Northeastern Law’s Kemet Chapter Celebrates Accomplishments at NEBLSA Convention

Photo left (left to right): Professor Dan Danielsen, Shlan Tekeste ’25, Tamia Hackworth ’25, Tamie Daniels ’25 and Tia Martin ’25. Photo right (left to right): Melissa Niles ’24, Shlan Tekeste ’25, Tia Martin ’25 and Keishia Dormena, director of the Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition.

03.14.24 — Northeastern Law’s Black Law Students Association–Kemet Chapter made its mark at the Northeast Black Law Students Association’s (NEBLSA) 56th Annual Convention, which took place in Buffalo, New York, in February. The theme for the 2024 convention was Boldness, Imprint, Legacy.

Shlan Tekeste ’25 (left) and Tia Martin ’25

Two moot court teams — one comprised of Nia Lyles ’24 and Amerique Phillips ’24 and the other comprised of Shlan Tekeste ’25 and Tia Martin ’25 — advanced well beyond the first round of the Northeast Regional Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition, with the team of Tekeste and Martin taking home the trophy for Best Petitioner Brief.

“Both teams proved terrific oral advocates in multiple rounds of arguments,” said Professor Dan Danielsen, who served as coach. “While they did not take home the crown this year, they competed well and eloquently against, as luck would have it, the toughest teams in the competition — two of which took first and second place.”

“It is particularly impressive that Shlan and Tia scored the highest of all petitioner briefs, given that the competition rules do not permit any assistance by coaches, faculty or other students in the brief writing process. This win was 100 percent due to their hard work and commitment to doing a spectacular job,” he added.

“Winning Best Petitioner Brief with Tia was not only an honor but also a great reminder that you do not have to go to a T-14 law school to succeed at the regional level. I thank not only Northeastern Law but also our coach Professor Danielsen and all of our mentors along the way for being so encouraging and motivating throughout this entire moot court experience,” said Tekeste.

“Representing Northeastern in this competition was both an honor and an invaluable learning experience that exposed me to appellate advocacy. Winning Best Petitioner Brief with Shlan, and with the support of our coach and mentors, is an immense accomplishment that we are proud to have achieved for the Kemet Chapter of BLSA,” added Martin. “My hope for the future is that we continue to expand access to this opportunity, so that more than two Northeastern BLSA teams can benefit from this experience.”

On the leadership front, Merissa Spaulding ’25, co-chair of the Kemet Chapter, was elected to take the helm as Combined Northern New England (CNNE) sub-regional director on the 58th NEBLSA Executive Board. She takes the baton from Melissa Niles ’24, who recently finished her term as director of the sub-region, which boasts the largest number of BLSA chapters in the Northeast Region.

About Northeastern University School of Law

The nation’s leader in experiential legal education since 1968, Northeastern University School of Law offers the longest-running, most extensive experience-based legal education program in the country. Northeastern guarantees its students unparalleled practical legal work experiences through its signature Cooperative Legal Education Program. More than 1,000 employers worldwide in a wide range of legal, government, nonprofit and business organizations participate in the program. With a focus on social justice and innovation, Northeastern University School of Law blends theory and practice, providing students with a unique set of skills and experiences to successfully practice law.

For more information, contact d.feldman@northeastern.edu.