Chair: Robert Baldwin III, Esq., LL.M.

Robert Baldwin III (he/him) is the founder and managing attorney at Virtue Law Group, where he practices plaintiff-side labor and employment with an emphasis on civil rights.

Robert represents government and private sector employees in all aspects of employment law matters before federal agencies in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, and Maryland federal courts. His experience includes matters of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, disability; and hostile work environment. He has also litigated breach of contract claims and retaliation.

Prior to founding Virtue Law Group, Robert worked of-counsel with a local employment and business law firm. Before that, he spent time with the American Federation of Government Employees Local 12 representing personnel in the United States Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Robert currently serves as a board member of the Washington Bar Association, where he chairs the Young Lawyer Division (WBA-YLD). He has been awarded “Young Lawyer of the Year” by both the WBA-YLD and the National Bar Association – Young Lawyer Division. He has also been recognized as a top 40 under 40 by the National Black Lawyers Top 100.

Andre Cotton

Chair-Elect: André Cotten, Esq.

André Cotten is a Regulatory Attorney at the Consumer Bankers Association (CBA). Cotten, an experienced attorney with a multifaceted financial services background, ranging from Capitol Hill to consulting to associations. His expertise covers a wide range of legal issues associated with consumer financial services legislation, regulation and implementation. Prior to CBA, Cotten served as Regulatory Compliance Counsel at the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU).

André received his B.A. in Public Policy Leadership and English from the University of Mississippi, where he was inducted into the Ole Miss Student Hall of Fame. He also graduated cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law with his J.D. André is a member of the State Bar of Maryland and the State Bar of Mississippi. He is also an active member of the American Bar Association, where he currently serves as a Business Law Fellow.

Vice Chair: Natasha Hudgins, Esq.

Natasha Hudgins currently serves as an Attorney Advisor at the United States Department of Justice. In this role, she manages FOIA and Privacy Act requests and litigation. She has trained government personnel from around the country on conducting proper searches and the importance of providing public access to federal records while protecting the personal privacy rights of individuals. Natasha also has experience at the US Department of Commerce and as a legal consultant, drafting D.C. legislation, and assisting non-profit organizations.

Natasha has been active in her service to the Washington Bar Association and community.. She recently was the recipient of the YLD Chair Legacy Award for 2020-2021. For 2019-2020 she was the recipient of the NBA YLD Young Lawyer Chairman’s Award and the WBA YLD Young Lawyer of the Year Award.

Natasha holds a Bachelors of Arts in Integrative Studies and Dance from George Mason University. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of the District of Columbia. During her time in law school, she was involved in a variety of activities, including the National Black Law Students Association and the Student Bar Association. Additionally, she was the recipient of several prestigious scholarships.

Treasurer: Nia Ballard, Esq.

Nia Imon Ballard is an Appellate Attorney for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of General Counsel (VA OGC). Within this role, Nia is the lead counsel for the Secretary of VA on approximately seventy cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. She is responsible for all aspects of litigation before the Court including: records disputes, court mediated settlement conferences with court staff attorneys and appellant’s counsels, briefing, negotiating and drafting joint motions, with appellants’ counsel, to remand final VA decisions back to the Agency for correction, compiling and filing records of proceedings, negotiating the reasonableness of Equal Access to Justice Act Applications for Attorney’s Fees, and collaborating with Agency stakeholders to ensure the consistent analysis and application of Agency policies and objectives. When ordered by the Court, she is also required to present oral argument.

In additional to public service, Nia is an active member of her community. She regularly takes on pro bono cases in the District, was selected to be on the VA OGC Pro Bono Committee, and serves through her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She is an active member of the Federal City Alumnae Chapter.

Prior to assuming her role as Treasurer for the 2021-22 bar year, Nia served as YLD’s Secretary during the 2020-21 bar year. Because of her commitment to the bar, she was awarded The Ronald C. Jessamy Professionalism Award for the 2020-21 bar year.

Nia holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Political Science from Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, TX) and a Juris Doctor from Indiana University Maurer School of Law. She is admitted to practice in Texas, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. She is originally from a small town in northeastern Oklahoma.

Secretary: Amelia French, Esq.

Amelia C. French, Esq., an attorney admitted to the DC bar in July 2017, is a May 2021 graduate of the Taxation LL.M. program at The University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she received the Dean’s Leadership Award. Beginning in March, she secured a position at Levin Papantonio Rafferty P.A. working as a personal injury Staff Attorney. Prior to that, she was the DC Victims of Crime Act Fellow/Staff Attorney at Tzedek DC where she represented low-income DC residents in defensive debt collection matters and was responsible for obtaining a settlement of over $17,000 for one client!

Amelia is committed to serving marginalized communities and the greater public interest. This commitment is exemplified in her decision to obtain her Juris Doctor from The University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. In the Community Development Law Clinic (CDC), she represented low-income District of Columbia housing cooperatives in rapidly gentrifying areas. She served as lead counsel in a negotiation against the DC Office of Tax and Revenue to prevent the tax foreclosure and displacement of a housing cooperative client. Her team succeeded in getting an assessment reversal for the client whose residents acquired their home through the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act process. She received the Earl H. Davis Award from the Jack and Lovell Olender Foundation for her demonstrated commitment to public interest law and her exemplary performance in CDC.

Amelia also served as a Volunteer Attorney at DC Volunteer Lawyers Project (DCVLP) and continues to serve as a Volunteer Attorney at Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS). At DCVLP, she represented victims of domestic violence seeking divorces from their abusive spouses and custody of their children from abusive former partners. At MVLS, she represented clients petitioning for expungement of their criminal records, and currently represents clients in estate administration proceedings. Her clients have been individuals excluded from certain jobs and barred from certain educational programs as a result of their criminal records, and descendants of family members who died intestate.

Social action is Amelia’s purpose. As a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., she is able to enhance her skills and hone her commitment. She looks forward to joining the Washington Bar Association Young Lawyers Division team and serving as your Secretary.