2026-2027 Executive Board

Positions valid through July 2026. 

President, Maya Connor | [email protected]

Maya Connor is the President of the Black Law Students Association and a 2L at Virginia Law. As BLSA 1L Representative, she led initiatives to foster community and strengthen engagement among her peers. She is originally from Austin, TX and graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina A&T State University, where she studied health services management, served in student government, and founded a professional development organization for minority women. She also completed a fellowship through SEO Law and plans to pursue healthcare transactional law in Chicago, IL. ​

vice president, Rachel Williams | [email protected]

Rachel is a 2L who grew up in Chicago and later moved to Denver. She graduated from St. Olaf College in 2025 where she earned three B.A.s in Economics, Political Science, and Religion. In addition to being the BLSA Vice President, Rachel is the Assistant Online Editor for the Virginia Journal of Social Policy and the Law and competed on BLSA's moot court team for the '25-'26 season.

Before attending law school, Rachel interned at Northwestern's Appellate Advocacy Clinic, a non-profit in Jerusalem, and as an in-house legal fellow. During her 1L summer, Rachel was a Summer Associate at Chestnut Cambronne in Minneapolis. She will join Jones Day in Chicago next summer. Rachel is interested in litigation and appellate practice.

In her free time, Rachel loves to travel, go to bookstores, and powerlift.

treasurer, Laura Arrieta | [email protected]

Laura serves as Treasurer of UVA Law BLSA. Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, she holds a degree in criminology and political science from Florida State University. She will join Morgan Lewis's Investment Management practice group, with a focus on the intersection of regulatory and transactional work and a broader interest in national security law. 

Laura is committed to public service and plans to build a pro bono practice centered on criminal defense and expanding access to representation for marginalized communities.

Outside of the classroom, Laura enjoys live music, going on long walks, and trying new restaurants, especially those serving Thai food.

secretary, Kayla Brannon | secretary @uvablsa.org

Kayla Brannon is a 2L from Phoenix, Arizona. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from Arizona State University. Kayla hopes to pursue a career in tax law, and she is on the Editorial Board for the Virginia Tax Review. 
 
In her free time, Kayla enjoys playing board games, listening to Broadway musicals, and cooking.

education chair, jordan a. mccray | [email protected]

Jordan is a 2L from Alexandria, Virginia. She currently serves as Education Chair of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and as both Treasurer and Events Manager of the Disability Law Association (DLA). Jordan is interested in employment discrimination and disability law, and has conducted research on their intersections both as a pro-bono volunteer for the disAbility Law Center of Virginia, and as a research assistant for Professor Alice Abrokwa. 

Prior to law school, Jordan graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from James Madison University with a B.A. in Geographic Science and a minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. She went on to complete a Master's of Arts in Geography from the University of Kentucky, and was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

community service chair, samia batchelor | [email protected]

Originally from Florida, Samia graduated from Duke University with a bachelor's degree in Public Policy and minors in Spanish and Education. At Duke, she received her teaching license in Elementary Education and Middle School Mathematics. Later, Samia was selected to represent Duke's Program in Education as an Ambassador for the Trinity School and earned the Teach NC STAR Scholarship. After graduating from Duke, she became a seventh-grade math teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools. At UVA Law, Samia is on the Editorial Board for the Virginia Environmental Law Journal and is an Augustine J. Todd Scholar. 

​Samia is committed to a career in public service and hopes to use her law degree to advocate for the interests of children and families in her community.

firm relations chair, Bianca Schwimmer | [email protected]

Bianca Schwimmer is a Class of 2028 dual degree candidate in the J.D.-M.A. Program in History between the University of Virginia School of Law and the UVA Corcoran Department of History. As a graduate student, she will be focusing her studies on early American legal history. She serves as the Firm Relations Chair of the Black Law Students Association, the Vice President of Inclusion of Lone Star Lawyers, the Co-Outreach Coordinator for Women of Color, is on the Editorial Board of Virginia Law and Business Review, and is a Peer Advisor.

Bianca graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023 as a Benjamin Franklin Scholar with Honors in International Relations and a double minor in Hispanic Studies and History. 

Before law school, Bianca worked for two years in New York City, most recently as a Marketing and Business Development Clerk for a large law firm. She was also involved in volunteering through the New York Junior League and iMentor.

