Co-Chairs Lead MIP 1L Summer Associate Program, 12 Law Students Selected

In 2023, twelve students were selected to participate in the NCBA Minorities in the Profession 1L Summer Associate Program (1L SAP). The program provides first-year law students of historically under-resourced racial minority groups the opportunity to gain internship experience early in their law school careers. Students who are selected for the program complete internships with corporate legal departments or law firms. The program is competitive and follows an application and interview process, and selected candidates are matched with summer internships.

The twelve students who were matched in this year’s program are:

Led by Co-Chairs Jeremy Locklear and Courtney Thomas, the 1L SAP is one of four offerings for law students provided by the MIP Committee’s Preparing to Practice Subcommittee. The subcommittee also hosts Attorney-Student Diversity Socials, the Minority Pre-Law Conference, and the ¡Adelante! Moving Forward Program.

Jeremy, a man with brown hair and a beard, wears a white shirt, red tie, and black suit. Courtney, a Black man with black hair, wears a white shirt, coral tie, and dark grey suit.

Jeremy Locklear, left, and Courtney Thomas, right.

Locklear and Thomas became co-chairs in 2020 and have directed the program for the past three bar years. Both Locklear and Thomas are members of the NCBA Board of Governors. Thomas is a member of the Corporate Counsel Section, and Locklear is a member of the Litigation Section and Labor & Employment Law Section and the Young Lawyers Division, where he serves as the Bar Outreach Division Director and is a past co-chair of the Membership Committee.

By placing minority law students in internships in North Carolina, 1L SAP makes it possible for program participants to obtain corporate or firm experience that prepares students for a successful legal career.

“Each year, the 1L SAP interview program brings together many great employers and pairs them with talented minority 1L law students,” Locklear says.

“More often than not, being able to start their legal training off with solid experience helps law students chart the path for the rest of their career. During their summer opportunities with our partnered employers, 1L SAP students not only gain valuable practical experience, but they also develop meaningful relationships that can help them springboard their post-graduate careers.”

Thomas underscores how learning opportunities such as these at the beginning of law students’ journeys can position them well for the future.

“It’s often said that there is no substitute for experience, so the best way to prepare these students is to get them exposure to the practice of law in a real corporate setting. In some cases, these law students have never worked in any sort of professional / office environment, so this direct access affords them the chance to learn the hard skills and soft skills that are necessary for future success.”

Students who participate in the 1L SAP can hone their skills in a practical, hands-on role – one in which they have opportunities to meet and learn from experienced attorneys, another advantage to the internship program. Through building these relationships, students have access to a wellspring of information and opportunities they might not have had otherwise.

“Having a trusted mentor is one of the most valuable things a minority student can have during their law school journey, and the earlier they secure one, the better,” shares Locklear.

“Mentors can help minority students navigate which classes to take based on their practice interest, flush out what things they should be doing to set themselves up for success, and, obviously, assist with career planning and networking opportunities. Through MIP, students have the opportunity to interact with minority attorneys, and they have the potential to identify potential mentors.”

Because the 1L SAP offers law students these important opportunities, it reflects one key goal of the MIP Committee: for minority law students to connect with the NCBA and the legal profession.

In the October/November 1987 issue of Barnotes – North Carolina Lawyer’s predecessor publication – Judge Joe L. Webster, who received an NCBA Legal Legends of Color Award in 2023, describes how the MIP Committee began as a task force in 1985. The idea for the committee was introduced during the leadership of NCBA President E. Osborne Ayscue Jr. His successor, the late Robert C. Vaughn, formed the Minorities in the Profession Task Force to study minorities in the legal profession in North Carolina.

Comprised of a group of multi-racial attorneys and judges from various geographical locations across the state, the Minorities in the Profession Task Force was co-chaired by Charles Burgin and Yvonne Mims Evans. Burgin would go on to serve as NCBA president from 1993-94, and Evans, who later became Mecklenburg County’s first female Chief District Court Judge, was honored by the Minorities in the Profession Committee as a Legal Legend of Color in 2020.

Over a two-year period, the Minorities in the Profession Task Force researched and met together to discuss how the NCBA could promote minority membership in the association and minority employment in law firms, both before and after J.D. candidates graduated from law school.

The Minorities in the Profession Task Force became an official NCBA committee in 1987. One of its priorities was to establish a law school internship program that would bring together minority law school students and law firms in North Carolina, and the 1L SAP fulfills that goal by connecting minority law students with employers.

Remarking on the impact of the MIP committee and the 1L SAP, Locklear says, “The MIP Committee and the 1L SAP interview program help to strengthen the pipeline of diverse talent entering the legal profession.”

