn, NY and is a rising 3L at Northeastern University School of Law. For the 2023-2024 academic term, she will serve as the Combined Northern New England Sub- Regional Director for NEBLSA. Previously, she served as the Co-Chair of the BLSA Kemet Chapter at Northeastern University, and was a member of the Intellectual Property Society. Prior to law school Melissa attended Lafayette College where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Government and Law. Outside of law school Melissa likes to dance, organize events, and serve her community.
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NY Metro SUB-REGIONAL DIRECTOR
Lisaann London is currently a 2L at Touro Law Center. She serves as NEBLSA's 56th NY-Metro Sub-Regional Director for 2023-2024. She is the second oldest of my six sisters, from Brooklyn, NY, and lived in NYC all her life. I am a first-generation college graduate and attended John Jay College, where she obtained her Bachelor's in Criminal Justice Management with a minor in philosophy in 2018. She worked full-time as a paralegal for a public interest organization while instructing kickboxing classes at night for five years before applying to law school. She spends my free time mentoring young people from the inner city and trying to build new and meaningful connections. She has a passion for helping others in any capacity that she can. Growing up, she always advocated for others and envisioned herself doing it in a courtroom someday. She is a part of Touro's Trial Advocacy & Practice Honors Society, won first place in the Opening Statement Competition, and made it to AAJ Regional Semi-Finals. She serves as Touro BLSA's treasurer and Vice President for the Family Law Society. Being a law student has been challenging, but being part of inspiring and supportive organizations like NEBLSA and BLSA has made it worthwhile. She is excited to serve as our NY-Metro Sub-Regional Director this term and looking forward to the new memories we make.
UPSTATE NY SUB-REGIONAL DIRECTOR
Jasmine Geyen is currently pursuing a Juris Doctorate degree in Sports and Entertainment
Law from Syracuse University College of Law, where she received the Dean's
Scholarship and Tomorrow's Advocate Scholarship. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in
International Studies and French from Spelman College, where she also received the
Dean's Scholarship and was a member of Pi Delta Phi (French Honor Society), Phi Beta
Delta (International Honor Society), and the Mu Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Inc.
During the summer of 2022, Jasmine worked as a Congressional Fellow for the U.S.
House of Representatives, where she drafted proposed motions for amendment for pre-
existing bills, attended Congressional floor meetings, and researched legislation in
preparation for press conferences and other speaking engagements.
In the same year, Jasmine was a Summer Associate at Erskine Chambers in London,
England. Her duties included drafting legal memorandums, conducting legal research,
and studying case law in preparation for the barrister's upcoming trials. She also
observed litigation from an experienced barrister in court, gaining knowledge about the
justice system in England.
In 2020, Jasmine was a Virtual Judicial Intern at Queens Supreme Court in New York,
where she observed The Honorable Janice Taylor and The Honorable Denise N Johnson
trial proceedings, conducted legal research, drafted legal briefs, and attended a lecture
series.
Apart from academics and professional experience, Jasmine is an active participant in
extracurricular activities. She is an Associate Editor for the Syracuse Journal for
International Law and Commerce, Vice President of the Black Law Students
Association, Trial Competition Team member of the Travis H.D. Lewin Advocacy Honor
Society, Trial Team Competitor of the Syracuse National Trial Competition, and
Appellate Team Competitor of the 12th Annual Hancock Eastbrook 1L Oral Advocacy
Competition. Jasmine also served as a 1L Class Senator for the Student Bar Association.
Jasmine proficient in French and Italian and has volunteered for The Steve Fund, Inc. as
a Youth Advisory Board Member and founded Hugs4Houston, Inc., a non-profit
organization dedicated to helping underprivileged communities displaced by natural
disasters.
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director of moot court competitions
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director of moCK TRIAL competitions
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Hadiyah Cummings is a 2020 Sumna Cumma Laude Graduate of Howard University
with Political Science and Criminology degrees. During her time at Howard University, she had the pleasure of interning at nine different nonprofit and public service organizations, with the most notable being a Howard University Congressional fellowship in the former Senator Kamala D. Harris’ office and an investigative internship with the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. During her Sophomore year, Hadiyah was selected and participated in Harvard Kennedy’s School Public Policy and Leadership Conference. Additionally, Hadiyah received the Locke Scholar Award, the Key into Public Service Award from Phi Beta Kappa, and the ETS Presidential HBCU Scholarship. In the summer of 2019, she studied social justice and activism as a Lucy Moten fellow in Cape Town, South Africa.
Hadiyah is a proud alum of the Howard University Mock Trial, Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International, and a Patricia Roberts Harris Fellowship Program. Hadiyah is also actively involved in her community. When she is home, she spends most of her time organizing for the police divestment campaign she founded, Reinvest In Conway.
Hadiyah currently attends Yale Law School, in her second year, pursuing her Juris Doctorate Degree. While at Yale, Hadiyah has interned at several public interest/ public service organizations, including the ACLU, the MacArthur Justice Center, and the Chambers of the Honorable Judge Bacharach. She has also gained experience in the private sector through her work as a Summer Associate at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and Susman Godfrey law firms. Additionally, Hadiyah has also worked as a research assistant to Dean Heather Gerken, a clinical student in the Criminal Justice Clinic and Access to Law School Clinic, and is currently serving as the Northeast Pre-Law Director for the National Black Law Students Association.
Ultimately, Hadiyah hopes to return to Arkansas to found and establish the state’s first racial justice center.
