In this episode, Angela Reddock-Wright sits down with Attorney Ashley Upkins, President of the National Bar Association and in-house counsel at clean-energy company Silicon Ranch in Nashville, Tennessee, to talk about leadership, justice, and finding common ground in a divided time. From her roots as a “born and raised” Nashville girl inspired by the attorney character Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show to leading the largest association of Black lawyers in the U.S. and abroad, Ashley shares how faith, family, and a commitment to service shaped her journey, reflects on Nashville’s true “Music City” history through Fisk University and the Jubilee Singers, and explains why Black attorneys’ advocacy on behalf of African Americans advances justice for everyone.
In this episode, Angela Reddock-Wright sits down with Attorney Ashley Upkins, President of the National Bar Association and in-house counsel at clean-energy company Silicon Ranch in Nashville, Tennessee, to talk about leadership, justice, and finding common ground in a divided time. From her roots as a “born and raised” Nashville girl inspired by the attorney character Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show to leading the largest association of Black lawyers in the U.S. and abroad, Ashley shares how faith, family, and a commitment to service shaped her journey, reflects on Nashville’s true “Music City” history through Fisk University and the Jubilee Singers, and explains why Black attorneys’ advocacy on behalf of African Americans advances justice for everyone.
We also explore the National Bar Association’s historic and current work—court monitoring, judicial nominations, amicus briefs, and rapid-response advocacy around voting rights, policing, and civil liberties—and challenging lawyers and non-lawyers alike to resist cynicism, focus on shared values, “do justice” in whatever lane they occupy, and help the NBA remain a frontline defender of democracy by leading, serving, and building bridges.
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