Contact

130 North Court Ave,
Memphis TN 38103

Tel: 901.524.5188

Fax: 901.524.5024

bdonald@bpjlaw.com

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Practice Areas

Alternative Dispute Resolution, Mediation & Arbitration

Admitted to Practice

Tennessee

United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

United States Supreme Court

Bar Admissions

National Bar Association

American Bar Association

Tennessee Bar Association

Memphis Bar Association

Hon. Bernice Donald (Ret.) joined the firm in 2024 following her retirement from the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 2023. She is a nationally-recognized third-party neutral, and serves as an arbitrator or mediator in a wide range of specialized areas, including antitrust, bankruptcy, civil rights, class actions, employment, ERISA, insurance coverage, pharmaceutical development, intellectual property, trade secrets and product liability matters. In addition to ADR, she also regularly serves as a court-appointed special master, advises clients on appellate strategy, and acts as outside counsel in internal investigations. She is a member of the firm’s ADR, commercial litigation, appellate and civil rights practice groups.

A jurist of remarkable range and experience, Judge Donald began her 40-year judicial career in 1982 by winning election to the General Sessions Criminal Court for Shelby County, Tennessee, making her the first African American woman judge in the state. In 1988, she was appointed to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee, making history again as the first African American woman in the United States to serve as a federal bankruptcy judge. In 1995, President Bill Clinton nominated Judge Donald to the United States District Court for Western District of Tennessee where, in yet another first, she became the first African American woman in Tennessee to serve as a United States District judge. In 2010, she was nominated by President Barack Obama to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, which covers Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, becoming the first African American woman to serve on the Sixth Circuit. She served on the Court of Appeals until her retirement from the bench in January 2023.

In addition to her firsts on the bench, Judge Donald was the first African American woman to serve as president of the American Bar Foundation and as an officer of the American Bar Association. She is a past president of the National Association of Women Judges and a former board member of the American Judicature Society. She serves as faculty for the National Judicial College, the Federal Judicial Center and Harvard Law School. She has also served as jurist-in-residence at Washington University (St. Louis), American University, University of Cincinnati, and the University of Georgia Schools of Law. Judge Donald is deeply involved in international rule of law initiatives (ROLI), having served as a faculty member for programs with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in more than twenty different countries. She is a member of the prestigious Council on Foreign Relations and the American Law Institute. She is a founding member of the Center for Excellence in Decision-Making (CEDM), a collaborative project of local jurists, the Memphis Bar Association and the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. CEDM’s mission is to broadly educate, train, and assist community stakeholders in identifying and addressing factors that inhibit fair and equitable decision making.

A 1979 graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Judge Donald also holds an LL.M. from Duke University School of Law and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Suffolk University.

For appointments or mediation requests with Judge Donald, please inquire with her assistant Caroline George: cgeorge@bpjlaw.com or 901-524-5151.

Representative Matters

ANTI-TRUST

Boulevard Souvenirs v. Elvis Presley Ent., Antitrust action filed against Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
Roberson v. Medtronic Inc., Medical Device Manufacturing case.
Memphis Zane May v. IBC Mfg. Co. (1996), Landowner brought action against owners and former tenants of neighboring properties to recover response costs CERCLA and damages under tort theories of private nuisance, strict liability, negligence, and contamination based on environmental contamination.
In the Matter of Crounse Corporation, TVA v. Vulcan, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) brought suit against barge fleeting service for damages to utility tower caused by a runaway barge colliding with the tower.
Schaeffner v. American Honda Co. (1997), Automobile dealer brought action against manufacturer and competing dealers to recover for breach of contract and restraint of trades in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. Horizontal restraints of trade are per se illegal.
In re Great American Pyramid Joint Venture, Managed the Chapter 11 restructuring of the Great American Pyramid, a sports and entertainment complex. Ultimately, there were six (6) cases including issues of contracts, construction, lender liability, financing, and governmental relations.

CLASS ACTION/COLLECTIVE ACTION

Monroe v. FTS, FLSA claim against employer parent company for implementing a company-wide policy that required employees to underreport their over-time. Case qualified as collective action, jury verdict, damage awarded, affirmed on appeal.
Ham v. Swift Transportation, Class action litigation related to the issuance of commercial drivers’ licenses in Tennessee. Case resolved through settlement with inter alia payments to qualifying class members along with remedial training.

EMPLOYMENT

Tam v. Harrah’s Tunica Corp, ADEA case resulting in summary judgment because of Plaintiff’s failure to prove she was qualified for the job at the point of termination.
EEOC v. Ralph Jones, EEOC made prima facie case under 42 U.S.C §2000e-2 by providing proof that company foreman referred to African American employees using the “N—” word, carried a gun, and made racist threats, provoking one employee to strike him.
Bower v. Federal Express Corporation, Plaintiff asserted claims under the §12101-12213, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 USC §794, the Air Carriers Access Act of 1986 (ACCA), and the TN Handicap Discrimination Act. Whether proposed free third party commercial air for disabled employees was reasonable accommodation.
Swanigan v. Northwest Airlines, Inc., Employee estopped from pursuing employment discrimination because claim was not disclosed in the bankruptcy case.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAW/CLASS ACTION

Gatewood v. Velsicol Chem (2008), Class certified involving alleged releases of chemical dieldrin from Velsicol’s Memphis plant affecting 195 class members. $2.1 million dollar settlement for class members, plus Cypress Creek Cleanup.

FALSE CLAIMS ACT

United States ex rel. Whitecomb v. Physiotherapy Assoc. (2008), Allegation that dependents knowingly or conspired to submit false and fraudulent claims to federal health care programs. After substantial discovery and motions to narrow issues, the case settled.

FIRST AMENDMENT

Entertainment Productions, Inc. v. Shelby County, Although certain adult entertainments (strip clubs) might have sustained harm from adoption of the Tennessee Adult-Oriented Establishment Registration Act, injunction denied as plaintiffs could not show likelihood of success on the merits.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Jackson v. Novastar Mortgage, Inc. (2007), Where a lender intentionally discriminated against minority subprime borrowers by offering loans on less favorable conditions than offered to similarly situated non-minority borrowers, which was accomplished via radio advertisements on gospel radio stations whose listeners were predominantly African American.
Commodity Futures v. FxTrade Financial, et al (2007), Action alleging false representations to potential and actual investors of FxTrade, and that the investments were allegedly misappropriated. 7 U.S.C. § 2(c) 2(B) and (C).

