YLD Committees

The committees of the Young Lawyers Division are responsible for the planning and implementation of many of its projects. To know more about the committees, please see the information below. 

  • Bar Admissions Ceremony: The Fall and Spring Bar Admission Ceremonies are sponsored by the Young Lawyers Division. The induction ceremony enables new attorneys to be admitted to practice in all state trial courts, the Mississippi Supreme Court, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. 

  • Child Advocacy: The Child Advocacy Committee focuses on legal issues concerning children.

  • Communications: This committee will focus on how to get young lawyers involved in YLD and the legal community. 

  • Disaster Legal Assistance: The Disaster Legal Assistance Committee coordinates emergency legal assistance for victims of natural disasters.

  • Diversity: This committee will encourage minority and diverse members to participate in Young Lawyer Division activities and promote minority and diverse involvement in the legal profession. This committee will also evaluate the access and opportunity for all members of the Young Lawyers Division to actively be engaged and heard through activities within the Young Lawyers Division.

  • High School Mock Trial: The High School Mock Trial Committee provides educational litigation experience to Mississippi high school students by sponsoring regional and statewide mock trial competitions and sending the state champion team to the National High School Mock Trial competition. Lawyers, judges and teachers throughout the state get involved in all levels of the competition as coaches, judges and committee members.

  • Law Related Education: Lawyer in Every Mississippi Classroom is a program sponsored annually by The Mississippi Bar Young Lawyers Division. This program offers classrooms throughout Mississippi a visit from a lawyer during the school year. Any teacher, Kindergarten through 12th grade, is invited to have a lawyer visit for one class period (approximately 55 minutes)

  • Law School Relations: This committee will encourage participation and involvement with YLD by law students at MC School of Law and University of Mississippi School of Law. 

  • Local Affiliates: The Local Affiliates Committee is compromised of the presidents of the local affiliate organizations across the state.

  • Nominations, Elections & Awards: The Nominations, Elections & Awards Committee solicits nominations and selects persons to run for a position on the YLD Board of Directors. This Committee also accepts nominations for the annual Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, which is voted on by the YLD Board of Directors.

  • Pro Bono: The Public Service Committee works to coordinate Lawyer in the Libraries events across the state. At Lawyer in the Libraries events, attorney volunteers meet with participants to provide limited legal advice in the areas of Criminal Law & Expungement, Family Law & Child Custody, Wills & Estates, and Social Security Disability. The committee also coordinates Wills for Heroes. Wills for Heroes is a pro bono program created by the Wills for Heroes Foundation and works nationwide with affiliate organizations to provide free estate planning documents to America's first responders. 

  • Seminars: This committee will plan and implement multiple seminars each year, including the New Lawyer Program and the Litigation 101 Series.

  • Solo and Small Firm Practitioners: This committee will focus on issues facing solo and small firm practitioners.
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Young Lawyers Division 2024-2025 Committee Chairs

Bar Admissions Ceremony
Robert W. Arledge, Vicksburg
Teller, Hopson & Schrader, LLP
(601) 636-6565
rarledge@tellerlaw.com

Child Advocacy
Lindsay Arevalo, Hattiesburg
Tangi Carter & Associates, P.A.
(601) 544-1313
lindsay@tangicarterlaw.com

Communications
Laura K. Cooper, Greenville
District Attorney's Office, Washington County
(662) 378-2105
laurak@msdeltada.com

Disaster Legal Assistance
Christina M. Nunez, Jackson
Balch & Bingham
(601) 965-8192
cnunez@balch.com

Diversity
Karmel L. Keeton, Ridgeland
The Mitchell Firm
(228) 369-2550
kkeeton@tmflegal.com

High School Mock Trial (Overall)
Briana A. O'Neil, Jackson
Watkins & Eager PLLC
(601) 965-1900
boneil@watkinseager.com

High School Mock Trial (Central)
Gerald L. Kucia, Jr., Jackson
EEOC
(205) 651-7081
jaykuciams@gmail.com

High School Mock Trial (Northern)
Justin Carlton Moody, Tupelo
First District Circuit Court
(662) 432-2362
jmoody@co.lee.ms.us

High School Mock Trial (Southern)
G. Laithan Simmerman, Gulfport
Morris Bart, LTD
(228) 574-4181
lsimmerman@morrisbart.com

Law Related Education
James P. Sheppard, Jackson
Sheppard Law Firm, P.A.
(601) 688-4110
bud@sheppardlawfirm.net

Law School Relations
Co-Chair: Brianna Caldwell, Ridgeland
Butler Snow
(601) 985-4490
brianna.caldwell@butlersnow.com

Co-Chair: Conner G. Whitten, Jackson
Baker Donelson
(601) 351-4167
cwhitten@bakerdonelson.com

Nominations, Elections & Awards
Matthew G. Dalton, Southaven
The Stroud Law Firm
(662) 536-5656
matt@stroudlawyers.com

Pro Bono
Briana Keeler, Madison
MDHS
(601) 968-6568
brianaskeeler@gmail.com

Seminars
Gregory J. Alston, Jr., Jackson
MS Attorney General's Office
(601) 543-2592
gregory.alston@ago.ms.gov

Solo and Small Firm
TreMarcus Rosemon, Jackson
The Rosemon Law Firm
(601) 427-8999
trosemon@rosemonlaw.com

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Law School Chapter President (MC)
Vicoria O'Quin
Mississippi College School of Law
vloquin@mc.edu

Law School Chapter President (UM)
Neyda Martin
University of Mississippi School of Law
nmartin@go.olemiss.edu