The Membership Committee is pleased to announce Angel Harris as our July Member of the Month. Angel has participated in our End of the Year CLE, volunteered at Crescent City Café, and has volunteered at our recent protest and helped register voters at our Voter Suppression Protest. She is a valuable member of our organization, and we are happy to have her as a member. Congratulations Angel!
Tell us about yourself
I am not a New Orleans native but proud to call New Orleans home. I am Senior Legal Counsel with The Justice Collaborative, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that focuses on holding public officials accountable to drive criminal justice reform and build healthier and safer communities. I am also the co-founder of the Black Womxn Lawyers Collective, a platform providing CLEs with a comprehensive intersectional framework rooted in advocacy with and for women, children and communities of color taught by Black women lawyers.
I previously served as Assistant Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., where my advocacy focused on capital defense, juvenile life without the possibility of parole, felon disenfranchisement, policing reform and education reform. Prior to joining LDF, I served as a Staff Attorney with the ACLU’s Capital Punishment Project where I represented death-sentenced prisoners nationwide. Between 2009-2013, I was a public defender in Louisiana, first in Orleans Parish then in Calcasieu Parish. My writing related to criminal justice and civil rights issues has appeared in the New York Times and the Huffington Post. I have also provided commentary on “Democracy Now!,” NPR’s “1A” and “The Roland Martin Show.” I graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2009 and graduated summa cum laude from Hampton University with a B.A. in English. I am a member of the Louisiana State Bar and the DC Bar.
Why did you choose to become an attorney?
Growing up in Florida, I heard a lot about the Groveland Boys and the attorney who represented them at the United States Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall. I became fascinated with the work of Thurgood Marshall and resolved to “follow in his footsteps.” As I grew older, I began to learn about phenomenal Black women lawyers like Constance Baker Motley and Dovey Johnson Roundtree. Seeing Black women challenge systems of racism, classism, and sexism furthered my resolve to become an attorney. Their work gave me the confidence to fearlessly take on systems of oppression. As a result, throughout my career as a public defender and civil rights lawyer, I have been committed to fighting against the intersectional oppression faced by Black women and girls.
What are the benefits of being a member of the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society?
Being a member of the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society has allowed me to become more involved in the New Orleans community and provided me access to a variety of interesting and informative CLEs.
What is your favorite Martinet event and why?
My favorite Martinet event was volunteering at the Crescent City Center Café event at Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church. I really liked the fact that the café made a point to make the guests feel like they were in an actual restaurant environment and not the typical “soup kitchen” environment. It is easy to look down on the unhoused and those struggling financially but this event created a safe space that allowed them to enjoy a meal with dignity and respect. I also enjoyed being a part of the voter registration initiatives and look forward to becoming more involved in future Martinet events.
Tell us about other organizations you are involved in and causes you support, and why?
I am an active member of GirlTrek, an organization with a mission to pioneer a health movement for African-American women and girls grounded in civil rights history and principles through walking campaigns, community leadership, and health advocacy. I am also a member of the AfroFuturist Krewe, a Black-led, Krewe focused on creating a world beyond what already exists through the lens of AfroFuturism.