INSURANCE

Alvord Investments, LLC v. Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., et al (2009), Insurance action regarding coverage of franchisees. Effect on former franchisees.
Health Link Services, LLC v. United States Risk Underwriters, Inc. (2007), Insurance coverage case.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Asentinel, LLC v. AnchorPoint, et al., Patent infringement case.
Star Athetica, LLC v. Varsity Brands, Inc., Issue: Whether Varsity owned a valid copyright in the designs of certain cheerleading uniforms. Whether the uniform, as clothing “possessed both utilitarian and aesthetic value.” Court held that the designs could not be conceptually or physically separated from the uniforms.
Jacobs v. Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, Copyright infringement action in photographs of public buildings.
Law v. Broheart (2009), Construction of parties rights under a licensing agreement regarding cell transplant therapy amidst trials, and approval by FDA.
Federal Express Corp. v. United States Postal Service, Landham Act Case. FedEx may sue United States Postal Service for false advertising. Case affirmed on appeal.
Marilyn Johnson v. City of Memphis, Three consolidated cases challenging the police promotion process utilized by the City of Memphis. Disparate impact based on race. Promotions test inherently biased.
J Line Pump Co. v. Shimmick Construct Co.
Blanc v. Morgan, International Child Abduction (Hague Convention)

Education

Duke University School of Law
- LLM, 2018
Suffolk University
- Honorary Doctors in Law
University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law
- Juris Doctor, 1979
University of Memphis
- Bachelor of Arts, 1974

Experience

Judicial Service

Sept. 2011 –Jan. 2023:

Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Jan. 1996 – Sept. 2011:

District Judge, United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee

Jun. 1988 – Jan. 1996:

Judge, United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee

1982 – 1988:

Judge, Division IX, General Sessions Criminal Court for Shelby County, Memphis, Tennessee

Other Professional Experience

1985 – 1988:

Adjunct Professor, University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law

1980 – 1984:

Adjunct Professor, Shelby State Community College

1981-1982:

Assistant Shelby County Public Defender; Office of the Shelby County Public Defender

1980-1981:

Attorney, Memphis Area Legal Services

1979-1980:

Attorney, The Law Office of Bernice B. Donald; General Civil and Criminal Practice

Legal and Professional Development

ADR Training

American Arbitration Association, Arbitration Training and Award Writing, May, 2023

National Judicial College, Civil Mediation 40-Hour training course, May, 2021

State & Local Professional Organizations

Tennessee Bar Association
Memphis Bar Association
- Co-Chair, Courts Committee
- Director, 1993
1990 Bench Bar Conference Judiciary Practice and Procedures Committee
Former Secretary, National Bar Association, Ben F. Jones Chapter, Memphis, Tennessee
Association of Women Attorneys, 1980 – Present
- President, 1991
- President-Elect, 1990
Chair, General Sessions Judges Conference on Education, 1987

Professional Honors and Activities

Honors & Awards

Sarah Hughes Civil Rights Award, Federal Bar Association (2023)
Constance Baker Motley Champion of Justice Award, National Bar Assoc (2023)
Hortense Ward Courageous Leader Award, Center for Women in Law (2023)
Sandra Day O’Connor Award, The National Judicial College (2022)
Honorary Chair of the National Bar Association, Judicial Council (2021)
National Bar Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2021)
Leadership Memphis Change Maker Award (2021)
Martin Luther King Luminary Award, City of Memphis (2020)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Be the Dream Legacy Award (2015)
John H. Pickering Award, ABA Senior Lawyers Division (2014)
William J. Brennan, Jr. Award, District of Columbia Bar (2014)
William H. Hastie Award, National Bar Association (2013)
Difference Makers Award, ABA Solo, Small Firm & General Practice Division (2013)
Benjamin F. Hooks Award, Memphis Bar Association (2002)
- The Benjamin F. Hooks Award is given by the Memphis & Shelby County Bar Foundation to a person who has nationally fulfilled the mission of the bar foundation. The mission of the bar foundation is to promote professionalism, legal education, and social justice. The only other recipient of the award is Dr. Benjamin F. Hooks.
Civil Rights Trailblazer Award, University of Tennessee Civil Rights Symposium (2002)
- The Civil Rights Trailblazer Award is given for outstanding contributions in the area of civil rights.
Marion Griffin-Frances Loring Award, Association for Women Attorneys
- The Marion Griffin-Frances Loring Award is given for outstanding contributions in the area of women’s rights.
Hero in the Law Award, Memphis Bar Association (2001)
Judge of the Year, Memphis Bar Association, Criminal Law Section
The Judge Bernice B. Donald Scholarship, University of Memphis
- The Zeta Phi Beta Sorority established this scholarship and awards it to up to four students each year.
Pioneer Award, Fellow Classmates East Side High (2013)
Legends Award Honoree, Tennessee Bar Association (2012)
Spirit of Excellence Award, American Bar Association, (2011)
Authur S. Holmon Lifetime Achievement Award, University of Memphis Black Student Union (2011)
Liberty Achievement Award, American Bar Association (2008)
Presidential Award, National Bar Association (1996)
Ten Outstanding Young Tennesseans, Memphis Jaycees (1990)
Distinguished Alumni Award, Memphis State University (1990)
America’s Best & Brightest, Dollars and Sense Magazine (1988)
Community Services Award: Youth, National Conference of Christians and Jews (1986)
Citizen of the Year, Excelsior Chapter of Eastern Star
Martin Luther King Community Service Award
Woman of the Year, Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ
Young Careerist Award State of Tennessee, Raleigh Bureau of Professional Women, Raleigh Chapter
Who’s Who Among Memphians, Memphis Magazine
“She Knows Where She’s Going,” Girls Club of Memphis
Herman Sweatt Award, National Bar Association

Historical Achievements

Appointed First African American Female Judge for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
Appointed First African American Female District Court Judge in the history of the state of Tennessee
Appointed First African American Female Bankruptcy Judge in the United States
Elected First African American Female Judge in the history of the State of Tennessee

News and Publication Highlights

Author, Extending Justice: Strategies to Increase Inclusion and Reduce Bias (OCT 2022)

by Bernice Donald (Editor), Sarah Redfield (Editor)

Extending Justice: Strategies to Increase Inclusion and Reduce Bias offers expert perspective and actionable tools for interrupting bias. The first book in this series, Enhancing Justice: Reducing Bias, was written to increase awareness of implicit bias and serve as a benchbook for judges. This book goes the next step to be useful to a wider audience with virtually every chapter offering thoughtful context and practical strategies for interrupting unintentional bias. Edited by two proven leaders in the field, with twenty-six chapters written by fifty diverse authors, the voices here combine to provide wide-ranging and user-friendly science and tools.

