OFFICERS
Tranae FelicienPresident |
Samson GoriolaChief of Staff |
Tranae Felicien is a 2L from the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Sociology. At Texas A&M, she interned for Congressman Will Hurd in his D.C. office and at the U.S. Embassy in Romania. After graduation, she worked as a Investments and Consulting Research Project Manager at Dynata. Also, she was selected to be an SEO Law fellow at Vinson & Elkins in Dallas before starting at Duke Law. Tranae spent her 1L summer working for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Houston in their Human Rights and Organized Crime division. To relax, Tranae enjoys playing competitive volleyball, cooking new recipes, and exploring nature. As BLSA President, Tranae strives to facilitate relationship-building within the black, law, and Durham communities for continued success of BLSA students.
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Samson Goriola is a 2L from Dallas, Texas. He graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in Political Science and a secondary focus on Philosophy. Throughout undergrad, Samson also worked as a Pharmacy Technician and played collegiate football for Whittier College before transferring to A&M. Samson spent his 1L summer working as an associate with Thompson & Knight LLP. At Duke Law, Samson is involved with the Innocence Project, 1st Generation Professionals, Texas Club, and is one of the Vice-Presidents of the Business Law Association. As BLSA Chief of Staff, Samson utilizes his experience serving as a class secretary to improve communication between BLSA members and Duke’s broader Black network. In his free time, Samson enjoys watching and playing sports, exercising, critiquing films, and volunteering with local organizations. After law school, Samson hopes to live and practice in Dallas.
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| Tranae’s Contact Info: Email: tranae.felicien@duke.edu |
Samson’s Contact Info: Email: samson.goriola@duke.edu |
Jordan BrownInternal Vice President |
Erin FloodExternal Vice President |
 Jordan Brown is a current 2L from Laurel, MD. Jordan attended the University of Maryland–College Park and graduated in 2019 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Professional Writing. As an undergraduate, Jordan served as a TA in the English Department and as a member on the University Student Judiciary.Jordan has an interest in environmental law and regulatory compliance and spent her 1L summer at Beveridge and Diamond in Washington, D.C. After graduation, Jordan wishes to return to Maryland and practice in the nation’s capital. In addition to BLSA, Jordan is the current Internal Vice President for First-Generation Professionals (1GP). In her free time, Jordan enjoys practicing yoga, reading British romantic-comedy novels, and adding to her candle collection. Last year, Jordan served as a 1L Rep for BLSA and is thrilled to continue to find ways to foster and increase engagement between BLSAmembers in order to strenghten the organization’s presence in the law school.
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At Duke Law, Erin served as a 1L Rep for the Sports and Entertainment Law Society and a member of the Innocence Project’s Community Outreach Team. This year, Erin serves as the Co-Chair of the Womxn of Color Collective. In her free time, Erin enjoys trying new restaurants, watching documentaries/biopics, and spending time with her friends and family. In her role on BLSA’s executive board, she wants to ensure that 1Ls see BLSA as both a supportive, safe space and a valuable networking resource. Additionally, Erin wants to create more pre-law opportunities for Black undergraduates in the Triangle Area.
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| Jordan’s Contact Info: Email: Jordan.n.brown@duke.edu |
Erin’s Contact Info: Email: erin.n.flood@duke.edu |
Jeffrey TwittyDirector of Programming |
Kaytlan AndersonDirector of Finance |
 Jeff Twitty is a 2L from Albany, NY. He graduated from Binghamton University in 2017 with a B.A. in English and a B.A. in geography, specializing in rhetoric and urban planning, respectively. After graduating, Jeff worked for two years as a municipal planner in upstate New York. He was selected to return to New York as a 1L summer associate with Bond, Schoeneck and King in Albany and Syracuse.
As a board member, Jeff aspires to bring the BLSA and greater Duke Law communities together to celebrate diversity on campus. As an attorney, Jeff plans to use his passion for development to help clients achieve their goals and prepare for the future. As a person, Jeff enjoys reading biographies, listening to music, and finding new ways to challenge himself.
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At Duke, she is enrolled in a JD/MA dual degree program in Bioethics and Science Policy. She plans to pursue a practice area in Intellectual Property, Technology, or Healthcare. Kaytlan spent her 1L summer as a Legal Intern for MagMutual Insurance company. She is involved with several organizations on campus including the Womxn of Color Collective, Mock Trial, Health Law Society, and of course BLSA. Kaytlan is also the Emergency Travel Fun d chair for graduate students. As Treasurer, she works hard to increase BLSA‘s yearly funding, so that the organization can do more activities. She enjoys socializing with friends and reading in her spare time.
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| Jeff’s Contact Info: Email: Jeffrey.twitty@duke.edu |
Kaytlan’s Contact Info: Email: kaytlyn.anderson@duke.edu |
Jennifer McGrewDirector of Academic Affairs |
Mackenzie ChakaraDirector of Communications & Webmaster |
 Jennifer is a 2L from Lubbock, Texas. She graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in History modified with African and African American Studies and Women and Gender Studies. She went on to earn her M.Ed. at Boston College and taught 8th and 9th grade history in Boston Public Schools for almost five years. Jennifer is also pursuing her Ph.D. in education from Boston College and is interested in looking at the intersection of law and education and its impact on inequities within the public education system.At Duke Law, Jennifer serves as a 2L Rep for the Womxn of Color Collective in addition to being a member of Outlaw and 1GP. On BLSA’s board Jennifer wants to work to ensure that Black students are provided a wide range of supports to complement their various academic interests. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys cheering for the Dallas Cowboys and Serena Williams, trying to figure out what her two cats Frederick “Fetty Wap” Douglass and Abraham “Lincoln” are doing, and singing enthusiastically while playing 2k on her Xbox.
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 Kenzie is a 2L from Lititz, PA. She graduated from Baylor University in 2018 with a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies. Mackenzie spent a semester in Washington, DC interning with the Center for American Progress, where she did research on public policy issues related to race and ethnicity. Kenzie spent her 1L summer with Jackson Walker in Houston, and she plans to return to Texas upon graduation.
At Duke, Kenzie serves as Co-Chair of the Womxn of Color Collective and is involved with pro bono projects including the Expunction Clinic and the Innocence Project. She enjoys connecting the BLSA community through our social media accounts and webpage, and hopes to help BLSA use the Internet to overcome some of the challenges posed by COVID-19.
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| Jennifer’s Contact Info: Email: Jennifer.mcgrew@duke.edu |
Kenzie’s Contact Info: Email: mackenzie.chakara@duke.edu |
Nya GavinBlack Graduate and Professional Students Association (BGPSA) Liason |
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Nya is a 2L from Boston, Massachusetts. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2017 with a B.A. in Legal Studies and Political Science. Prior to law school, Nya worked as a legal assistant at Skadden in Boston with their Litigation and their Executive Compensation & Benefits practice groups. Nya currently serves as the president of the Women Law Students Association and as the Recruitment Chair of the Womxn of Color Collective. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to true crime podcasts, and watching any New England sports team, especially the Patriots.
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| Nya’s Contact Info: Email: nya.gavin@duke.edu |
Erin Flood is from Savannah, Georgia but primarily grew up in the United States Virgin Islands. In May 2019, she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Exercise and Sport Science and Psychology. She is interested in labor and employment law, hoping to one day pursue this kind of legal work in the sports industry.