During her 1L Summer, Bianca was a Litigation Summer Associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Dallas, TX, where she will be returning following her 2L year. She hopes to pursue a career in White Collar Investigations, Crisis Response, or general Commercial Litigation and maintain a robust Pro Bono practice.

In her free time, Bianca enjoys reading, travel, spending time outside, and listening to true crime podcasts.

membership chair, Lauren Adams | [email protected]

Lauren is a second-year law student originally from Atlanta, Georgia. She earned her undergraduate degree from Georgia State University, graduating in 2024 with a degree in English. Before law school, she spent time working at a large foundation in Atlanta, where she supported nonprofits doing meaningful work across the community.

At UVA Law, Lauren serves as Membership Chair of BLSA, is an Articles Editor for the Virginia Journal of Law and Social Policy, and is involved in the Innocence Project Clinic. 
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This summer, she's working as a legal intern in the Department of Legal Services at Montgomery County Public Schools, and next summer she'll join the litigation team at Willkie Farr & Gallagher in New York City.

Outside of academics and work, Lauren is passionate about traveling and loves discovering new restaurants wherever she goes (she'll never turn down a recommendation!). She's also a self-proclaimed TV binge-watcher, always looking for the next show to get hooked on. ​

social programming chair, shannon santos | [email protected]

Shannon Santos is the Social Programming Chair of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and a rising 2L at the University of Virginia School of Law. During her first year, she enjoyed participating in BLSA events and building community with her classmates while developing a strong interest in the law and its role in serving diverse communities.

Before law school, Shannon worked as a Family Law Paralegal, where she supported attorneys and clients navigating complex and often deeply personal legal matters. She graduated from Binghamton University with a degree in Human Development and minors in Human Rights and Education. At Binghamton, she served as President of the university’s chapter of She’s the First and conducted research through the Human Rights Institute, focusing on issues of equity, education, and human rights.

As the child of a military family, Shannon lived in several different communities throughout her upbringing, an experience that broadened her perspective and fostered an appreciation for people from diverse backgrounds. She is committed to using her legal education to advocate for others, strengthen communities, and create meaningful opportunities for those historically underrepresented in the legal profession.

professional development chair, Ashley Rees | [email protected]

Ashley attended Duke University, where she majored in Public Policy and minored in Political Science and Cultural Anthropology. During her time there, she served as the Expungement Chair for the Duke Justice Project, overseeing a client-collaboration initiative in which Duke students helped Durham residents learn how to file their own expungement petitions. She also worked as a researcher with Child Care Services Association, focusing on integrating homeless children into early childhood programs. 

Ashley decided to attend law school because of her passion for education law and her interest in addressing disparities in access to quality learning. Before coming to law school, she worked as a 3rd- and 4th-grade teacher in Madrid, Spain. This summer she has had the immense pleasure of working for a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Florida, and next summer will be joining a law firm in its Washington, D.C., office. She is excited to see how her interests and experiences intersect with private practice.

Ashley has a deep love of traveling, going to the gym, reading by the beach, and trying new restaurants! 

social action chair, Andrew Pierce | [email protected] 

Andrew Pierce was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He attended The Ohio State University where he earned a Bachelor of Sciences in Public Policy Analysis and Masters of Public Administration.

Andrew has spent his career seeking to learn how organizations and policies are crafted to impact communities and people. This has led him to the White House, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Senate Judiciary Committee. At UVA, he serves on the Virginia Journal of Criminal Law and is a Member-at-Large for the National Black Law Students Association. He spent the Summer of 2026 as an intern with the United States Army Judge Advocate General Corps and will be a 2027 Summer Associate for Latham & Watkins in Chicago, Illinois.

​In his spare time, he likes video games, movies, cooking, and skydiving.​

Parlimentarian, Stephney Tucker

Stephney is a 3L who was raised in Norton, Massachusetts, and later moved to Danville, Virginia, where she lived through high school. She graduated from the University of Virginia with distinction in 2022. Before returning to Charlottesville for law school, she worked for two years as an in-house paralegal at a managed services company.

At the University of Virginia School of Law, Stephney serves as Treasurer of the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and as a Law School Representative on the University of Virginia Student Council. She is also the Graduate Selections Director for the Raven Society and a BARBRI Representative.
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Stephney is interested in pursuing a career in corporate law. She is excited to serve the BLSA community and is committed to ensuring the organization has the resources to continue providing meaningful opportunities and support for its members.