Publications and Presentations of Note

2022

Speaker and Award Recipient, AJEI Summit Sandra Day O’Connor Award Ceremony; Scottsdale, AZ; November 10, 2022
Speaker, ABA Labor & Employment Annual Meeting; Washington, DC; November 9, 2022
Speaker, Anti-Racist Courtroom Course; Memphis, TN, October 31 – November 3, 2022
Speaker, S. Court of Federal Claims Annual Conference; Washington, DC; October 20, 2022
Speaker, PLI: Supporting Diverse and Inclusive Legal Workplaces 2022: Allyship and Sponsorship; Washington, DC; October 17, 2022
Speaker, Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules; Washington, DC; October 12-13, 2022
Speaker, 2022 MBA Bench Bar Conference; Fairhope, AL; September 30 – October 2, 2022
Speaker, Slovakia Rule of Law Program; Virtual; September 22, 2022
Speaker, Advisory Committee on Bankruptcy Rules; September 14-15, 2022
Speaker, Law Clerk Orientation; Cincinnati, OH; September 13-14, 2022
Speaker, 100^th Anniversary of Constance Baker Motley Birth; New York, NY; September 12, 2022
Speaker, Implicit Bias: What it is, and Strategies for Dealing with it; FJC National Conference for Pro Se and Death Penalty Staff Attorneys, San Diego, CA; September 6-8, 2022
Speaker, AJA Annual Conference; When Justice Fails: Threats to Judicial Independence; Philadelphia, PA; August 28-29, 2022
Speaker, NITA Teaching Motion Skills Program; Virtual; August 17-19, 2022
Speaker, Antitrust Leadership Summit; Santa Fe, NM; August 9 -11, 2022
Speaker, International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation National Leadership Summit; Minneapolis, MN; August 3 – 4, 2022
Speaker, Academy of Legal Studies in Business; Louisville, KY; July 28-29, 2022
Speaker, NBA Annual Meeting; Memphis, TN; July 24-29, 2022
Speaker, IP Bench Book Planning, July 18-24, 2022
Speaker, National Advocacy Center Appellate Advocacy Course; Columbia, SC; July 13-16, 2022
Speaker, Prayer Breakfast – Norma Henderson; Memphis, TN; June 25, 2022
Speaker, Bench/Bar Lawyers as Leaders in Unity, Democracy, and the Rule of Law; Nashville, TN; June 16
Speaker, ACC Foundation Women in Law Conference; Judge Donald Panel, The Global Rise in Women Leadership; The Institute of Peace, Washington, DC; June 13-15, 2022
Speaker, NJC Democracy’s Last Line of Defense; Mary 25-26, 2022
Judge, Judicial Panel – PLI Electronic Discovery Institute; New York, NY; May 10-12, 2022
Speaker, Fighting Implicit Bias Panel – Federal Judges Association Quadrennial Conference; Washington, DC; May 1-3, 2022
Speaker, Becker Retreat; Naples, FL; April 29 – May 1, 2022
Judge, AJA Conference – Moderating Panel; Napa, CA, April, 2022
Speaker, Cornell Moot Court Camp; Ithaca, NY; April 22-24, 2022
Speaker, Judicial Workshop – North American Judges; United Nations, New York, NY; April 21-22, 2022
Speaker, Harvard Law Guest Lecturer, Legal Profession: Public Interest Lawyering Class; Cambridge, MA; April 13-14, 2022
Speaker, Michigan: Beyond Justice Ketanji Brown: Black Women Judges and the Federal Courts: Virtual; April 11, 2022
Speaker, Criminal Justice Section Spring Meeting; Savannah, GA; April 7-10, 2022
Judge, Antitrust Section Spring Meeting; Washington, DC, April 5-8, 2022
Speaker, Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules; San Diego, CA; March 29-30, 2022
Speaker, Implicit Bias: Southeastern Bankruptcy Law Institute Annual Seminar; Atlanta, GA; March 24, 2022
Judge, University of Michigan Law – Campbell Moot Court Competition; Ann Arbor, MI; March 21, 2022
Judge, ERR Midwinter Panel; Puerto Vallarta, MX; March 16-18, 2022
Speaker, Chicago Filming: Chicago, IL; March 7, 2022
Speaker, White Collar Crime Institute; San Francisco, CA; March 2-5, 2022
Speaker, Boston University Lecture Black History Month; Boston, MA; February 22, 2022
Speaker, Fifth Circuit Bankruptcy Bench Bar Conference; New Orleans, LA; February 2-4, 2022
Speaker, Antitrust Mid-Winter Meeting; Santa Barbara, CA; January 21-24, 2022

