From left: YBLC board members Kaleigh Darty and Jasmine Gardner, co-founders and VP Lashieka Hardin and president Tyra Pearson, and board member Alisha Harris
McGuireWoods sponsored the inaugural meeting of the Young Black Lawyers of Charlotte (YBLC) on Feb. 23, 2023. YBLC is a nonprofit organization formed to unite Black lawyers under 40 in the Charlotte area.
McGuireWoods Charlotte associate Tyra Pearson (Complex Commercial Litigation) is president and co-founder of the organization, and Charlotte associate Jasmine Gardner (Antitrust, Trade & Commercial Litigation) is a founding board member of YBLC.
The networking event and reception, which took place on the rooftop of the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture in uptown Charlotte, drew about 100 attendees to celebrate the launch of the organization and Black History Month.
In a YBLC press release announcing the launch event, Pearson said: “I have been in this diverse city for over three years now and I have yet to find a safe space for all Black attorneys, like myself, to come together, build community, and lift each other up as we maneuver through the legal field. That is the purpose of YBLC.”
The organization’s launch and Feb. 23 event were covered in Charlotte’s local news. The organization plans to launch its website in April 2023; until then, those interested in becoming members can email [email protected]. YBLC’s next event will take place in April.