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Thursday, April 4, 2024
Friday, April 5, 2024
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2024
Mid-Year
Conference
Breaking
Barriers &
Empowering
Change
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Details
Opening Reception
Date
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Time
6:00pm EST - 9:00pm EST
Location
Blue Martini Atlanta
3402 Piedmont Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30305
Website: https://www.bluemartinievents.com/
Parking: Valet-Only @ $10 pp (Cash, CashApp or Venmo)
CLE Panels & Kickback
Date
Friday, April 5, 2024
Time
8:30am EST - 11:00am EST - Student Bar Readiness Writing Workshop
11:30am EST - 12:30pm EST - Networking Reception
12:30pm EST- 5:30pm EST - CLE Panels
6pm EST - 8pm EST - Kickback
Location
College of Law,
Atlanta, GA
Honorees
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CONFERENCE HONOREES

Lifetime Achievement Award

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6x Platinum Singer, Music Producer and Songwriter
and host of The Sweat Hotel.
Keith Sweat

Beacon of Industry Award

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Former NBA Player, On-air Analyst, Entrepreneur, Author
Chris Webber
Hotel

HOTEL DETAILS

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Mid-Year Conference
HOTEL INFORMATION
The Candler Hotel Atlanta,

Curio Collection by Hilton
127 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30303

We have a room block reserved at The Candler Hotel Atlanta, Curio Collection by Hilton for April 4, 2024 through April 5, 2024. Booking our room is simple, just select "Book a Room" to receive your group's preferred rate at $439 per room, per night.

Register Today

REGISTRATION DETAILS

CLE PANELS ON-SITE REGISTRATION
Fri., 4/5 10:30am ET
Reception Only • April 4, 2024
Member Cost: $75 (Processing Fee: $3.22)
Non-Member Cost: $100 (Processing Fee: $4.12)
Closed
Closed
On-Site Registration
Practicing Professional Registration 
CLE Panels
Member Cost: $175 (Processing Fee: $6.84)
Closed
Non-Member Cost: $200 (Processing Fee: $7.74)
Closed
On-Site Registration
Student Registration
CLE Panels
Member Cost: $50 (Processing Fee: $2.32)
Non-Member Cost: $75 (Processing Fee: $3.22)
Closed
Closed

Agenda

Agenda

THURSDAY, APRIL 4
Blue Martini Atlanta
3402 Piedmont Rd NE

Atlanta, Georgia 30305

6:00pm – 9:00pm

Conference Opening Reception

​

Presentation of Lifetime Achievement Award

 

 

Keith Sweat

Singer, Songwriter and Philanthropist

 

Fireside Chat with Keith Sweat

Moderator:

Jamaal Castang, Esq.

The Law Offices of Jamaal A. Castang, PLLC

FRIDAY, APRIL 5

Georgia State University College of Law

85 Park Place NE 

Atlanta, Georgia 30303

8:30am – 11:00am

 

Location: Room 342

Bar Exam Writing Workshop for Law Students 
Presenter: Brandy O. Domengeaux, Esq. 
The Bar Writing Coach 
Senior Lecturer of Law, Georgia State Univ. College of Law

 
Hosted by: BESLA Young Lawyers Division, in conjunction with the Black Law Students Association Chapters at Georgia State Univ. College of Law, Emory University School of Law and Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School

11:30am – 12:30pm

 

Location: Room 342

Networking & Welcome Remarks


Leron Rogers, Esq.

Chairman, BESLA Board of Directors

Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP


Moraima "Mo" Ivory

Professor of Practice and Director of Entertainment, Sports and Media Law Initiative Georgia State Univ. College of Law


Presentation of Beacon of Industry Award


Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III 
Former NBA Player, On-air Analyst, Author 

12:45pm – 1:30pm

Location: Room 342

Moderator:

Panel A-

By God’s Grace: Fireside Chat with Chris Webber 

Adell Henderson

Chief Culture Officer, Cinema Project, Georgia State Univ. Publisher, AcknowledgeMINT 

1:45pm – 2:45pm

Location: Room 342

Moderator:

Panelists:

Panel B-

For the Culture: Elevating Black-Owned Storytelling

Joshua A. Edwards, Esq.

Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP

Darcell Lawrence

President, Visionary Ideas


Milan Selassie 
CEO/Producer, Intelligent Media Productions


Tressa Azarel Smallwood

CEO/Producer, MegaMind Media

3:00pm – 4:00pm

Location: Room 342

Panel C- Presented by the BESLA Young Lawyers Division

1st Amendment in the Crosshairs: Dealing with Defamation in 2024

Moderator:

Marissa Crespo, Esq.

Principal, Crespo Law

Panelists:

Carolyn Forrest, Esq.

EVP General Counsel, Tubi Inc.
 

Nancy Prager, Esq.

Principal, Prager Law LLC

​

David C. Vigilante, Esq.

Exec. Vice President and General Counsel 
CNN and Warner Bros. Discovery Sport

4:15pm – 5:15pm

Location: Room 342

Moderator:

Panel D-

Lyrics As Evidence: Examining the 2022 Rap Act

John Rose, Esq.

Associate, Fox Rothschild LLP

Panelists:

Congressman Hank Johnson

U.S. House of Representatives, 4th District of Georgia

 

Shay M. Lawson, Esq.

Law Firm of Lawson McKinley

​

6:00pm – 8:00pm

Mid-Year Conference Conclusion & Kick-Back

Location:
Vanity Restaurant
138 Peachtree St NW
Atlanta, GA 30303

Mid-Year Conference Hotel Accommodations 
The Candler Hotel  
127 Peachtree Street NE 
Atlanta, Georgia 30303 
(Entrance & Valet on Park Place- Across from Georgia State Univ. College of Law)

Speakers

Mid-Year Conference Speakers

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Jamaal Castang, Esq.

(Moderator)

Fireside Chat with Keith Sweat

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Brandy O. Domengeaux, Esq.

(Presenter)

Bar Exam Writing Workshop

for Law Students

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Adell Henderson

(Moderator)

Panel A: By God’s Grace: Fireside Chat with Chris Webber

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Joshua A. Edwards, Esq.

(Moderator)

Panel B: For the Culture: Elevating

Black-Owned Storytelling

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Darcell Lawrence

(Panelist)

Panel B: For the Culture: Elevating

Black-Owned Storytelling

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Milan Selassie 

(Panelist)

Panel B: For the Culture: Elevating

Black-Owned Storytelling

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Tressa Azarel Smallwood

(Panelist)

Panel B: For the Culture: Elevating

Black-Owned Storytelling

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Marissa Crespo, Esq.

(Moderator)

Panel C: 1st Amendment in the Crosshairs: Dealing with

Defamation in 2024

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Carolyn Forrest, Esq.

(Panelist)

Panel C: 1st Amendment in the Crosshairs: Dealing with

Defamation in 2024

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Nancy Prager, Esq.

(Panelist)

Panel C: 1st Amendment in the Crosshairs: Dealing with

Defamation in 2024

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David C. Vigilante, Esq.

(Panelist)

Panel C: 1st Amendment in the Crosshairs: Dealing with

Defamation in 2024

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John Rose, Esq.

(Moderator)

Panel D: Lyrics As Evidence:

Examining the 2022 Rap Act

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Congressman Hank Johnson

(Panelist)

Panel D: Lyrics As Evidence:

Examining the 2022 Rap Act

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Shay M. Lawson, Esq.

(Panelist)

Panel D: Lyrics As Evidence:

Examining the 2022 Rap Act

Mid-Year Commttee Members

Mid-Year Committee Members

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Chiquita W. Banks, Esq.

Immediate Past President

MYC Co-Chair

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Tony Mulrain, Esq.

MYC Co-Chair

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Allison Hobbs, Esq. 

MYC Co-Chair

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Jamaal A. Castang, Esq.

BESLA Member-at-Large

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Keimani Harvey

President, GSU COL BLSA
MYC Law Student Coordinator

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Malik Curry

President, GSU COL SELS
MYC Law Student Coordinator

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Brittany Guyre-Powell

GSU COL SELS & BLSA

MYC Law Student Coordinator

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