2021

Speaker, Implicit Bias; Judge Joe Lee Bankruptcy Institute; Lexington, KY; December 9, 2021
Speaker, Labor and Employment Law Section Annual Conference, Alabama State Bar; Gulf Shores, AL; October 9, 2021
Speaker, Diversity and Inclusion Panel; NCBJ Annual Meeting; Indianapolis, IN; October 7, 2021
Speaker, Tennessee Lawyer’s Association for Women Empowerment Conference; Nashville, TN; September 10, 2021
Speaker, Websites and the ADA: Applicability, Standards, Penalties, and Mitigation Strategies; PLI Briefing; Virtual; July 27, 2021
Speaker, Where the Judiciary, Legislative, and Executive Branches Meet; National Bar Association Annual Convention; Virtual; July 26, 2021
Speaker, Federal Judicial Selection; Tennessee Bar Association Federal Law Section CLE; Virtual; July 23, 2021
Speaker, Conferencing and Collegiality Part I Implicit Bias; New Appellate Judges Seminar; Virtual; July 22, 2021
Speaker, Use of Facility Dogs in Court; Online Learning and Faculty Development; National Judicial College; Virtual; July 21, 2021
Speaker, Implicit Bias; Shelby County Public Defender Summer Internship Speaker Series; Virtual; July 12, 2021
Speaker, Implicit Bias; National Organization of Black County Officials; National Harbor, MD; July 10, 2021
Speaker, Implicit Bias; National Association of Chapter Thirteen Trustees Seminar; Washington, D.C.; July 7, 2021
Speaker, Eastern District of Missouri Magistrate Judges Implicit Bias Training; Virtual; June 30, 2021
Speaker, Hiding in Plain Sight: How Implicit Bias Affects the Legal Profession; Knoxville Bar Association; Virtual; June 23, 2021
Speaker, Sentencing and Implicit Bias, Annual Tennessee Judicial Conference; Memphis, TN; June 17, 2021
Speaker, Global Women & Juneteenth: 156 Years On – Reflections on Obstacles to Emancipation; American Bar Association International Law Section; Virtual; June 15, 2021
Speaker, Judging Implicit Bias: The Role of Implicit Bias in Judicial Decision-Making; American Jewish Committee and Northern California Chapter of the Federal Bar Association; Virtual; June 15, 2021
Speaker, Promoting Judicial Collegiality, Berkeley Judicial Institute; Virtual; May 14, 2021
Speaker, Sixth Circuit IDEA Initiative Session 5; Virtual; May 12, 2021
Speaker, Michigan Supreme Court Judicial Conference (Implicit Bias); Virtual; May 6, 2021
Speaker, IP Law Essentials for the Judiciary, Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training; Virtual; May 6, 2021
Speaker, The Memphis Society of Human Resource Managers Annual Legal Conference; Memphis, TN; April 20, 2021
Speaker, Criminal Law Speaker Series, Fordham Law; Virtual; April 19, 2021
Speaker, Legal Profession Course, Harvard Law School; Virtual; April 15, 2021
Speaker, Intersectionality, ABA International Law Section; Virtual; April 14, 2021
Judge, University of Memphis First-Year Moot Court Competition, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law; Memphis, TN; April 7, 2021
Speaker, Faculty Development Talk, Widener University Delaware Law School; Virtual; April 1, 2021
Speaker, Virtual Film Series, From Coded Bias to Algorithmic Fairness, Clarkson University; Virtual; March 29, 2021
Speaker, The Importance of a Diverse Federal Judiciary, House Committee on the Judiciary; Virtual; March 25, 2021
Speaker, Woman Advocate and Minority Trial Lawyer Committees, ABA Section of Litigation; Virtual; March 24, 2021
Speaker, Antitrust and Antiracism: What Lies Ahead?, ABA Antitrust Law Section; Virtual; March 24, 2021
Speaker, Changing the Landscape of Title VII, Employment Rights and Responsibilities; Virtual; March 19, 2021
Speaker, Elevating and Engaging Black Judges, American Constitution Society; Virtual, March 17, 2021
Speaker, Board of Judges Weekly Lunchroom, Southern District of New York, Juror Bias Presentation; Virtual; March 17, 2021
Speaker, Dignity Rights Law in Practice, United Nations Commission on the Status of Women; Virtual; March 16, 2021
Speaker, Defending ADA Website Compliance Lawsuits: You Do Have Options, Practising Law Institute; Virtual; March 15, 2021
Judge, Kaufman Moot Court Competition, Fordham Law; Virtual; March 14, 2021
Judge, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Moot Court Competition; Virtual; March 5, 2021
Speaker, Lunch Panel, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law; Virtual; March 5, 2021
Speaker, Supreme Court Argument, American Society of International Law Annual Meeting; Virtual; March 4, 2021
Judge, Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, American Bankruptcy Institute; Virtual; March 1, 2021
Judge, Rossi Moot Court Competition, Cornell Law School; Virtual; February 27, 2021
Speaker, ABA, Judicial Trailblazers and the Hills They’ve Climbed; Virtual; February 26, 2021
Speaker, ABF Fellows CLE Research Seminar; Virtual; February 19, 2021
Speaker, Sixth Circuit IDEA Initiative’s 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge – One Hour Group Discussion; Virtual; February 5, 2021
Speaker, FBA Civil Rights Section: Implicit Bias Webinar; January 28, 2021
Speaker, PREX 2021 Corporate EDiscovery Hero Awards; Virtual; January 26, 2021
Speaker, Age of Dignity in Europe: Book Group Discussion; Virtual; January 22, 2021
Judge, All Star Bracket Challenge Moot Court Competition; Virtual; January 21, 2021
Speaker, Virtual CLE Memphis: Race and the U. S. Economy after Ratification of the U. S. Constitution; January 14, 2021
Speaker, ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice and Center for Human Rights: The Individual and the State: A Conversation on Dignity and the Law; Virtual; January 14, 2021
Speaker, ABA Wellness Wednesday: Program on Teaching and Speaking Judicial Opportunities Abroad; Virtual; January 13, 2021

