The nation’s largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and allied legal professionals released its 2014 “40 Under 40” list today, recognizing the country’s most accomplished young LGBT legal professionals. The National LGBT Bar Association’s list includes young lawyers from across the country who have distinguished themselves in their field, and demonstrated a strong commitment to LGBT equality.
This year’s list consists of several Washington, D.C. notables, including six female attorneys. D.C. area’s Meaghan Hearn, Anya Lakner, and Alexandra Shandell will be honored during the organization’s Lavender Law® Conference & Career Fair in New York City on August 23rd.
Meaghan Hearn is a senior associate at Ackerman Brown, where she specializes in criminal defense. She went to law school at Syracuse University College of Law and moved to D.C. in August of 2008 after her bar exams. Hearn has worked on matters that directly impact the LGBT community, including cases of discrimination in housing and the workplace along with various same-sex domestic relations cases. In addition to her work, Hearn is a member and Secretary of the Board of Directors for Capital Pride Alliance. She also serves on the core committee for Whitman-Walker’s Walk to End HIV.
“I’m incredibly lucky in that every day I get to contribute to advancing the interests of the LGBTQ community through my work at Ackerman Brown and my service on several LGBTQ focused non-profits. Being recognized as a top 40 LGBT lawyer is certainly an added bonus,” says .
Anya Lakner, 2014 Best Lawyer Under 40
Anya Lakner is a national training and policy attorney with the Commission on Domestic & Sexual Violence of the American Bar Association. Lakner specializes on the intersection of domestic and sexual violence with the workplace, as well as on the needs of marginalized and vulnerable communities, including victims who are limited English proficient, immigrants, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, people who are deaf, and/or who have disabilities. She formerly directed the Surviving Violence and Increasing Viable Employment (SURVIVE) Project of the Legal Aid Society – Employment Law Center in San Francisco, CA. In addition, she is also an adjunct professor of Women’s Studies at George Washington University, where she teaches courses that include Queer Politics, Politics of Sexual Consent, and Gendered Bodies.
Alexandra Shandell is a trial attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. She works in the Special Litigation Section, where she focuses on Olmstead enforcement under the Americans with Disabilities Act to address unnecessary segregation of individuals with disabilities. Shandell also serves on the Division’s LGBTI Working Group. Shandell earned her B.A. from Simon’s Rock College and her J.D. from Boston University School of Law. Previously, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable José A. Fusté, in the District of Puerto Rico, and worked as an associate at Latham & Watkins LLP.
“This year’s ‘40 Under 40’ demonstrates the depth and breadth of legal expertise within the LGBT community,” says D’Arcy Kemnitz, executive director of The Bar. “These young professionals represent the very best of our profession. They come from law firms, non-profits, corporations and the government. Their extraordinary accomplishments underscore the significant talent the LGBT community brings to the legal profession, and highlight the real change our members make in the lives of their clients, their community and their country, every single day. We’re proud to honor them.”
