Ken Barton was born and raised in Metro Atlanta, and he joined the Stonewall Bar Association when he returned to Georgia after law school in 2015.    In 2022, Ken humbly accepted an invitation to join the Board of Directors.  Ken is one of the founding partners of Cooper, Barton & Cooper, LLP in Macon, Georgia, a firm that serves a wide array of clients and practice areas throughout the state.  Ken’s practice is focused primarily in the areas of business litigation and civil rights cases, the majority of which involve employment discrimination.

After he graduated from Hampton University, Ken was a Corps Member for Teach for America, where he taught middle school social studies in a disadvantaged area in Northwest Atlanta.  Ken later graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center.  During law school, Ken had the opportunity to serve as clerk for the Chief Administrative Law Judge for the D.C. Commission on Human Rights, and he was also an intern for the Hon. Amy Totenberg, District Judge, with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

Like his father and other members of his family, Ken earned the rank of Eagle Scout as a youth, and he continues to give significant time to a variety of roles in Scouting.  Ken also serves on the Executive Board of Macon Pride, Inc.  Ken is a big fan of the Atlanta Braves, so much so that his dog Chip is named after one of the team’s greatest players.

Marla Butler is a partner at Thompson Hine LLP and Office Partner in Charge of its Atlanta office. Marla is an IP and technology litigator, focusing on patent, trade secret and contract disputes for an array of clients in the medical, semiconductor, power, networking and other high-tech industries. Marla has developed a deep understanding of technology and is skilled at building and leading diverse teams of lawyers, scientists and economists, which enhances her ability to devise and implement successful litigation and trial strategies and to simplify complex technology concepts for judges, juries and arbitrators.

She has received distinctions from Benchmark Litigation, Super Lawyers, Savoy  and Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation as a leader in Litigation, Intellectual Property and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

In addition to being a member of the Board of Directors for Stonewall Bar Association, Marla is also on the Board of Directors of the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association.  She is a former board member of Lambda Legal.

Mr. Goldberg focuses his career on professional liability, having experience practicing in both the private and public sector. After spending several years practicing in New Jersey, he returned to Atlanta, where he had studied law. He is involved in numerous community organizations, including alumni clubs, religious organizations, and professional associations.

Mr. Goldberg is a graduate of Cornell University and the Emory University School of Law. While at Cornell, he served as Vice President of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, and as Editor-in-Chief of The Research Paper, a publication focusing on the researchers behind the research. During his time at Emory, he held various positions in the Student Bar Association and other student groups and also served as Chief Justice of the university-wide student government.

Currey Hitchens is passionate about improving public education for every Georgia student. This means making the schools children are zoned for excellent schools. She worked at Georgia Legal Services and Atlanta Legal Aid fighting poverty in Georgia for over a decade, and she came to the conclusion that improving public education is the key to ending poverty. She had a great public education in Georgia through the Whitfield County School system herself.

Currey taught fourth and first grades in Atlanta area public schools and has a masters in children’s literature from UGA in addition to a law degree from Emory. In 2022 she ran for State School Superintendent to stand up for students and teachers against laws that would prevent students from learning about divisive topics and that would hurt transgender students as well as to fight for all public school students. Her campaign was not successful, but she took a stand and let LGBTQ youth and all marginalized youth know that someone loves them the way they are and will fight for them.

Currey opened a law firm, Hitchens Law, LLC, to fight for students and teachers. She believes all children can learn and that we must work against bigotry to make sure all children get what they need to stay in school and succeed no matter their background.

Currey takes special education, school discipline, and other education cases for students and cases for teachers terminated for discussing divisive but appropriate topics in schools. She would also love to take cases supporting librarians and teachers in the fight to keep books on shelves (the fight against book bans).

Some recommendations of banned books you should find and read to your children when age appropriate: Julian is a Mermaid, My Shadow is Purple, Flamer, GenderQueer, Right Where I Left You, Heartstopper, The Extraordinaries, All American Boys, The Color Purple, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, The Bluest Eye, Looking for Alaska, Monster, Sophie’s Choice and many more you can find on lists of the most challenged books.

Judge Mike Jacobs has served as a judge on the State Court of DeKalb County since June 2015. Judge Jacobs is the first out bisexual judge (state or federal, trial or appellate) in the United States. He came out publicly at a Stonewall Bar Association event in April 2018.

Prior to his judicial service, Judge Jacobs served ten and a half years in the Georgia House of Representatives. He was chairman of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Oversight Committee (MARTOC), the joint House and Senate committee that oversees MARTA’s management, budget, and fiscal affairs. Judge Jacobs also served as chairman of one of the two subcommittees of the House Judiciary Committee. In 2010, he received the Allen Thornell Political Advancement Award from Georgia Equality for passing a stronger anti-bullying law for public schools.

Judge Jacobs received his law degree in 2003, magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he was the executive articles editor of the Georgia Law Review. He received his bachelor’s degree in 1997 from Georgetown University.

Judge Jacobs is an active member of the International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges, National LGBT Bar Association, and DeKalb Bar Association. He serves on the board of directors of Leadership DeKalb and chairs Government Day for the program. He also serves as the Stonewall Bar Association’s representative on the Judicial Council of Georgia’s Committee on Access to Justice.

Judge Jacobs and his wife Evan are the proud parents of three children, Jonah, Eli, and Samantha.

Amanda Johnson is an experienced corporate attorney with an extensive commercial transactions background. She currently serves as Principal Corporate Counsel at Microsoft. She is lead counsel for the South Operating Unit and Energy industry teams, where she is responsible for negotiating cloud computing, AI, licensing, and software agreements. She also provides legal guidance on strategic partnerships that contribute to programmatic and technological growth initiatives.