2020

Speaker, Virtual Roundtable Series for the Judiciary; December 16, 2020
Speaker, Sixth Circuit IDEA Session 2; Virtual; December 4, 2020
Speaker, The Sedona Conference Resources: Judicial Management of Electronically Stored Information (ESM) Webinar; Virtual; December 3, 2020
Speaker, Joint Inns of Court and Tennessee Bar Association Program on Professionalism and Social Justice: Empowering Lawyers as Leaders; Virtual; December 1, 2020
Speaker, Harvard BLSA Judicial Speaker Series; Virtual; November 20, 2020
Speaker, CJS Fall Meeting Closing Plenary: Confronting Our History Panel; Virtual; November 20, 2020
Speaker, CJS Fall Meeting: Rule of Law Panel; Virtual; November 20, 2020
Speaker, PLI CA MCLE Marathon 2020; Virtual; November 16, 2020
Speaker, New Hope Baptist Church 150^th Anniversary; Southaven, Mississippi; November 15, 2020
Speaker, DEI in the Legal Profession Award Presentation; Virtual; November 12, 2020
Speaker, Beyond the Numbers, ABA Labor and Employment Section; Virtual; November 12, 2020
Speaker, Symposium on Mental Health and the Legal Profession, Fordham Law; Virtual; November 6, 2020
Speaker, Lawyers, Judges, and Social Media, ABA Webinar; Virtual, November 5, 2020
Speaker, Memphis Bar Association: Bankruptcy Section Annual CLE Presentation; Virtual; November 5, 2020
Speaker, NELA Fall Seminar: Recognizing and Combatting Implicit Bias; Virtual; October 29, 2020
Speaker, ACS UVA Student Chapter: Discussion on Clerkships; Virtual; October 29, 2020
Speaker, International Association of Lawyers Virtual Congress 2020; October 28, 2020
Speaker, CJS: We’re All in This Together; Virtual; October 28, 2020
Speaker, Joint Inns of Court and Tennessee Bar Association: Lawyers as Leaders Program; Virtual; October 27, 2020
Speaker, NCBJ Gender and Judging; Virtual; October 23, 2020
Judge, University of Tennessee, Knoxville School of Law Moot Court Competition; Virtual; October 22, 2020
Speaker, Vanderbilt Law School Lecture; Virtual; (Implicit Bias) October 21, 2020
Speaker, Global Antitrust Institute Antitrust Economics Institute for Federal Judges; Scottsdale, Arizona; October 18, 2020
Speaker, 2020 NBA Wiley Branton Symposium Schedule; Virtual; October 16, 2020
Speaker, University of Denver; Virtual; October 16, 2020
Speaker, NCBJ Gender and Judging; San Diego, California; October 15, 2020
Speaker, CJS Rule of Law Series; Virtual; (Implicit Bias) October 14, 2020
Speaker, Symposium on Economics and Law of Cannabis Markets; Denver, Colorado; October 11, 2020
Speaker, City of Memphis Implicit Bias Program; Virtual; October 1, 2020
Speaker, AABA Implicit Bias Program; Virtual; September 24, 2020
Speaker, IDEA Panel Session I; Virtual; September 24, 2020
Speaker, Liberty Achievement Award Awards Ceremony; Virtual; September 16, 2020
Speaker, Ohio Judicial Conference; Columbus, Ohio; September 11, 2020
Speaker, American University Racial Justice and the Courts; Virtual; September 10, 2020
Speaker, Women of Color and the Robe Webinar; Virtual; September 9, 2020
Speaker, Tennessee Human Rights Commission: Tennessee Department of Human Resources Virtual Employment Law Seminar; Virtual; September 2, 2020
Speaker, Hofstra University; Virtual; September 2, 2020
Speaker, UPS African American Business Resource Group Meeting; Virtual, August 27, 2020
Speaker, AIJA 58^th Annual Congress; Virtual; (Implicit Bias) August 26, 2020
Speaker, Federal Judicial Center, Court Web; Virtual; (Implicit Bias) August 18, 2020
Speaker, Federal Magistrate Judges Association; Virtual; (Implicit Bias) August 6, 2020
Speaker, A Call to Action: Race, Equity, & the Antitrust Law Section Panel; Virtual; August 5, 2020
Speaker, ABA Criminal Justice Section; Implicit Bias Training; Virtual; August 2, 2020
Speaker, ABA, Conversation with Fmr. Ambassador Melanne Verveer: Women’s Rights are Human Rights – 25 Years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; Virtual; July 31, 2020
Speaker, ABA Criminal Justice Section; Virtual; (Implicit Bias) July 17, 2020
Speaker, National Employment Lawyers Association; Virtual; (Implicit Bias) July 8, 2020
Speaker, NELA Annual Convention; Virtual; (Implicit Bias) July 8, 2020
Speaker, Shelby County Defender’s Program; Memphis, TN; (Implicit Bias) July 6, 2020
Speaker, K & L Gates Conversation About Race; July 2, 2020
Speaker, May I Approach? Courts and the Power of Inclusion: The Impact of Black Women as Appellate Judges; Alliance for Justice; July 1, 2020
Speaker, C. Bar CLE: The History of the 19^th Amendment and Women’s Suffrage; Washington, D.C.; June 25, 2020
Speaker, Federal Judicial Center and New York University Employment Law Workshop for Federal Judges; New York, NY; (Implicit Bias) March 9, 2020
Speaker, Cornell University; Ithaca, New York; March 4, 2020
Speaker, Northern District of Ohio, Pretrial Services and Probation Office; Implicit Bias Training; Cleveland, OH; March 2, 2020
Speaker, UC Berkeley Law Colloquium: Courts and Judicial Process; San Francisco, California; February 27, 2020
Speaker, AO: African American Heritage Month Celebration; Washington, D.C.; February 25, 2020
Speaker, Justice Television Network Interview: National Advocacy Center; Columbia, South Carolina; February 19, 2020
Speaker, ABA Mid-Year Meeting; Austin, Texas; (Implicit Bias) February 14, 2020
Speaker, Tennessee Human Rights Commission, Department of Human Resources, Memphis Area Employment Law Seminar; Memphis, TN; (Implicit Bias) February 13, 2020
Speaker, CJS 50^th Anniversary Celebration; Virtual; (Implicit Bias) February 10, 2020
Speaker, National Bar Association Judicial Council Mid-Winter Meeting; Cape Town, South Africa; January 26, 2020
Speaker, MLK Luminary Award Awards Ceremony; January 20, 2020
Speaker, Zeta Phi Beta Founders Day; January 18, 2020
Speaker, ABA Antitrust Midwinter Leadership Meeting; 2020 Antitrust Midwinter Leadership; British Columbia, Canada; January 11, 2020
Speaker, Annual Trial Advocacy College; Charlottesville, Virginia; January 3, 2020

