Young Lawyers Breaking Barriers
I am honored and humbled to be the first African American woman to hold this historic position as chair of the Young Lawyers Division (YLD). This journey has been beyond my wildest dreams, and I am grateful for the chance to lead and inspire this division.
Sheila Spence accepts gavel from the outgoing YLD chair, Collins Saint.
Under our theme for this year, Breaking Barriers, I am challenging young lawyers to help me break down the many barriers that we face in our profession. In addition to diversity and inclusion, let’s also break down barriers as it relates to access to education, improving work-life balance, building mentorship and networking skills for first-generation lawyers, and embracing emerging technology. After all, we must learn to use the tools that improve efficiency and access to legal services to ensure AI will not replace us!
Like many young lawyers, I faced significant challenges during my early career. Specifically, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer during my 3L year at NCCU School of Law. It was a moment that tested my resilience and determination, but I didn’t let it stop me from achieving my goals of becoming a first-generation lawyer. With the support of my mentors, friends, family, and loved ones I managed to beat it! This experience taught me that there was no challenge too big for me to face, and helped shaped my path because after all, practicing law should be a lot easier than fighting for my life!
Looking ahead, I envision a YLD that continues to break barriers and advocate for diversity and inclusion in our profession, specifically including age, gender, race, ethnicity, cultural diversity, sexual orientation, and disability. Inclusion ensures that all individuals, regardless of their differences, have equal opportunities to contribute to this field. Together, we can create a legal community that is more equitable and just. I encourage each of you to get involved, mentor younger lawyers, and advocate for positive change in our profession.
Here are a few of the programming plans for each division we’ll focus on this year.
Law Students Division: Building Inclusive Networks through Mentorship. Law students have access to mentorship through our Grab-a-Coffee program and opportunities to mentor high school students through Legal LINK.
New Lawyers in Practice Division: Practice Area Spotlights. New lawyers can explore different specialties and find their perfect fit by attending our First-Generation Summit, cross-functional networking events hosted by our section liaisons, or by reviewing one of our Quick Reference Guides on various practice areas like privacy & AI, contracts, estate planning, and criminal, etc.
Civic Engagement and Pro Bono Division: Give Back. Young lawyers have numerous ways to give back to the community, including learning more about what it takes to serve on local government boards, committees, and commissions.
Community Outreach Division: Service Days. Join us for our annual statewide competition among NC legal organizations to raise food and fund donations and volunteer with us at the North Carolina Food Bank for Legal Feeding Frenzy, one of our many signature events!
Bar Outreach: Breaking Barriers Awards. Celebrate young lawyers breaking barriers and making a positive difference in their communities by nominating them for one of our new Breaking Barriers Spotlight Awards.
We have something for everyone here in the YLD. While some young lawyers may be anxious for the next steps in their careers, it’s critical to live in the moment and soak in all that we have accomplished together so far. As J. Cole wisely said, “There’s no such thing as a life that’s better than yours.” Let this be a reminder to all of us to keep striving for our dreams and to believe in our potential.
Together, let’s continue to make history and break down barriers!
Sheila Renee Spence is the 2025-26 chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.