Season One has come to a close. Look for new episodes in 2022!

I hope you will stick with me in this space and follow Women of Color: Legal Diaries across social media platforms at @woclegaldiaries for updates.

If you’d like to be a guest or would like to recommend someone to be a guest on the podcast, please email: [email protected].

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

There is no one or best way to enter into and succeed in the legal field. Danielle Byrdsong is Corporate Counsel at Expel, where she is responsible for negotiating and drafting commercial contracts. Danielle’s work focuses on managed detection and response in cybersecurity. Danielle received her Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in chemistry from Simmons College and Juris Doctorate with a concentration in intellectual property from New England Law | Boston. Contact Danielle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkbyrdsong. Follow Women of Color: Legal Diaries across all socials @woclegaldiaries.

Trailer for Episode 4, with guest Danielle Byrdsong. “My narrative is a journey through my legal career expressed as reflections of meaningful experiences.” - Danielle Byrdsong, Attorney. Contact Danielle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dkbyrdsong. Follow Women of Color: Legal Diaries across all socials @woclegaldiaries.

Replay, especially for back to school season! About Traci Salami’s certain determination to become more than from where she came. The highlights of goal setting & setting a purpose.

Episode 03: “As First Generationers We’re Told If We’re Going To Do It, Do It All!” with guest Manmeet Kaur Desai. Attorney Manmeet K. Desai (she/her/hers) is a first-generation South Asian American with nearly 10 years of professional immigration experience. As a US immigration attorney and self-taught global immigration expert, Manmeet has applied her personal immigration journey toward helping companies establish sustainable immigration and global mobility programs rooted in empathy and client service. In her previous career, Manmeet was a high school English teacher; she often leverages this training to educate others on global immigration and mobility. Manmeet has a curious spirit and enjoys a wide variety of activities - a few include: teaching and practicing yoga, reading, writing, cooking, hiking, and traveling. | National Jurist, First Generation Law Students https://www.nationaljurist.com/national-jurist-magazine/first-generation-law-students-struggles-solutions-and-schools-care | hosted by attorney Naitasia Hensey | @woclegaldiaries across all social media.

Trailer for Episode 03: “As First Generationers We’re Told If We’re Going To Do It, Do It All!” with guest Manmeet Kaur Desai. Attorney Manmeet K. Desai (she/her/hers) is a first-generation South Asian American with nearly 10 years of professional immigration experience. As a US immigration attorney and self-taught global immigration expert, Manmeet has applied her personal immigration journey toward helping companies establish sustainable immigration and global mobility programs rooted in empathy and client service. In her previous career, Manmeet was a high school English teacher; she often leverages this training to educate others on global immigration and mobility. Manmeet has a curious spirit and enjoys a wide variety of activities - a few include: teaching and practicing yoga, reading, writing, cooking, hiking, and traveling.

Episode 2 of Women of Color: Legal Diaries. Volunteerism and work-life balance with Boston-based attorney, Avana Epperson-Temple. Attorney Epperson-Temple is a litigation attorney at the Boston-based law firm Peabody & Arnold, LLP. As a litigator, Avana has a track record of successfully defending her clients at both the trial and appellate levels of the court. Business owners, law firms, employers, attorneys, brokers and other professionals turn to Avana for defense against allegations of malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract claims in state and federal court. She has successfully tried cases in state court and successfully argued before the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

In addition to her law practice, Avana serves on the Board of Directors for Pine Street Inn, New England’s leading provider of housing, shelter, street outreach and job training to homeless individuals. She also serves as an At-Large Director for the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and as a Member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Associate Board. Avana is a pro bono attorney for the Women Bar Foundation of Massachusetts’ Family Law Project where she represents survivors of domestic violence in family law and restraining order cases. Avana was recognized by Get Konnected! as one of Boston’s Most Influential Millennials of Color in 2018 and she was named an Up & Coming Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in 2020. In 2021, she received the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, which is given to a young lawyer who has demonstrated outstanding character, leadership and legal achievement, and has contributed service to the community.

Trailer for episode 2 of Women of Color: Legal Diaries with Boston-based attorney, Avana Epperson-Temple. Attorney Epperson-Temple is a litigation attorney at the Boston-based law firm Peabody & Arnold, LLP. As a litigator, Avana has a track record of successfully defending her clients at both the trial and appellate levels of the court. Business owners, law firms, employers, attorneys, brokers and other professionals turn to Avana for defense against allegations of malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract claims in state and federal court. She has successfully tried cases in state court and successfully argued before the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

In addition to her law practice, Avana serves on the Board of Directors for Pine Street Inn, New England’s leading provider of housing, shelter, street outreach and job training to homeless individuals. She also serves as an At-Large Director for the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and as a Member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Associate Board. Avana is a pro bono attorney for the Women Bar Foundation of Massachusetts’ Family Law Project where she represents survivors of domestic violence in family law and restraining order cases. Avana was recognized by Get Konnected! as one of Boston’s Most Influential Millennials of Color in 2018 and she was named an Up & Coming Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in 2020. In 2021, she received the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, which is given to a young lawyer who has demonstrated outstanding character, leadership and legal achievement, and has contributed service to the community.

About Traci’s certain determination to become more than from where she came.

Trailer for upcoming episode 1, “The Sweet Spot.”