2019

Speaker, Appellate Judges Educational Institute; Washington, D.C.; (Implicit Bias) November 17, 2019
Speaker, NCBJ Annual Meeting; Washington, D.C.; October 31, 2019
Speaker, CLDP & U.S. Embassy Montenegro Workshop; Tivet, Montenegro; October 24 – 25, 2019
Speaker, Roadways to the Bench; Washington, D.C.; October 24, 2019
Speaker, ABA Forum on Construction Law; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; October 23, 2019
Speaker, S.-Croatia Judicial Workshop; Zagreb, Croatia; October 21-22, 2019
Speaker, 2019 Rotary District 6490 Conference, Bloomington, Illinois; October 18, 2019
Speaker, DOJ OPDAT Roundtable Discussion for Sandiganbayan Justices of Financial Crimes and Money Laundering; Manila, Philippines; October 6, 2019
Judge, Regent University School of Law Hassell Moot Court Competition; Virginia Beach, Virginia; October 5, 2019
Speaker, 55^th Anniversary of Freedom Summer; Indianola, Mississippi; October 3, 2019
Speaker, IU McKinney School of Law and Eli Lilly; Indianapolis, Indiana; September 30, 2019
Speaker, Legal Services of Greater Miami; Implicit Bias Training; Miami, FL; September 23, 2019
Speaker, PREX Conference 2019; Chicago, Illinois; September 19, 2019
Speaker, Federal Bar Association Chattanooga Chapter Annual Meeting; August 20, 2019
Speaker, Federal Criminal Defense Seminar; Denver, Colorado; August 15, 2019
Speaker, ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary; Implicit Bias Training; San Francisco, CA; August 9, 2019
Speaker, Western District of Tennessee Implicit Bias Training for Federal Judges; Memphis, TN; July 26, 2019
Speaker, CLE: Understanding the Dark Web and Its Impact on the Judicial System; New York, New York; July 21, 2019
Speaker, International Standards Task Force; The Hague, Netherlands; July 17, 2019
Speaker, American Association of Law Libraries Diversity and Inclusion Symposium; Washington, D.C.; July 14, 2019
Speaker, ISRCL Conference; Brisbane, QLD, Australia; July 9, 2019
Speaker, National Police Accountability Project, Race Matters; St. Paul, MN; (Implicit Bias) June 21, 2019
Speaker, Memphis Chamber of Commerce; Memphis, TN; (Implicit Bias) June 19, 2019
Speaker, Aleph: Rewriting the Sentence Summit; New York, New York; (Implicit Bias) June 17, 2019
Speaker, Women in Criminal Justice Task Force Meeting; Spokane, Washington; June 13, 2019
Speaker, Sixth Circuit Judicial Retreat; Mackinac Island, Michigan; June 11, 2019
Speaker, Department of Justice: Appellate Chiefs Conference; Columbia, South Carolina; June 7, 2019;
Speaker, ACS National Convention Kick Off Event; Washington, D.C.; June 5, 2019
Speaker, Federal Bar Association Eastern District Michigan Chapter; Implicit Bias Training; Detroit, MI; Wednesday, May 28, 2019
Speaker, 2019 Litigation & GPSolo CLE Conference; New York, New York; May 3, 2019
Speaker, Africa Regional Intellectual Property Enforcement Training for Judicial Instructors; Gaborone, Botswana; April 21, 2019
Speaker, Tennessee Law Review Symposium; Knoxville, Tennessee; April 18, 2019
Speaker, Southwestern Association of Law Libraries 2019 Annual Meeting; Little Rock, Arkansas; April 14, 2019
Speaker, San Francisco Business and Professional Women, Inc.; San Francisco, California; April 13, 2019
Speaker, Commonwealth’s Attorney Services Council Spring Institute; Norfolk, VA; (Implicit Bias) April 8, 2019
Judge, Case Western Reserve University Moot Court Competition; Cleveland, Ohio; April 6, 2019
Speaker, ABA National Conference on Equal Employment Opportunity Law, Diversity Luncheon; Coral Gables, Florida; (Implicit Bias) April 3, 2019
Speaker, 67^th Antitrust Law Spring Meeting; Washington, D.C.; March 27, 2019
Speaker, AWA Women’s History Month CLE Panel; Memphis, Tennessee; March 26, 2019
Speaker, Federal Judicial Center and New York University Employment Law Workshop for Federal Judges; New York, NY; (Implicit Bias) March 21, 2019
Speaker, FJC Employment Law Workshop for Federal Judges; New York, New York; (Implicit Bias) March 20, 2019
Speaker, 2019 Humanitarian Awards 10^th Anniversary Dinner: Illinois Holocaust Museum; Chicago, Illinois; March 13, 2019
Speaker, ABA National White Collar Crime Institute; New Orleans, Louisiana; (Implicit Bias) March 8, 2019
Speaker, City of Atlanta – Local Government Seminar; Atlanta, GA; (Implicit Bias) March 7, 2019
Speaker, City of Atlanta Local Government Seminar; Atlanta, Georgia; (Implicit Bias) March 5, 2018
Speaker, Women in Criminal Justice Task Force Meeting; Albuquerque, New Mexico; March 1, 2019
Speaker, University of Chicago Law Judge James B. Parsons Legacy Dinner; Chicago, Illinois; February 28, 2019
Speaker, Dartmouth Lawyers Association; Implicit Bias Speaker; Big Sky, MT; February 23, 2019
Speaker, Vanderbilt Law School Lecture; Nashville, Tennessee; February 20, 2019
Speaker, Dream Keepers: New Hope Baptist Church; Memphis, Tennessee; February 17, 2019
Speaker, ABA Section of Litigation, Corporate Counsel CLE Seminar; San Antonio, TX; (Implicit Bias) February 15, 2019
Speaker, Lawyers Without Rights and German Federal Bar Event; New York, New York; February 7, 2019
Speaker, 48^th Annual SRBLSA Convention; Memphis, Tennessee; February 2, 2019
Speaker, ABA Midyear Meeting, Judicial Division and State and Local Government Section; Las Vegas, NV; (Implicit Bias) January 26, 2019
Speaker, ABA Mid-Year Meeting; Las Vegas, Nevada; (Implicit Bias) January 24, 2019
Speaker, NBA Judicial Council Mid-Winter Meeting; Panama City, Panama; January 18, 2019
Speaker, National Trial Advocacy College University of Virginia School of Law; Charlottesville, Virginia; January 5, 2019

