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AWA Board Biographies

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President

Faith Watson

Faith Watson is a native of Nashville, Tennessee but has been in Memphis since 2013. She graduated Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2016 and was selected to be a clerk for Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins in Chancery Court Part III in Shelby County. She was also a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable William Campbell, Jr. for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. 

 

After completing her clerkships, Faith practiced Family Law with the Rice Law Firm and then became an Assistant District Attorney for Shelby County before working as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Memphis. She is currently a Professor at Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in Memphis, Tennessee where she teaches Legal Methods and Divorce Law Practicum and coaches the Mock Trial Team. She also serves as President of the Memphis Bar Association-Young Lawyers Division and involved with Tennessee Bar Association- Young Lawyer Division.

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Immediate Past President

Noor Obaji

Noor Obaji is an associate at Baker Donelson, where she focuses her practice area on financial services and compliance.  Ms. Obaji has extensive litigation experience defending clients in health care liability defense, automobile liability, premises liability, and workers' compensation cases. Ms. Obaji served as second chair in both federal and circuit court jury trials involving health care and transportation/logistics matters. She conducts research on complex legal issues to guide case strategy and drafts pleadings, motions, and briefs for federal, state, and appellate courts. Ms. Obaji also has experience arguing motions before state court judges and conducting and defending depositions in various liability cases and mediations.

 

Ms. Obaji is an active member of the Memphis legal community, most recently serving as president of the AWA.  She contributes to the legal profession by mentoring aspiring lawyers, coaching Hutchison School's mock trial team, and participating in various community outreach and professional development initiatives.

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President-Elect & Annual Banquet Co-Chair

Rachel McCallister

Rachel is an associate attorney at Lewis Thomason, where she concentrates her practice on civil litigation. Prior to joining the firm, she served for two years as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Holly Kirby on the Tennessee Supreme Court, gaining valuable insight into appellate advocacy and judicial decision-making.

A graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Rachel is committed to thoughtful, client-focused advocacy and active engagement in the Memphis legal community.

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Vice President & Annual Banquet Co-Chair

Kelsey Duckett

Kelsey Duckett helps her clients in the area of business formation at Harris Shelton. Her dedicated, hardworking and resilient work ethic ensures the best outcomes for her clients.

Kelsey’s interest in law was sparked after taking Constitutional Law as an elective in undergraduate school. It was the cases and how the courts interpreted and shaped our Constitution with those cases that inspired her to pursue law. She further honed her legal skills working at AutoZone, Inc. During her internship there, she drafted and reviewed contracts and vendor agreements and policed trademark registrations.

 

Outside of her practice at Harris Shelton, Kelsey is involved in several professional organizations, such as Memphis Urban League Young Professionals, Association for Women Attorney’s, National Bar Association – Ben F. Jones Chapter, Memphis Bar Associations, and many others.

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Secretary

Hallie Robison

Hallie Robison serves as the Social Chair for the Association of Women Attorneys.  Hallie is an associate at Lewis Thomason, PC, where she focuses her practice area on civil litigation. 

 

Hallie received her undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2020. She then earned her J.D. from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphrys School of Law in 2023. 

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Treasurer

Anita Lotz

Anita serves as the Treasurer for AWA. Anita is a member at Phelps Dunbar LLP.  Her practice concentrates in the areas of financial institutions regulatory compliance, commercial finance transactions, real estate transactions, and general corporate law.  

 

She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University and her Juris Doctor degree from Boston University.  

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Historian/Social Media

Magistrate Shayla Purifoy

Anita serves as the Treasurer for AWA. Anita is a member at Phelps Dunbar LLP.  Her practice concentrates in the areas of financial institutions regulatory compliance, commercial finance transactions, real estate transactions, and general corporate law.  

 

She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University and her Juris Doctor degree from Boston University.  

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Parliamentarian

Sara McKinney

Sara K. McKinney is an Associate Attorney at Glankler Brown concentrates her practice in the area of business and commercial litigation, and medical malpractice.

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Social Chair

Eliza Jones

Eliza is a member of the Financial Services Litigation and Compliance Group, where she represents financial institutions and businesses in complex commercial litigation and arbitration matters nationwide. Her practice spans state and federal courts, as well as FINRA and AAA arbitrations, and includes defending clients in consumer and class action litigation and resolving a wide range of business disputes.

 

Eliza is an active leader in the Memphis legal community and proudly serves on the boards of both the Memphis Bar Association and the Association for Women Attorneys. She values mentorship, collaboration, and service, and is committed to supporting and advancing women in the legal profession.

