Four UAPB Alumni Recently Graduated From Law School, Adding To Growing Number Of Beautiful Women – Deltaplex News

Pine Bluff, AR – When you think of the legal profession that promotes equality, do you consider who is behind the wheel? Do you consider where the profession is going? Since four UAPB graduates entered college in the mid-2010s, these drivers have increasingly become women. Seeing the results of these four women’s commitment to their goal, UAPB congratulates and recognizes these UAPB alumni who rose to the challenge and graduated from law school in 2022. From the School of Arts and Sciences sciences from UAPB, these are Tonisha Cox ‘2018 with a BA in Political Science, Ja’Mecia Laws’ 2018 with a BA in Social Science/Political Science, Ajia Richardson ‘2018 with a BA in Political Science and Angel (Thurman) Lockhart’ 2017 with a BA in Criminal Justice and a BA in English Literature.

Their passion for law and attendance at UAPB were their common ground. They come from different hometowns, Belleville, IL, East St. Louis, IL, Kansas City, MO and Pine Bluff, AR. They attended, graduated, and graduated as Juris Doctors from various law schools, including Howard University School of Law, Washington DC, University of Chicago Law School, Chicago, IL, Washington University School of Law, St Louis, MO and William. H. Bowen School of Law, UA Little Rock, AR. And they all share their positive undergraduate Pride experience and advice as an integral stepping stone to completing their higher law degree.

Henry Brooks IV, UAPB political science instructor and Ph.D. candidate in public policy, played a vital role in advising these students. Brooks makes himself available to advise any student interested in attending graduate and professional schools. According to Mr. Brooks, “Our forensic work is starting to look more like a real forensic program. Many of our current students and alumni have just completed a semester-long Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) course with Professor Cummings of UALR Bowen Law School. Our two institutions have an admissions agreement that benefits our students’ admission if they achieve a certain GPA and LSAT score. We are also in contact with the University of Arkansas Law School at Fayetteville about the possibility of duplicating this agreement.

We collected their biographies so that you can meet these beautiful women. Their biographies will reveal their past, present and future endeavours.

Tonisha Cox, better known as Toni, hails from East St. Louis, IL. In 2018, she graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), where she received a BA in political science. While at UAPB, Toni was an active member of the student government association and political science club, president of Black Essence, residential assistant for the LIONS program, and student leader for the recruiting office. She also articled at the law firm of Danyelle Walker, PLLC, in Little Rock and at the Arkansas State Capitol for District 17 Rep. Vivian Flowers. Tonisha is also a Spring 2016 Insider in the Delta Eta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. In May 2022, she graduated from William H. Bowen School of Law, UA Little Rock. Tonisha was a scholarship coordinator for the Black Law Students Association, a member of the BLSA and the school trial team, Henry Woods Inn of Court and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. She also had the opportunity to be a clerk in several businesses in the Little Rock area.

In her spare time, she volunteers at radiation clinics. In addition, she visits high schools and youth organizations to counsel, answer questions, and talk about her college experience. Tonisha plans to take the bar exam in Pennsylvania where she will later join the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney. Being a lawyer is a dream she developed at a young age, and she is excited to take one step closer to that dream. Tonisha loves eating tacos and nachos and spending time with her dog, Mr. Brown. A quote she lives is “Beat the Odds. Do some numbers. And stay humble.

Lois Ja’ Mecia is originally from Belleville, Illinois, where she currently resides and is a mayor-appointed member of the city’s Human Relations Commission. In the fall of 2018, she graduated from UAPB with a BA in Social Science/Political Science. Ja’Mecia was an active member of the Student Government Association and president of Essence of a Woman. Additionally, Ja’Mecia was a Fall 2018 Initiate of the Alpha Rho Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Ja’Mecia attended Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, where she graduated in May 2022.

In her spare time, Ja’Mecia enjoys serving her community through her church and sorority. After accepting the Missouri bar, Ja’Mecia will join the dynamic attorneys at Schlichter Bogard & Denton, working to promote justice for those affected by mass crime.

Angel Lockhart is from Kansas City, MO, graduated from UAPB in May 2017 summa cum laude with two BAs, one in Criminal Justice and one in English Literature. She held many leadership positions during her undergraduate studies – President, Delta Eta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; President, Criminal Justice Club; Co-editor in chief, The Arkansawyer; and co-editor-in-chief, The Lions Directory and interned for Arkansas State Representative Vivian Flowers of District 17.

She graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in June 2022, receiving the Herbert L. Caplan Award for Creative Legal Thinking and the Pro Bono Service Initiative Award. While in law school, Angel was an active member of the Earl B. Dickerson Black Law Students Association, First Generation Professionals, and a student-run writing project called Bridges. She also served as development editor for University of Chicago Business Law Journal and a research assistant for Professor Sharon Fairley.

While in law school, Angel worked with federal criminal justice and interned at the Fair Elections Center in Washington, DC. She participated in the ABA Litigation Section Judicial Intern Opportunity Program (JIOP) at the Maricopa County Superior Court in the Criminal Department. She also articled as a 1L summer associate at Osborn Maledon, PA, a Phoenix law firm. Angel will begin his legal career as an associate secretary to Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer of the Arizona Supreme Court.

Angel enjoys watching comedies, hiking, and spending time with his family in his spare time. However, she occasionally volunteers for the National Lawyers Guild’s legal observer program amid recent protests. This program ensures that law enforcement officials do not violate anyone’s First Amendment right to peaceful assembly.

Ajia Richardson is from Pine Bluff and graduated from UAPB in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. While at UAPB, she interned at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) and was inducted into the Delta Eta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated in the spring of 2016. Ajia was a member of the women’s team of Lady Lions basketball.

Ajia graduated in 2022 from Howard University School of Law. While in law school, Ajia interned at Amazon Studios and United Talent Agency (UTA). She also articled with Epps Firm, LLC, a firm specializing in business and intellectual property law that provides legal advice to creatives and entrepreneurs. While attending Howard University Law School, she was a student attorney in the Intellectual Property Trademark Clinic and a member of the Sports and Entertainment Law Student Association (SELSA). She led as president of SELSA in 2022 their annual center court conference. Ajia plans to take the Georgia bar exam and use her accumulated knowledge at Howard to implement fairness in entertainment.