2018

Speaker, MBA Presentation – Cross Cultural Issues; December 18, 2018
Speaker, FJC: Judicial Independence and the Federal Courts: A Historical Perspective; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; December 13, 2018
Speaker, Memphis Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Annual Meeting; (Implicit Bias) December 7, 2018
Speaker, MBA L&E Meeting; (Implicit Bias) December 5, 2018
Speaker, Forum on Business and Human Rights; Geneva, Switzerland; November 25, 2018
Speaker, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Annual Symposium; Hyattsville, MD; (Implicit Bias) November 12, 2018
Speaker, ABA Annual Section of Labor & Employment Law Conference; San Francisco, California; November 9, 2018
Speaker, CJS Fall Institute; Washington, D.C.; (Implicit Bias) November 2, 2018
Speaker, NCBJ Conference; San Antonio, Texas, October 28, 2018
Speaker, Trial Network’s Fall Conference; Half Moon Bay, California; October 25, 2018
James Madison Lecture, New York University School of Law; October 22, 2018
Judge, UT College of Law Advocates’ Prize Competition; Knoxville, Tennessee; October 18, 2018
Speaker, Florida Bar Criminal Justice Summit; Tampa, Florida; October 17, 2018
Speaker, 2018 Civil Rights & Social Justice Fall Meeting; Montgomery, Alabama; October 10, 2018
Speaker, SOC Fall Leadership Meeting; Chicago, Illinois; (Implicit Bias) September 26, 2018
Speaker, Smart on Crime Innovations Conference John Jay College of Criminal Justice; New York, New York; September 25, 2018
Speaker, Eleanor Roosevelt Prize Dinner (CHR); New York, New York; September 13, 2018
Speaker, Workshop on Intellectual Property Adjudication, September 7, 2018
Speaker, Washington University Convocation, St. Louis, Missouri; August 19, 2018
Speaker, Federal Public Defender, Northern District of Ohio and Federal Bar Association, Northern Ohio Chapter; Federal Criminal Practice Seminar; Cleveland, OH; (Implicit Bias) August 17, 2018
Speaker, ABA Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois; August 2, 2018
Speaker, NBA Annual Judicial Convention; New Orleans, Louisiana; August 1, 2018
Speaker, ABI Annual Southeast Bankruptcy Workshop; Amelia Island, Florida; (Implicit Bias); July 28 – 29, 2018
Speaker, NBA Annual Judicial Convention; New Orleans, Louisiana; July 27, 2018
Speaker, CLDP Workshop on Adjudication of Civil Intellectual Property Infringement Cases; Batumi, Georgia; July 17, 2018
Speaker, The Scourge of Trafficking in the 21^st Century; Montreal, Quebec; July 15, 2018
Speaker, Judicial Colloquium on Handling Administrative, Civil, and Criminal IP Cases; Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar; July 9, 2018
Speaker, NELA Annual Convention; Chicago, Illinois; June 27, 2018
Speaker, Equal Justice Society, Mind Science Conference; Oakland, CA; (Implicit Bias) June 22, 2018
Speaker, Pathway to the Bench; Tampa, Florida; June 19, 2018
Speaker, Women’s Day Mt. Pisgah C.M.E Church; Memphis, Tennessee; June 18, 2018
Speaker, Arkansas Bar Association Annual Meeting and Arkansas Judicial Council; Hot Spring, AR; (Implicit Bias) June 15, 2018
Speaker, ABA Paris Meetings; Paris, France; June 7, 2018
Speaker, U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota; Judges’ In-Court Seminar; Alexandria, MN; (Implicit Bias) May 31, 2018
Speaker, FJC: Intellectual Property in the New Technological Age Seminar; Berkeley, California; May 22, 2018
Speaker, American Law Institute Annual Meeting; Washington, D.C.; May 21, 2018
Speaker, Capital Area Bar Association, Jackson, Mississippi; May 17, 2018
Speaker, Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference; Nashville, Tennessee; May 15, 2018
Speaker, FJC: Basics of Employment Law Discrimination; Washington, D.C.; May 14, 2018
Speaker, FJA Quadrennial Conference; Washington, D.C.; May 6, 2018
Speaker, Associate Executive Director Global Programs Meeting; Washington, D.C.; May 1, 2018
Speaker, Memphis Bar Association Bench Bar Conference; Saint Louis, Missouri; April 27, 2018
Speaker, Polish Judges Association Conference; Warsaw, Poland; April 19, 2018
Speaker, Dignity Rights and Environmental Justice Symposium; Wilmington, Delaware; April 12, 2018
Speaker, Section of Antitrust Law Spring Meeting; Washington, D.C.; April 10, 2018
Speaker, S. District Court and the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike; Memphis, Tennessee; April 5, 2018
Speaker, Justice Donald L. Corbin Appellate Symposium; Little Rock, AR; (Implicit Bias) March 30, 2018
Judge, Seigenthaler-Sutherland Cup National First Amendment Moot Court Competition; Washington, D.C.; March 24, 2018
Speaker, University of Georgia School of Law, Jurist in Residence; Athens, GA; (Implicit Bias) March 19, 2018
Speaker, Gideon’s Promise Event: Igniting Change 2018; Atlanta, Georgia; March 16, 2018
Speaker, American Constitution Society Student Convention; Implicit Bias Training; Chicago, IL; March 10, 2018
Speaker, Illinois College of Law Judicial Diversity Symposium; Champaign, Illinois; February 26, 2018
Speaker, Fordham Law Symposium, The Future of Neuroscience and Law; New York, NY; (Implicit Bias) February 21, 2018
Speaker, ABA Mid-Year Meeting; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; January 31, 2018
Speaker, Labor & Employment Law Mock Trial Competition; New Orleans, Louisiana; January 28, 2018
Speaker, Judicial Council Mid-Winter Meeting; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; January 21, 2018
Speaker, SOL Winter Leadership Meeting; Honolulu, Hawaii; January 18, 2018
Speaker, Detroit Martin Luther King Day; Detroit, Michigan; January 14, 2018
Speaker, 37^th Annual National Trial Advocacy College 2018; Charlottesville, Virginia; January 6, 2018

2017

2016

Speaker, Memphis Bar Association 10^th Annual Professionalism Seminar; December 20, 2016
Speaker, American College of Bankruptcy; Washington, D.C.; December 16, 2016
Speaker, Virgin Islands Bar Association Annual Meeting; Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; December 9, 2016
Speaker, December Sitting: U.S. Court of Appeals; Cincinnati, Ohio; December 5, 2016
Speaker, Memphis Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section Annual Seminar; Memphis, Tennessee; December 2, 2016
Speaker, University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law; Implicit Bias Conference; Memphis, TN; November 18, 2016
Speaker, ABA 2016 Professional Success Summit; Atlanta, Georgia; November 14, 2016
Speaker, ABA 10^th Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference; Chicago, Illinois; November 11, 2016
Speaker, Mid-Town Rotary Club; Memphis, Tennessee; November 8, 2016
Speaker, ABA Criminal Justice Section Fall Institute; Washington, D.C.; November 4, 2016
Speaker, Campus Sexual Violence National Institute; Washington, D.C.; November 3, 2016
Speaker, ABA Center for Human Rights Fall Meeting 2016; Washington, D.C., November 1, 2016
Speaker, International Association of Lawyers; Budapest, Hungary; October 28, 2016
Speaker, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges: ABA Program on Bankruptcy Appeals; San Francisco, California; October 27, 2016
Speaker, Connecticut Young Lawyers Section’s 2016 Diversity Award Dinner; New Haven, Connecticut; October 26, 2016
Speaker, Right to Counsel Judicial Roundtable; Washington, D.C.; October 25, 2016
Speaker, The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers New Fellows Reception; Detroit, Michigan; October 24, 2016
Speaker, U.S. Justice Department; Washington, D.C.; (Implicit Bias) October 22, 2016
Speaker, One Church One School 19^th Partnership Conference Awards Luncheon; Oak Lawn, Illinois; October 21, 2016
Speaker, National Civil Rights Museum 25^th Freedom Award; Memphis, Tennessee; October 20, 2016
Speaker, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys; Al Jaddaf, Dubai; October 8, 2016
Speaker, 2016 ABA Construction Forum; Chicago, Illinois; October 6, 2016
Speaker, ABA SOL Fall Leadership Meeting; Austin, Texas; October 6, 2016
Speaker, 2016 International Humanitarian Law Dialogs; Nuremberg, Germany; September 28, 2016
Speaker, September Sitting: U.S. Court of Appeals; Cincinnati, Ohio; September 26, 2016
Speaker, NABJ Media Institute on Legal Affairs; Washington, D.C.; September 24, 2016
Speaker, SOC Fall Leadership Meeting; Chicago, Illinois; September 21, 2016
Speaker, Southern Center for Human Rights Symposium; Atlanta, GA; (Implicit Bias) September 20, 2016
Speaker, ALI Project Meeting; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; September 14, 2016
Speaker, Administrative Office of the U.S. Court, Defender Services; Atlanta, GA; (Implicit Bias) September 8, 2016
Speaker, ABA 2016 Annual Conference; San Francisco, California; (Implicit Bias) August 4, 2016
Speaker, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Case Management Meeting; Cincinnati, Ohio; August 2, 2016
Speaker, Senior Status Planning Conference; San Diego, California; July 27, 2016
Speaker, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit Conference; Implicit Bias Training; Big Sky, MT: July 13, 2016
Speaker, National Association of Attorneys Conference; (Implicit Bias) July 12, 2016
Speaker, National Constitution Center Second Founding Advisory Board Launch; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; May 10, 2016
Speaker, Louisville Metro Public Defender Implicit Bias Training, Louisville, KY, (Implicit Bias) May 10, 2016
Speaker, Connecticut Bar Association Appellate Advocacy Institute; New Britain, Connecticut; May 6, 2016
Speaker, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Federal Defender Implicit Bias Training; Philadelphia, PA; May 4, 2016
Speaker, ABA CJS Spring Meeting; Albuquerque, New Mexico; April 29, 2016
Speaker, FJC National Workshop for Bankruptcy Judges; Albuquerque, New Mexico; April 19, 2016
Speaker, Judicial Education Conference, Lombard, IL, (Implicit Bias) April 2016
Speaker, Implicit Bias Author’s Meeting; Chicago Illinois; April 6, 2016
Speaker, American Bar Association, Institute for Race and Justice, Harvard Law School, (Implicit Bias) March 2, 2016
Speaker, ABA Mid-Year Meeting; San Diego, California; February 7, 2016
Speaker, Illinois Judicial Education Conference; Lombard, Illinois; (Implicit Bias) February 2, 2016