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Golf Tournament Co-Chair

Page Smith

Page Smith was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee except for a four-year span when she attended Mississippi State University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and a minor in Psychology. Upon her return to Memphis in 2016, she attended the Cecil C. Humphrey’s School of Law, where she served as a Student Attorney for the Neighborhood Preservation Clinic, as well as externed with the Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation’s Corporate Legal Counsel and the University of Memphis Office of Legal Counsel. In 2019 she obtained her J.D. from the Cecil C. Humphrey’s School of Law and began practicing with Hodum Law, PLLC, where she has remained ever since, practicing in family law, criminal law, probate, business law, and other areas of civil litigation.

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Golf Tournament Co-Chair

Mary Kathryn Brogan

Mary Kathryn Brogan is an associate attorney at Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh, PLLC, where she assist clients with estate planning and probate administration.

 

Mary Kathryn graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics in May of 2021. During her time at Ole Miss, Mary Kathryn served as Vice President of the University of Mississippi Economics Club, a Chief Emissary Officer for the School of Business and in several leadership roles within her sorority, Kappa Delta. As a senior, she was also honored with the Outstanding BBA Economics Student Award. 

Mary Kathryn continued her education at the University of Mississippi School of Law, where she served as President of the Intellectual Property Law Society, was a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council, and worked as a student attorney in the Transactional Law Clinic. She earned her J.D. Degree in May of 2024, and is currently licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Mississippi. 

Outside of the office, Mary Kathryn enjoys playing tennis and pickleball, attending concerts, and traveling. Her international adventures have taken her to England, Italy, France, Scotland, Switzerland, Ireland, and Peru — destinations that she hopes to continue adding to in the years ahead. 

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CLE Co-Chair

Dakota Beasley

Dakota Beasley concentrates her practice in real estate law. A proud Memphis native, she earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, where she served as President of the Student Bar Association, and simultaneously obtained her Master of Business Administration from the Fogelman College of Business.

 

During law school, Dakota gained valuable experience through a judicial externship with Judge Sheryl Lipman in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee and through internships with FedEx’s corporate legal and compliance teams. She is deeply connected to the Memphis community and is committed to leadership, service, and professional excellence.

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CLE Co-Chair

Chelsea Connor

Chelsea Connor is currently a Partner at Gill Family Law, PLLC, where she concentrates her practice in the areas of divorce, child custody and support, abuse and neglect, termination of parental rights, adoptions, grandparent visitation, and other areas of family law. Chelsea began her legal career as a Law Fellow for the Office of Legal Counsel at the University of Memphis, where she provided legal assistance to all areas of the University. Prior to entering private practice, Chelsea had the privilege to clerk of the Honorable Jim Kyle, Chancellor of Part II of the Shelby County Chancery Court. In addition to serving as the CLE Co-Chair for the AWA, Chelsea is a participant in the Memphis Bar Leadership Forum and also serves as the Vice President of the Family Law Section of the Memphis Bar; Board Member of the Dream Factory of Memphis, an organization that grants dreams to chronically ill children; and the Chair of the West Cancer Foundation’s Young Professional’s Advisory Board.

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Scholarship Chair

Olivia Klepzig

Olivia Klepzig is an associate at Bass, Berry & Sims, where she provides healthcare regulatory and transactional counsel as it relates to mergers, acquisitions, compliance and operational matters.

 

Olivia obtained her undergraduate degree in Political Science at Arkansas State University in 2021 and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2024. 

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Community Outreach Chair

Misty O'Neal

Misty L. O’Neal is a 2018 Juris Doctor graduate from the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law where she graduated with a Certificate in Advocacy. Misty currently works as an Associate Attorney for her father’s law practice, the Law Office of Darrell J. O’Neal, where she is currently in her seventh (7) year of practice.  Misty’s law practice includes a general law practice of Civil Litigation which includes Labor and Employment Law, Estate and Probate Planning, Environmental Court, Contracts and Sales Law, Property Law, Corporate Formation and Dissolution, Partnership Dissolution and Agency Law, Products Liability, Personal Injury, Forcible Entry and Detainer, Collections, Administrative Law, Civil Rights/Constitutional Law, Social Security Disability, and Race, Age and Gender Discrimination.

 

Misty has served on the Board of Directors of the Memphis Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division (YLD) from 2024-2025 and has also served as the Memphis Bar Association's Representative for the Association of Women Attorneys (AWA), and the Association of Women Attorneys’ Representative for the Memphis Bar Association’s Board of Directors.