DIRECTOR OF PRE-LAW AFFAIRS
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PRE-LAW AFFAIRS
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DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY AND EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS
Jonte’ McKenzie is originally from Paterson, New Jersey. He later moved to Georgia where he graduated from Kennesaw State University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with minors in Biology and Spanish. He is a rising third-year student at Roger Williams University School of Law. Jonte’ has served as the Vice President of his BLSA chapter, 2L representative of the Student Bar Association, and the Research and Development Editor of law review. He is also a member of his school’s trial team.
Before law school, Jonte’ worked as an immigration paralegal, coordinating with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and the National Visa Center to prepare immigrant visa applications for consular officers to review. Currently, Jonte’ works as a law clerk in Providence, RI. Jonte’s legal interests include immigration, civil rights, and property law. With his law degree, Jonte' aspires to help underserved communities which are deprived of adequate legal representation.
Jonte’ is fluent in both English and Spanish. Jonte’ also has his black belt in Karate. In his spare time, Jonte’ enjoys traveling, listening to music, playing tennis, learning languages, cooking, etc.
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
Akia S. Callum, a proud daughter of Jamaican immigrants and a Brooklyn native, is a rising 2L Evening Student at the University of Connecticut (UCONN) School of Law. She lives by her self-guided quote, “Titles & Positions may get you into rooms, but who you are as a person is what keeps you there.” Akia strongly believes in the power of relationships and values them deeply. In 2020, she was selected as one of 20 inaugural Yale Law School ‘ Access to Law’ fellows.
With over a decade of experience working in leadership roles with and for cross-sector organizations at the local, state, regional, and national levels, she has a proven record of success in moving organizations from systems change to system transformation. Currently, she serves as the Deputy Director for Waterbury Bridge to Success (BTS) Community partnership and Adjunct Faculty for the John P. Burke School of Public Service at Post University.
Ms. Callum has a deep commitment to community advocacy and social justice. She was appointed to serve as the 64th Parliamentarian for the Student Bar Association (SBA) at UCONN Law for the 2023-24 years.
In her free time, Akia enjoys spending quality time with those she loves as well as traveling. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Legal Studies as well as a Master of Education with a concentration in curriculum and instruction from Post University.
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DIRECTOR OF Membership OPERATIONS
Tyla Phillip is a rising 3L at Touro Law Center. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and studied abroad in London as a freshman in the Boston University Boston-London Program. Prior to law school, she served as an AmeriCorps Legal Advocate at the Boston University School of Law Immigrant’s Rights and Human Trafficking Clinic. During her 2L year at Touro, she has served as the Secretary of the Black Law Students Association, a student mentor, and a member of the Trial Advocacy and Practice Honors Society. Tyla is also a recipient of the Long Island Legal Diversity Fellowship (LILDFP) and was placed at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek P.C. where she will be returning this summer. She has also been selected to participate in the 2024 New York Court of Appeals Pro Bono Scholars Program which will enable her to accelerate her pace of becoming a licensed attorney. Tyla is a proud dog mom to a Frenchie named Oreo and loves exploring new cuisines and working out.
DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
Mumina Egal is currently a 3L at the University of Connecticut School of Law where alongside her JD, she is obtaining two certificates: one in Intellectual Property and one in Transactional Practice. Therein, she serves as the Vice President of the Black Law Student Association and the Chief Administrative Officer of the Student Bar Association. She is excited to serve as this year's Northeast Regional Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition Director of NBLSA. She aims to involve as many chapters in the Northeast region as she can in the competition. Outside of law school, Mumina enjoys hiking, fashion, and reading.
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DIRECTOR OF CAREER &
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH
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convention coordinator
DISABILITY ADVOCATE
Erica Blue is a rising part-time 4L at Quinnipiac University School of Law and is working towards her JD with a certificate in Workplace Law. Erica graduated from the University of Rhode Island and received her Bachelor's degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice and her Master's Degree from the University of New Haven. At QU she is involved in the Public Interest Law Project and is currently the Secretary for the Black Law Students Association. In addition to law school, Erica works full-time as an Administrative Assistant for a municipality in the Human Resources Department. She is also completing an externship doing diversity, equity, and inclusion research. In her free time, she loves being outside, traveling, thrifting, finding the best vegan/vegetarian restaurants, and spending time with her husband, parents, and brothers.
Erica believes that whether she is engaging in community activism, leading diversity and inclusion initiatives, or simply having conversations with those around her, she is always looking for ways to promote understanding, empathy, and inclusion. As Disability Advocate, she wants to educate people on the intersectionality of disability and race and be an advocate for those who may not be able to advocate for themselves.
DIRECTOR OF MENTAL HEALTH & WELLNESS
Convention COORDINATOR
DIRECTOR OF GENDER DIVERSE, LGBTQIA2S+ & INCLUSION AFFAIRS
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HISTORIAN
Tniya Reed is a 1L at Albany Law School. She is from the Bronx, NY and currently serves as the Historian for NEBLSA. She graduated from SUNY Albany with an undergraduate degree in History and from Lona University with a masters in Human Resource Management She is am also a member of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and the Intellectual Property Law Society at Albany Law. Her legal interests are Cybersecurity and Data Privacy law as well as Intellectual Property law. She is passionate about being of service to my community and working toward an equitable legal system. In my free time, I enjoy creating content for my blog or going out to eat with friends.
Parliamentarian