“We have the opportunity to reach back and help minority law students who are seeking to enter into the legal profession. MIP offers numerous opportunities to help minority law students achieve their goals by offering internship opportunities through the 1L SAP interview program, networking/mentorship events, and programs aimed at preparing diverse students to enter the profession.”

Thomas shares that the 1L SAP is a resource both for students and for corporations and firms looking for candidates, thereby providing a needed way for these connections to happen.

“I think it’s important to understand and acknowledge that the 1L SAP program is mutually beneficial to both the students and the participating employers. Students benefit from receiving direct access to potential employers. Employers, in turn, benefit from access to a robust pipeline of talented law students. In a client service industry, talent is a commodity, so employers are well served by pursuing every opportunity possible to avail themselves of a robust and diverse talent pool.”

For Thomas and Locklear, serving as co-chairs is a meaningful avenue for giving back to the legal community.

When asked what has been most rewarding about their involvement in the 1L SAP, Thomas and Locklear reflected on how service benefits minority law students entering the field.

“A core mission of the Minorities in the Profession Committee is to promote and support an increased presence of minorities in the legal profession,” says Thomas. “The 1L Summer Associate Program is a direct and tangible way for the MIP to further that mission.”

“Being involved in the 1L SAP interview program has been a wonderful way to help give back to the legal profession,” Locklear says. “Each year, we have the chance to partner with great law firms and in-house legal departments to help them identify talented and diverse candidates for summer opportunities. It is an amazing opportunity to have a hand in strengthening the pipeline of diverse legal professionals.”

Learn more about each of the twelve candidates who were selected for the 2023 1L SAP in their bios below.

2023 1L Summer Associate Program Participants

Iman Abebe

Iman, a woman with dark brown hair, wears a white shirt and black jacket.Abebe, a student at Campbell Law School, completed an internship with IQVIA in summer 2023. Abebe is African American. Her parents are Ethiopian immigrants. She is a 2019 graduate of George Mason University, where she received a B.S. in public administration and a minor in legal studies and served as a university ambassador. During college, Abebe was a Global Politics Fellow. She worked as a legal assistant with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for International Private Enterprise in Washington from 2020 to 2022. She was an assistant paralegal with Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy and a legal recruiting intern at DLA Piper.

Melo Augustine

Melo, a Black man with dark brown curly hair, wears a white shirt, black tie, and black jacket.Augustine, a student at Elon University School of Law, was an intern with Civic Federal Credit Union in summer 2023. At Elon, he is an Advocacy Fellow, a Presidential Scholarship recipient and a member of OutLaw. Augustine graduated summa cum laude from Wake Forest University in 2022, where he earned a B.A. in politics and international affairs. He received the Presidential Scholarship for Distinguished Achievement and the LGBTQ+ Leadership Award. He served as an LGBTQ+ Center student leader. He works as a teaching assistant with Kaplan University Partners. He was an intern with Edward Jones and a change agent with Wake Forest University LGBTQ+ Center.

Kairy Bautista

Kairy, a Hispanic/Latina woman with black hair, wears a white blouse and black jacket.Bautista was a student at North Carolina Central University School of Law and is now a transfer student at the University of North Carolina School of Law, and she interned at IQVIA this summer. She is a first-generation Central American immigrant. At NCCU School of Law, she was selected as a research assistant for Laura Matthews-Jolly. She is a 2020 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received a B.A. in economics & philosophy and a public policy minor. She was recognized as a Buckley Public Service Scholar and a Carolina Covenant Scholar. She has experience working as a bilingual paralegal. Since 2008, she has served with Unidad Nacional De Hispanos Aliados (UNISAL) and NPO as a youth ambassador.

Tierica Coleman

Tierica, a Black woman with black hair, wears a white shirt and black jacket.Coleman is a student at Wake Forest University School of Law, and she completed an internship at Motive Technologies. She graduated from Georgetown University in 2019 with a B.A. in government and African American studies. She worked at Smith Anderson as the knowledge management coordinator (2021-2022) and as a housing choice voucher hearing legal intern with Chicago Housing Authority in summer 2018. She served with the U.S. House of Representatives as a Congressional Black Caucus intern and with the U.S. Senate as a press intern. She has volunteered as an income tax assistant with Empowering Strength and Resilience in Winston-Salem.

Zachary Dobbin

Zachary, a Black man with black hair, wears a white shirt, black tie and black jacket.Dobbin is a law student at North Carolina Central University School of Law, and he interned with Ward and Smith this summer. Dobbin served on the 1L Class Council as the class secretary. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a B.S. in biology in 2022. At UNC, he was a member of the Black Student Movement. He completed a summer internship with Smith Legal Solutions in 2022. In summer 2021, he interned with NC A&T Data Governance and Intelligence in Greensboro, where he gained experience in strategic planning and performance measurement activities.