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Membership Chair

Laura Hutton

Lauren Hutton is an Assistant District Attorney with the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, where she has served since 2021. Her legal experience includes prior work as an associate attorney and law clerk at Godwin, Morris, Laurenzi & Bloomfield, P.C., as well as legal internships with Shelby County Schools and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare.

 

A graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Lauren is committed to public service and the Memphis community. She brings a strong work ethic, diverse professional background, and dedication to justice to her role, and values service and leadership within the legal profession.

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Mentorship Chair

Meredith Brasfield

Meredith Brasfield is an associate in the law firm of Weaver & Craig, P.C., where her practice has been devoted primarily to adoptions in Tennessee and Mississippi.  Within the practice, she assists and represents adopting couples, birth parents and adoption agencies in matters including surrenders, termination of parental rights and interstate, international, relative and private placement adoptions. Mrs. Brasfield is a member of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, and she is a frequent speaker on adoption law. She is also a member of the Adoption Law Section of the Tennessee Bar Association and served as the section Chair for 2022-2023.  Mrs. Brasfield received her B.A. degree from Birmingham-Southern College and J.D. degree from Mississippi College School of Law. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee with her husband, Charles, and their two children Blair (7) and Harrison (6).

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Judicial Reception Chair

Rebekka Freeman Terrell

Rebekka Freeman Terrell is the Chief Administrative Officer of the Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk’s Office. She serves as the Judicial Reception Chair for the 2026 AWA Board.

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Judicial Liaison

Judge Taylor Bachelor

Meredith Brasfield is an associate in the law firm of Weaver & Craig, P.C., where her practice has been devoted primarily to adoptions in Tennessee and Mississippi.  Within the practice, she assists and represents adopting couples, birth parents and adoption agencies in matters including surrenders, termination of parental rights and interstate, international, relative and private placement adoptions. Mrs. Brasfield is a member of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, and she is a frequent speaker on adoption law. She is also a member of the Adoption Law Section of the Tennessee Bar Association and served as the section Chair for 2022-2023.  Mrs. Brasfield received her B.A. degree from Birmingham-Southern College and J.D. degree from Mississippi College School of Law. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee with her husband, Charles, and their two children Blair (7) and Harrison (6).

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Law School Liaison 

Jodi Wilson

Jodi Wilson currently serves as Associate Professor of Law at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.  Jodi first joined the Memphis Law Faculty in 2009, serving as the Director of the first-year legal research and writing program.  She served as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 2018-2025.

 

Before joining the Memphis Law Faculty, Jodi was a litigator with a national civil litigation and arbitration practice, focusing on class actions, business disputes, and securities industry arbitrations. Jodi earned her J.D. from the Washington University School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville. 

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CLC Representative

Constance Brown

Constance K. Brown is an Anti-Blight Prosecutor for the City of Memphis and a proud Mississippi Delta native. Her work is rooted in public service, community advocacy, and improving quality of life in Memphis neighborhoods.

Constance is an active member of the Memphis Bar Association, National Bar Association, and the Association for Women Attorneys, and has been widely recognized for her commitment to justice and service. Her honors include the Memphis Bar Association’s 2021 Champion of Justice: Public Interest Attorney award, recognition by the Tennessee Supreme Court as a 2024 Attorney for Justice for her pro bono work, and the 2024 AA Latting Community Service Award from the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association.

 

She earned her Juris Doctor from Mississippi College School of Law, where she was recognized for excellence in trial advocacy, and holds a Master of Business Administration from Belhaven University with a concentration in leadership.

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TBA-YLD Representative

Caroline Montoya

Caroline Montoya serves as the TBA–YLD Representative for AWA. She is an associate in Lewis Thomason’s Memphis office and is licensed to practice in both Tennessee and Mississippi. She is a proud Memphis native who pursued her legal education in Washington, D.C. at American University Washington College of Law, where she earned her JD in 2023. Her practice focuses primarily on healthcare defense, premises liability, transportation, and corporate formation.

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WTLS Representative

Brande Boyd

Brande L. Boyd is a Memphis-based attorney whose practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions. A graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, she earned her Juris Doctor in 2019 and has been admitted to practice in Tennessee since that time.

 

Brande has been recognized as a Rising Star from 2023 to 2025 for her professional excellence and commitment to client advocacy. She is an active leader in the Memphis legal community and is dedicated to service, mentorship, and advancing women in the legal profession through her involvement with the Association for Women Attorneys.

Contact Us
Association for Women Attorneys

Email: memphisawa@gmail.com​
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