The National Bar Institute (NBI) is proud to support law students by providing access to meaningful professional, networking, and mentorship opportunities. During the National Bar Association’s 101st Annual Convention in Nashville, NBI’s support helped law students attend the Convention, participate in the NBI Annual Membership Meeting and Life Members Luncheon, and connect with attorneys, judges, and other legal professionals.

The students supported through this initiative included:

Domonique Graphenreed
Atlanta, GA
Suffolk University Law School
Expected Graduation: May 2027

Ashley Simon
Houston, TX
Thurgood Marshall School of Law
Expected Graduation: May 2027

Antoinette Daley
Baton Rouge, LA
Southern University Law Center
Expected Graduation: May 2028

Valaine Clarke
Mount Vernon, NY
Pace
Expected Graduation: May 2028

Nico Bethea
Washington, DC
Suffolk University Law School
Expected Graduation: December 2026

The initiative was led by Rheonna Reese, Chair of the National Bar Association Law Student Division and a final-year law student at UC Law San Francisco. Reese has focused on expanding access and creating meaningful opportunities for law students. With support from NBI, individual NBA members, several NBA sections, and Region IX, students were able to participate in opportunities that may otherwise have been financially out of reach.

For the students, the experience was about much more than attending a convention. They developed new relationships, expanded their professional networks, and experienced firsthand the community and mentorship available through the NBA and NBI. Reese shared that the students were extremely grateful for the experience and are already looking forward to returning to the NBA community as attorneys.

NBI is proud to continue investing in the next generation of legal professionals and leaders and looks forward to following these students as they continue their legal education and begin their careers.