On The Horizon: The Young Lawyers Division’s Upcoming DEI Programming

Taylor, a Black woman with black hair, wears a blue and white blouse and black jacket.Tia, a Black woman with black hair, wears a white blousea nd black jacket.By Taylor Gibbs and Tia Overway

Hi everyone!

As we step into December, Tia and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the DEI Committee’s first event: Bridging the Gap: Wisdom from the Bench and Bar. The panel featured an incredible range of legal professionals who provided great advice on how young lawyers can successfully transition into their careers. We are grateful to all who joined us and look forward to the many events we have planned in the future.

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From the Workplace to 1L: Your Guide for Going Back to Law School

By Sydney, a white woman with brown hair, wears a pink dress.Sydney Basden

So, you think you want to go to law school — congrats! But, you are nervous to go back to school after time in the “real world.” Whether you’ve spent one year or 12 since undergrad, I promise you can succeed in law school! That said, your unique experiences may make your law school application process and time at school look somewhat different from your KJD counterparts (Kindergarten through Juris Doctor — law students who took no time off).

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Rethinking Civic Engagement: An Open Letter to the NCBA and YLD Members, Part I

Clare, a white woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wears a grey button-down shirt, black jacket and pearl earrings.Catherine, a white woman with brown hair, wears a white blouse and black blazer.By Clare Magee and Catherine Clodfelter

When we gather as lawyers, we have a chance to demonstrate organization and self-regulation that is respectful of the rules through which we organize, and respectful of each other. But to do that, we must first gather.

Last year, we served as the co-chairs of the Young Lawyers’ Division Civic Engagement Committee. Our task was straightforward on paper: encourage more lawyers — especially younger ones — to engage in civic spaces and activities across North Carolina. But in practice, we faced several hurdles, including low event attendance, lack of interest and limited engagement.

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New Job, New Opportunity for Growth

Huma, a woman with brown hair, wears a dark purple button-down blouse.Katherine, a white woman with blond hair, wears a white blouse and dark grey suit.By Huma Khursheed and Katherine Copeland

Hello NCBA Community,

We, Katherine Copeland and Huma Khursheed, are the new co-chairs of the Wellness Committee within the Young Lawyers Division of the North Carolina Bar Association. We look forward to serving you in this capacity. As a brief introduction, we met during the time that our judicial clerkship with Justice Allison Riggs overlapped. Since August, Katherine has started a new position as an Associate Attorney with Ballew Puryear, and Huma is currently within her first year of her judicial clerkship.

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Breaking Barriers, Building Purpose: Turning Challenges into Opportunities in Times of Uncertainty

By Alex, a Black woman with black hair, wears a black blouse and a blazer with black and white checks.Alex Gwynn

When the path forward feels uncertain, opportunity is born. Every challenge is a chance to build purpose, strengthen community, and lead through service. The YLD Pro Bono Leadership Cohort Application (2025-2026) is an opportunity to turn uncertainty into impact, for yourself and for others.

I was in my third year of law school when I was laid off from the law firm where I worked. Each day, I searched for jobs and internships on sites like LinkedIn and Indeed, studied during the day and attended law school at night.

Situations like this happen, and in those moments, it’s easy to second-guess our choices. When I was laid off in September 2017, I questioned whether I had made the right decision to leave my full-time position at the Durham County Department of Social Services. Although balancing a full-time job with evening law classes was demanding, I loved helping Durham residents navigate their Adult Medicaid and Food and Nutrition Services applications. Part of me wondered if I had made a mistake in seeking out legal experience.

But through that period of uncertainty, I found an unexpected opportunity.

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November DEI Newsletter

Taylor, a Black woman with black hair, wears a blue and white blouse and black jacket.Tia, a Black woman with black hair, wears a white blousea nd black jacket.By Taylor Gibbs and Tia Overway

Greetings, everyone!

In line with our goal of increasing visibility within the NCBA, we are excited to share an upcoming virtual event that we’d love for you to attend. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 12, from 5 to 6 p.m. for “Bridging the Gap: Wisdom from the Bench & Bar.”

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Breaking Barriers: Redefining Success for the Next Generation of Lawyers

Maya, a Black woman with black hair, wears a white blouse and maroon blazer.

Brittany, a black woman with wavy black hair, wears a white blouse and black blazer. By Maya Davis and Brittany Harry

Breaking a barrier means overcoming or removing obstacles, whether they are physical walls, natural impediments, or unseen forces like social, cultural, or political restrictions that impede progress or action.

For young lawyers entering the legal profession, these barriers are not just theoretical; they are real, personal, and often deeply rooted. From the quiet pressures of tradition to the loud demands of performance, every step forward can feel like a negotiation — not just with clients or courts, but with themselves.

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Introducing the YLD’s DEI Committee

Taylor, a Black woman with black hair, wears a blue and white blouse and black jacket.Tia, a Black woman with black hair, wears a white blousea nd black jacket.By Taylor Gibbs and Tia Overway

Greetings, everyone!

We are excited to introduce ourselves as the new co-chairs of the YLD’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. I am Taylor Gibbs, a second-year associate at Blanco Tackabery in Winston-Salem and a 2024 graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law. Alongside me as co-chair is Tia Overway, a third-year associate at Poyner Spruill in Raleigh and a 2023 graduate of Campbell University School of Law.

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Building a Bridge

Chazle, a Black woman with black hair and auburn highlights, wears a blue suit and blazer and a pearl necklace.By Chazlé Woodley

One of my favorite legal legends is the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and one of his famous quotes is, “None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody—a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns—bent down and helped us pick up our boots.”

This quote exemplifies the purpose behind Legal LINK and the vision for our group. We desire to help people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps by building a bridge between students and attorneys and legal professionals, and helping someone learn more about the behind-the-scenes of the profession, while also exposing students to all of the opportunities available. Students may have questions about how to prepare for law school, the process to apply to law school, what law school entails and what opportunities are available within the legal profession. In response to this need and curiosity, we want to build a bridge to expose students to litigators, trial attorneys, transactional attorneys, compliance leaders, HR leaders, law professors, government attorneys, and more because many have the misconception that attorneys are only what is portrayed on a courtroom-based TV show or movie.

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October is Pro Bono Month – A Time to Harvest Justice!

Courtney, a white woman with light brown hair, wears a dress with a black and white checkered pattern and a black blazer.

Alex, a Black woman with black hair, wears a black blouse and a blazer with black and white checks.By Courtney Latourrette and Alex Gwynn

As the leaves change and the crisp autumn air sets in, October brings more than just pumpkins and spooky decorations—it’s also Pro Bono Month, a nationwide celebration of access to justice.

Throughout the month, legal professionals “fall” into service, coming together to raise awareness about the importance of equal access to justice for all. Law firms, bar associations, and law schools host a bounty of events to connect attorneys, paralegals, and law students with opportunities to close the justice gap in our communities.

At the heart of the month is the National Celebration of Pro Bono Week, taking place October 20–26, 2025. This week is a chance to reflect on the true spirit of public service—no tricks, just meaningful, impactful work that uplifts those who need it most.

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