2015

2014

Panelist, National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges’ Annual Conference, Chicago, Illinois, Sept. 2014
Presenter, 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Acts, Bench Bar Conference, Western District of Michigan Federal Bar Association, Mackinac Island, Michigan, Sept. 2014
Presenter, Implicit Bias, EEOC EEO Training Seminar, Charlotte, North Carolina, Sept. 2014
Keynote Speaker, Seminar on the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Acts, Federal Bar Association, Greeneville, Tennessee, Sept. 2014
Speaker, Court IT Program Assessment; Ghana; September 1, 2014
Speaker, ABA Section of Criminal Justice Committee Orientation; August 21, 2014
Speaker, 2014 ABA Annual Meeting; Boston, MA; August 8, 2014
Moderator and Speaker, various topics including Ethics and Professional Responsibility, ALI–CLE Conference on Employment Law, Santa Fe, New Mexico, July 2014
Presenter, Promoting & Supporting Diversity in Appellate Practice & Writing for Your Audience, Defense Research Institute Appellate Advocacy Program, Chicago, Illinois, Jul. 2014
Presenter, Pragmatic Brief Writing, National Employment Lawyers Association, Boston, Massachusetts, Jun. 2014
Speaker, International Law Institute’s Program for the Ugandan Judiciary, Georgetown University, Jul. & Dec. 2014
Commencement Speaker, Legal Studies Program, University of California – Berkeley, May 2014
Keynote Speaker, 2014 Law Day Event, Bowling Green-Warren County Bar Association, May 2014
Speaker, Closing Arguments, ABA Litigation Section Annual Conference, Apr. 2014
Speaker, “Leadership in Diversity” for Mississippi Bar Association Annual Meeting, Apr. 2014
Panel Moderator, “Is it Learning to Lead or Learning to Lean In? Cross-Cultural Lessons from Women Around the World,” ABA Section of International Law Spring Meeting, New York, March 1, 2014
Speaker, Quarterly Luncheon for the Eastern District of Michigan Federal Bar Association; Detroit, MI; February 19, 2014
Speaker, Black History Month 2014 Presentation; February 18, 2014
Keynote Speaker, Annual Wade McCree, Jr. Award Luncheon, Eastern District of Michigan Federal Bar Association, Feb. 2014
Speaker, ABA Section of Litigation Corporate Counsel CLE Seminar; Rancho Mirage, CA; February 1, 2014
Jurist in Residence, Washington University School of Law, Jan. 29, 2014
Keynote Speaker, Hamilton Burnett American Inn of Court Winter Banquet, Knoxville, Tennessee, Jan. 2014

2013 and Other

WIPO-USPTO Judicial Colloquium on Intellectual Property Rights, Washington, DC, Dec. 2013
Keynote Speaker, Annual Meeting, Western District of Michigan Federal Bar Association, Oct. 2013
Keynote Address, Legal Diversity Summit, University of Nebraska College of Law, Sept. 2013
White House Research Workshop on “Parental Incarceration in the United States: Bringing Together Research and Policy to Reduce Collateral Costs to Children,” Washington, DC, Aug. 2013
Issues on Comparable Worth – Department of Energy, Knoxville, TN
Getting Women Elected to Office, Tennessee
Women’s Political Caucus, Nashville, TN
Presenter, Domestic Violence: A Blue Print for Action, American Judges Association, New Orleans, Louisiana
Presenter, “Preparing Youth for Leadership,” Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Memphis, Tennessee
Presenter, Presiding in a Criminal Court, A Workshop National Institute of Justice, Phoenix, Arizona
Presenter, The Automatic Stay – “For Protection When You Need It Most,” Federal Bar Association, Memphis, Tennessee
Host, “Studio – 97” and “Lawscope” Radio Programs, 1981 – 1982
Speaker, Gender and Race Bias, Department of Sociology, University of Memphis
Participant, numerous television shows to discuss legal and judicial issues

Community Involvement

Civic Boards

Treasurer, Tennessee Women Forum, 1995
Memphis Race Relations & Diversity Institute, 1994 – 1999
University of Memphis Alumni Board, 1994 – 2008
Board of Directors, Memphis in May 1994 – 1997
Leadership Memphis, Inc., 1993 – 1996
Board of Directors, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, 1992 – 1994
Board of Directors, Midtown Mental Health, 1990 – 1992, 1994 – 1996
President, Memphis Street Law, Inc., 1985 – 1986
Girls Club of Memphis

Civic & Community Groups

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Alpha Eta Zeta Chapter
Chair, African American Involvement Committee
Business & Professional Women Clubs

Hon. Bernice Donald (Ret.) Member

Hon. Bernice Donald (Ret.)