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Overview

Jada helps colleges and universities live out their missions as fully as possible.

Her practice spans the full range of higher education legal and operational needs, including contracts, student matters, employment issues, academic freedom, and civil rights compliance under Title VI, Title VII, and Title IX, as well as investigations and training. She has a particular interest in student affairs and collegiate athletics, including Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) issues, and focuses on helping institutions serve students by supporting the faculty, staff, and systems that make their missions possible.

Jada first joined the firm in 2024 as the Higher Education Law Fellow at Wake Forest University, where she spent two years embedded on campus. She gained broad, hands-on experience advising across institutional functions and worked closely with partners in student affairs, athletics, academic leadership, and human resources, developing a practical understanding of how universities operate.

That experience shapes her practice. She brings a deep understanding of campus culture and a collaborative approach to helping institutions assess risk while advancing their goals. Acting as a thought partner, she translates legal guidance into workable, mission-aligned solutions while ensuring stakeholders are engaged and aligned throughout the process.

Jada’s path to higher education law grew from an early interest in advocacy and service, including work with a nonprofit missionary family in Romania that sparked her interest in mission-driven organizations. Her Master of Divinity deepened her understanding of people, systems, and service-oriented leadership. She was drawn to a practice that would allow her to work with people, not simply on their behalf—a perspective that informs her emphasis on communication, empathy, and community.

A certified beekeeper, Jada is drawn to how bees work collectively toward a purpose larger than themselves. Their efforts sustain the colony beyond any individual bee’s lifespan—a perspective that mirrors her approach to law: helping build institutions that endure and serve future generations.

Industry

Service

Education

  • J.D., Wake Forest University School of Law
    • Laura J. Gendy Award Recipient
    • Wake Forest Black Law Student Association, Career and Professional Development Chair
    • Wake Forest School of Law Commencement, Student Speaker, 2024
  • M. Div., Wake Forest University School of Divinity
  • B.A., Young Harris College
    • Presidential Wall of Honor Inductee
    • Zell B. Miller Leadership Award
    • Varsity Women’s Basketball, Team Captain

Admissions

  • Illinois
  • North Carolina

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)
  • Forsyth County Bar Association
  • North Carolina Bar Association
Outside the Office

Jada enjoys spending time with friends and family, cooking, and staying active—especially when it involves a sport or a good gym session. She lifts weights regularly and keeps up with her Peloton. She’s also an enthusiastic home baker, best known for her cheesecakes, which have become something of a signature. What started as a cottage-style venture during the pandemic—complete with a loyal following—eventually paused during law school, but her lineup still includes classics like Oreo, dulce de leche, peanut butter, chocolate, lemon, and seasonal favorites like pumpkin, sweet potato, and eggnog.

Jada also enjoys grocery shopping more than she probably should, along with watching TV and unwinding with anime, sitcoms, reality TV, Jeopardy, and nostalgic cartoons.

Community Leadership

Basketball has been part of Jada’s life since age 4. Drawing on 18 years of competitive play, she enjoys coaching 7- and 8-year-olds, finding particular joy in helping young athletes develop new skills and confidence and seeing those lessons take shape on the court.

Jada comes from a family with a strong commitment to philanthropy and community service. Her uncle leads a nonprofit organization supporting educational initiatives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and her mother is launching a Georgia-based nonprofit focused on expanding access to counseling services for underserved communities. Jada looks forward to supporting both organizations as they continue to grow.