Harvard Law School Association Black Alumni Network

President - Rory E. Verrett '95

Rory E. Verrett is the founder and managing partner of Protégé Search, a retained executive search and leadership advisory firm focused on diversity and public affairs. He previously served as a leader in the diversity and public affairs practices of two global executive search firms (Spencer Stuart and Russell Reynolds Associates), as the head of talent management and vice president of public affairs at the National Football League, and as CEO of a boutique public affairs consultancy.

Rory is the host of the iTunes New & Noteworthy podcast selection, Protégé Podcast, which focuses on career success for aspiring professionals. Rory has interviewed executives from Google, ESPN, and Goldman Sachs, as well as innovative entrepreneurs and accomplished professionals on this engaging and educational career talk show.
 

Rory has been a frequent panelist at Harvard BLSA conferences and was program committee co-chair for the 2016 Celebration of Black Alumni IV. At CBA IV, he helped curate three panel discussions, moderated one, and served as the host/emcee for the Friday night awards dinner. Rory is also Class Marshal for the HLS Class of 1995.
 

Rory is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Howard University, where he was the

student member of the board of trustees and a Harry S. Truman Scholar. He resides in Potomac, Maryland with his wife and daughter.

Internal Vice President - John Mathews II '07

John Mathews II is a resident of Long Beach, California and Senior Legal Counsel at The Justice Collaborative (TJC), where he provides legal and policy analysis in support of communities advocating for alternatives to incarceration and a just criminal legal system. John previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Puerto Rico, where he handled a variety of federal prosecutions, including international drug trafficking, firearms, and money laundering offenses. After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, John coordinated hurricane relief efforts and provided food and supplies to orphanages and community-based organizations.
 

Prior to moving to Puerto Rico, John was a Litigation Associate at Latham & Watkins LLP in Washington, D.C. While in D.C., John served as a Voter Protection Outreach Coordinator for Obama For America and Regional Lead for the Generation 44 Mid-Atlantic Finance Committee during the 2012 presidential campaign. He was also an inaugural board member of the Young Lawyers Network for the D.C. Bar Foundation, the leading private funder of civil legal services for the city’s underserved. Following law school, John clerked for the Honorable Raymond A. Jackson in the Eastern District of Virginia.

John graduated from Harvard Law School in 2007. While at HLS, he served as President of Harvard BLSA, an editor for the Harvard Civil Rights – Civil Liberties Law Review, and a pre-law non-resident tutor for Harvard College Quincy House. John holds a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA.

External Vice President - Kristin Turner '17

Kristin explores the intersection of law and technology and how the law can best leverage innovation. Her work began at  Upsolve — a technology nonprofit that partially automates the pro se ch. 7 bankruptcy process for low-income debtors - where she was the inaugural Access 2 Justice Tech fellow from Harvard Law School in 2017.   

As an alumna, Kristin currently serves the HLSA in a variety of roles. She is the VP of Communications on the Executive Committee, the VP of the Black Alumni Network, the past president of the Recent Graduate Network, and a former board member of the HLSA DC chapter. 

While at HLS, Turner explored the fields of social entrepreneurship, venture philanthropy, and social impact bonds. She served as a member of the Harvard Defenders, the Women’s Law Association, the Law School Parody, the 2016 – 2017 president of the Black Law Students Association, and a semifinalist in Harvard Business School’s New Venture Competition 2016. Kristin holds a B.A. from the University of Southern California.

Treasurer - Kelley Nduom '08

Kelley Nduom serves as Regulatory Counsel in the CDER Office of Regulatory Policy at FDA. Prior to joining the FDA, Kelly served as an Associate at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP, an Associate at Covington & Burling, and a Research Assistant for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Health Policy Institute. Kelley holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School. While at HLS, Kelley served as President of Harvard BLSA.

Kelley is also a graduate of Harvard School of Public Health and Stanford University.

Secretary - Shamis Beckley '12

Shamis Beckley is an Associate at McDermott, Will, & Emery in Boston, Massachusetts, where she advises clients on civil and criminal litigation matters, including white-collar and securities defense matters. Shamis provides legal guidance on anti-corruption and corporate governance matters, including compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the False Claims Act. Additionally, Shamis has firsthand experience with export-related international trade issues and, as part of her pro bono engagements, has represented a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of survivors of human trafficking and sex slavery.

Shamis holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.F.A. from New York University.

Assistant Secretary - Shahira Ali '09

Shahira Ali lives in Northern California and is Senior Litigation Counsel at Workday. At Workday, Shahira provides strategic guidance and counseling in matters relating to litigation, intellectual property, cybersecurity, and dispute resolution. Prior to joining Workday, Shahira was a litigation associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP in New York City for 7 years. Shahira also clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Shahira holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. from The University of Southern Mississippi.