Lauryl Fright

Lauryl, a woman with dark brown hair, wears a maroon blouse and black jacket.Fright is a student at Campbell Law School, and she served as an intern with Poyner Spruill. Fright is of Okinawan descent. At Campbell, she received a Dean’s Excellence Scholarship and is a member of the Society of Law and Technology. She earned a B.A. in Peace, War, and Defense with highest honors and a minor in history and philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As an undergraduate, she was an outreach coordinator for the Peace, War, and Defense Alumni Association and a global section editor and staff writer for the Carolina Political Review. In 2021, she served as a research assistant for the Institute for World Politics.

Sofia M. Gomez-Ayala

Sofia, a woan with dark brown hair, wears a red blouse and black jacket.Gomez-Ayala studies at Campbell Law School, and in summer 2023, she interned with Young Moore and Henderson. Gomez-Ayala is from Mexico City, Mexico. She was three years old when she immigrated to the U.S. with her parents. Gomez-Ayala lived in Birmingham, Alabama; Houston, Texas; and Halifax, Virginia before moving to Raleigh. She graduated from UNC Charlotte in 2021, where she received a B.A., cum laude, in philosophy and political science. At UNC Charlotte, she served as a mentor for the Women’s and Gender Studies Learning Community and founded the WeExist initiative.

Chantrisse Howard

Chantrisse, a Black woman with black hair, wears a cream-colored sweater.Howard is a student at the University of North Carolina School of Law and interned with Cranfill Sumner. She is a graduate of Elon University, where she received a B.A., cum laude, in political science and a minor in psychology and criminal justice studies. She received the Dr. J Earl Danieley Leadership Award and was a four-time recipient of the Phillips-Perry Black Excellence Award. At Elon, she was a participant in Study USA in Washington, a tutor for America Reads, and secretary of state for the North Carolina Student Legislature. She works as a Student Legal Assistant for the Chatham County Public Defender’s Office. She interned with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Jordyn Ignont

Jordyn, a Black person with short dark auburn hair, wears brown glasses, a white shirt and black jacket.Ignont is a student at Wake Forest University School of Law and interned with Duke Energy this summer. Ignont is a member of the Black Law Students Association, served as a 1L Representative for The Society of Criminal Justice Reform, and was a member of the Transactional Law Competition, which was recognized as the best 1L team. They graduated from Tuskegee University in 2022 with a B.S., summa cum laude, in history and a minor in African American studies. While an undergraduate, Ignont was a member of the Pre-Law Society and served as vice president for The National Society of Leadership and Success. They interned with Phillips Black Law in 2022.

Shereena Kamal

Shereena, a woman with dark brown hair, wears a black blouse and black jacket.Kamal, a student at Elon University School of Law, completed a summer internship with Lawyers Mutual. Kamal is from Guyana. At Elon, she is a Business Fellow, a member of the Business Law Association, and a volunteer with The Innocence Project. She is a 2022 graduate of North Carolina State University, where she received a B.A., cum laude, in political science with a minor in business administration. At NCSU, she was a collegiate scholar and a member of the Pre-Law Association and the Political Science Club. She served as an intern with the Law Offices of Holly Curry and Scott Curry, as a legal administrative assistant with SK Hauling LLC, and as a legal assistant with Forsyth County Courthouse.

Jessica Morales

Jessica, a Hispanic/Latina woman, wears a white shirt and black jacket.Morales is a student at Elon University School of Law, and she completed an internship at K&L Gates. Morales is a first-generation Mexican American. In law school, she is a member of the Hispanic/Latinx Law Student Association and Hispanic National Bar Association. She is a 2019 graduate of Wake Forest University, where she earned a B.A. in sociology. At Wake Forest, she was a member of the First in the Forest Program and was a magnolia Scholar and Zachary T. Smith Leadership Scholar. She studied abroad at Queen Mary University of London and as an intern with Team Up Educational Charity in London. She also worked as a paralegal in Charlotte from 2019-2022.

Destiny Shippy

Destiny, a Black woman with black hair, wears a pink blouse and black jacket.A student at North Carolina Central University School of Law, Shippy interned with Jackson Lewis this summer. She served as a 1L Representative with the Civil Rights Society. In 2022, Shippy earned a B.A. in sociology and anthropology from Wofford College, where she was a Life Scholar and Pell Grant Scholar and received an NCAA Division I Track and Field Scholarship. She was a three-time Southern Conference champion. She studied abroad at The University of Ghana, where she completed the Atlantic Crossings Course. She was a Frederick Douglass Scholar and was named the Most Successful 2021 Student. She co-founded the Wofford Anti-Racism Coalition and served as the president from 2020-2021.

Jessica Junqueira is communications manager for the North Carolina Bar Association.