Harvard Law School Association Black Alumni Network

President - Byron McLain '07

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 - Patience Singleton '96

Treasurer - Dinah Touny '03

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 - Rachel Favors '21