Raleigh, NC – Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP is pleased to announce that Nana Asante-Smith recently completed a three-day intensive diversity trial advocacy program taught by Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers. The College is one of the premier legal associations in the United States and Canada.
Nana was among 40 program participants who received training on refining opening statements, delivering effective direct examinations, and analyzing impeachment strategies. The three-day program in Chicago culminated in a mock trial as participants received feedback from College faculty at every step.
"It wasn’t just about teaching trial skills and strategies," Nana said. "There was equally as much an emphasis on practicing what we were taught and what we learned."
"The program left me with practical and transferable skills that I can use in my practice going forward," Nana added.
The program focuses on diversity in the courtroom by aiming to have trial lawyers better mirror the diversity of our society and courtrooms. The College believes a more diverse pool of lawyers will benefit clients and the justice system.
At Parker Poe, Nana concentrates her practice on business litigation, internal investigations, and allegations of sex discrimination at colleges and universities. She has represented clients in industries such as financial services, health care, manufacturing, and education.
Her practice is informed by her previous experience as a county assistant district attorney, where she prosecuted an array of cases.
"I have the lived experience of seeing what it means to have a dearth of diversity in the courtroom and the lived experience of seeing what it means to have people who look like me being overrepresented as defendants in a courtroom," Nana said. "Being able to have those lived experiences helps me understand and value why it’s so important for programs like this to exist."
Parker Poe’s Chip Holmes, Charles Raynal, Rick Glaser, and Catharine Arrowood are all Fellows of the College. Fellowship is by invitation only and follows a lengthy investigation of nominees. Less than 1% of attorneys in any given state or province are admitted to the college.
About Parker Poe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has more than 275 lawyers in eight offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Washington, DC. The firm provides legal counsel to many of the largest companies and local governments in the Southeast.
Parker Poe is a member of two leading international legal networks: TerraLex and the Employment Law Alliance. TerraLex and the ELA have chosen Parker Poe to help guide clients through the challenges of global business.