The Membership Committee is pleased to announce Bianca Moore as our January Member of the Month! Bianca is the current Social Committee Co-Chair, and she has done a wonderful job thus far serving the organization.
Tell us about yourself.
I am from Chesapeake, Virginia (by way of Boston, Massachusetts–hence the accent), and I received my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish Literature and Language from THE ILLUSTRIOUS Xavier University of Louisiana, where I graduated cum laude, with honors in English and Philosophy. I received my J.D. and certificate in Social Justice from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and was recently admitted to Louisiana bar in October 2019. I currently serve 1) as a staff attorney/ABA Center for Innovation Next Gen Fellow at Orleans Public Defenders office where I support bond advocacy and bail reform and 2) as social committee co-chair of the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society.
As a Loyola law student, I worked as a law clerk for various organizations, local judges, and attorneys, and I was also very active in school and in my community. At Loyola, I served as the President of the Trial Advocacy Program, a two-year, National Team Member for the Texas Young Lawyers Association and American Association for Justice Trial Advocacy teams, the Moot Court First Amendment Coach, a student practitioner in the Criminal Defense Clinic at Loyola’s Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice, the 2018-2019 President of the A.P Tureaud Chapter of the Black Law Student Association, a Writing Lab Teaching Assistant, a Lexis Nexis Representative, an active member of the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, and a Loyola Law Student Ambassador.
Why did you choose to become an attorney?
Besides wanting to be the black, Elle Woods, I have always dreamed of becoming an attorney. However, it was my desire to end the school-to-prison pipeline and work with schools to amend their oppressive disciplinary codes that disproportionately affect students of color (particularly black women) that truly fueled my desire to attend law school in Louisiana. Yet, during law school, I soon discovered that my real passion was in reforming the criminal justice system and dismantling the institutions that create and fuel the cycle of poverty, education disparity, and social violence in black and brown communities.
In your view, what are the benefits of being a member of The Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society?
To me, there is no other organization like the Greater New Orleans Louis A. Martinet Legal Society. Outside of Xavier University of Louisiana, I had never experienced nor seen a group of black professionals as supportive, impactful, successful, and progressive as the members of Martinet. Therefore, one of the most obvious and greatest benefits of being a member of this organization is the vast network of lawyers, judges, and legal professionals who are not only able, but also extremely willing to help those who look like them succeed and excel in this field and profession.
What is your favorite Martinet event? Why?
It is so hard to pick one Martinet event that is my favorite; so many of them are great. However, if I absolutely had to pick one, I would choose the Summer Social, with the Pathways and Pipeline to Success event being a close second. Personally, the summer social was a breath of fresh after studying several weeks for and slaving through the Louisiana bar exam. However, the Pathways event provides attorneys the opportunity to support and provide resources to aspiring attorneys and for us all to make connections and network with individuals we normally would not encounter in our day-to-day lives. They are equal in my book.
Tell us about other organizations you are involved in or other causes you support and why?
Because I believe in developing talent and promoting societal progress, I currently serve as the Alumni Chair of New Leaders Council Louisiana, a non-profit organization geared towards recruiting and training local progressives to promote change and positively impact their communities. However in my free time (as little as it may be), I perform with my dance company, Silhouette Dance Company, LLC, and serve as a dance coach for the Royal Diamond Divas located in Chalmette, LA to promote physical fitness, body positivity, and mentorship of young, under-served women. Finally, I also serve the Lord and the New Homes Ministries congregation as a member of the church’s Choral Ensemble and minister in song every First Sunday at its Uptown location.