Summary: LaShawnda Jackson made history this year as the first Black president of the Orange County Bar Association. She sat down with Chief Judge Don Myers to talk about Central Florida's interconnected legal community, challenges she's faced as a Black female lawyer, and her proposals to make the legal profession more diverse and inclusive. Listen and learn about the life of a lawyer from her perspective, including law school, getting involved in the local Bar associations, going to trial, and the future of the legal industry. Show Notes 0:20 - Introduction of LaShawnda Jackson 1:05 - Beginning of interest in law 2:19 - University of Florida, student athlete, and track and field 3:21 - Highlights of accomplishments in the practice of law 5:58 - Handling experts involved in complex cases 7:01 - Trial team, arguing cases with classmates 8:21 - Biggest challenges as a lawyer 10:23 - Challenges as a Black female lawyer 11:17 - Adversaries in the courtroom and stereotypes 13:51 - Local Bar diversity, inclusion, and historical context 15:50 - Lack of minority representation in the judiciary 17:31 - Increasing the number of minority students in law school 18:36 - Adults modeling different career options in communities 19:38 - Diversifying the Judicial Nominating Commission 20:42 - Becoming a judge through appointment or election 22:22 - Steps taken to become president of the OCBA 24:40 - What the OCBA means to the community 28:02 - Jackson's vision for the OCBA's coming year 29:15 - Coronavirus and the impact on the local legal community 33:41 - Adoption after 18, free time activities, and managing stress
