After receiving her undergraduate degree (with honors) from Southeastern, Ebony went
on to earn a Juris Doctorate degree (with honors) from Southern University Law Center
in 2014. She is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern,
Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana and the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Ebony represents product manufacturers, corporations, national franchise restaurants,
insurers, and their insureds through all phases of litigation. Her practice areas
include personal injury, product liability litigation, premise liability litigation,
retail and hospitality litigation, and mass tort defense.
I chose to attend Southeastern for three reasons: 1) my mother graduated from Southeastern
with a Bachelor of Arts and hearing her experience with Southeastern inspired me to
attend; 2) affordable tuition; and 3) convenience, as Southeastern is only a few minutes
from my hometown.
Southeastern has so many iconic things so it is difficult to name just one. However,
one iconic thing that reminds me of my time spent is Gumbo Yaya. In addition to great
food, I always had a chance to connect with my friends and classmates.
There are too many to name; however, I would be remiss if I did not name Dr. Ronald
Traylor, Dr. Peter Petrakis, and the late Rebecca Hensley. Dr. Traylor, Dr. Petrakis,
and Professor Hensley encouraged critical thinking from their students, and all were
engaged and invested in the success of their students. I am certain their guidance
influenced my success in law school.
The law is an incredibly powerful weapon, and I enjoy using the law to advocate for
my clients and their profession. I love getting the bests results for my clients,
and I honestly cannot imagine working in any other profession.
In the second or third year of my career, I began to doubt whether I chose the right
profession. It is no secret that minority women attorneys make up a very small percentage
of the legal profession. Minority women attorneys not only have to deal with sexism,
but racism, in the legal profession. I was often faced with the question of “are you
the paralegal?” or “are you the secretary?,” or even worse, questioning whether I
was an attorney at all (even after I gave proof). I did not expect this to happen
and almost gave up on the profession. But thankfully, divine mentors and sponsors
were placed in my path, and they encouraged me to press forward. While that experience
was unexpected and hurtful, it was necessary for my professional growth.
The “real world” is nothing to fear. There will be plenty of mountains and valleys,
but that makes the experience valuable and unique. The world belongs to you. It is
up to you what you do with it.
Ignore anything and anyone who says you cannot accomplish your goals. Ignore those
who try to convince you to pursue another path. If your heart is set on that path,
fearlessly pursue it.
I love love love reading (audible and hard copies), writing, volunteering, and spending
time with my family.
I was voted “most likely to succeed” in high school.