Ms. Johnson maintains strong community involvement and is most passionate about mentorship. Along with serving as a Board Member for the Stonewall Bar Association, she has proudly served as a mentor for NJ LEEP, an organization that introduces high school students to the practice of law, and as a volunteer with Street Law, Inc. where she provided legal life skills training to high school students in Atlanta, GA.

Ms. Johnson is admitted to the State Bars of Georgia, New Jersey, and New York. She is a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel SaaS and Cloud Computing Subcommittee and the Rutgers Center for Corporate Law and Governance Alumni Steering Committee.

Nicole (She/Her/Hers) is a 2017 Graduate of Georgia State University. Nicole earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. While at Georgia State University she was a member of the Criminal Justice Student Association, Alpha Phi Sigma (Criminal Justice Honor Society), and was on the Dean’s List for multiple semesters.

While an Undergrad at Georgia State, Nicole was an intern for the City of Atlanta’s Public Defender Office. There she assisted in scheduling new client meetings with investigators, conducting individual new client investigation meetings, and observed court hearings.

After receiving her degree from Georgia State she began her career with the Lynch Law Group, Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia. There she began her legal career as a Paralegal. In 2019 she was promoted to Law Clerk. Lynch Law Group, Inc. was managed by Diana Lynch, Esq. The firm focused on Civil & Business Law Litigation, Entertainment & Sports, Family Law, and Estate Planning matters.

During her Law School career, Nicole served as a Summer Law Clerk to the Honorable Mike Jacobs of the Dekalb County State Court, in Decatur, Georgia. Nicole prepared bench briefs and memorandum for cases on the Judge’s calendar by reviewing pleadings, and conducting legal research. Nicole prepared Order for the Judge’s review and consideration. She further worked closely with the Judge and Staff Attorney to discuss legal questions, construction of documents, and disposition of Motions. She was a Paralegal for Swift, Currie, McGheee & Hiers, LLP, in Atlanta, Georgia. There she worked in the Civil Litigation group, assisting in representing clients in tort defense cases.

Nicole is a 2022 Juris Doctor Graduate of Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. Nicole was a member of the part-time evening division. Nicole worked during the day, and went to school at night. While at John Marshall she received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Contracts I. Nicole achieve the highest score ever attained on the Contracts I exam for the entirety of Professor Jeffrey Van Detta’s over 20 year teaching career. This record has been unbroken. Nicole was highly involved in on-campus activities. Nicole was the president of OUT Law & Allies, a Student Ambassador, a member of Phi Alpha Delta (Law Fraternity), a member of John Marshall’s Georgia Association of Women Lawyers chapter, a Title IX Victim Advocate, and Peer Mentor.

While a student at John Marshall, Nicole received the Kay Young Scholarship from the Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia, and attended Lavender Law, the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s Annual Conference. She was also a Student Attorney volunteering with Cobb Legal Aid, to take a Pro Bono divorce case, in Cobb County Superior Court. This case required Nicole to negotiate a Consent Temporary Order, file multiple Motions for Contempt, seek an Order of Incarceration, prepare her client and an Expert Witness, Mediate the Case, and complete a Final Hearing / Trial on the case. She also took a Pro Bono name change case for her transgender client, in Douglas County Superior Court.

Nicole is admitted to the Georgia Bar and is able to practice in all Georgia Trial Courts (Magistrate, State, Superior, Juvenile, and Statewide Business Courts), the Court of Appeal of Georgia, the Supreme Court of Georgia, the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, the US Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Georgia, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Nicole is an active member of the recovery and LGBTQ+ communities and serves on the Board of Directors of the Stonewall Bar Association of Georgia. She is a mother to Captain CAThyrn Janeway, her Tuxedo Cat, and John Thurgood Marshall, her Beagle.

Lance Simon joined the Stonewall Board of Directors in 2020. He is an Assistant United States Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), Middle District of Georgia, in Macon. The Middle District also covers Athens, Columbus, Albany, and Valdosta. In this role, Lance represents the United States in federal civil litigation, including in the areas of medical malpractice, torts, and employment law. Lance is also the USAO’s Civil Rights Coordinator.

Prior to joining the USAO in 2018, Lance worked for six years in two other components of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. First in the Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section, followed by ATF.

Lance is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Tulane Law School. After law school, he clerked for a Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel in Jerusalem.

Currently, Lance teaches as an adjunct law professor at Mercer Law School.

Teresa Taylor-Pardiñas became a member of the Stonewall Bar Association in 2018 and joined the Board of Directors in 2020. She Co-Chairs the Law Student Outreach Committee and the Bar Relations Committee.

Before attending law school, Teresa served as a law enforcement officer in Metro Atlanta. There she realized her sense of advocacy for the community was not accomplished by placing handcuffs on people. She left a nearly 15 years career to return to school and develop her sense of Advocacy.

Teresa attended Mercer University School of Law and presided over Mercer OUTLaw, the school’s LGBTQ student organization for two consecutive years. Through community events and networking, she fostered connections between OUTLaw members, the Macon LGBTQ and legal communities, and the Stonewall Bar Association. After leaving Macon, Teresa returned to Atlanta where she practices plaintiff-side employment law at Worth Jarrell LLC in Sandy Springs. Her practice focuses on individuals who were wrongfully terminated, suffered retaliation, and/or discriminated against by employers. In addition, she advises corporate employers on employment-related matters.

Kara Tucker brings over 9 years of cross-industry legal, ethics and compliance experience to her current role as First Vice President at SunTrust Banks, Inc., where she is responsible for ethics strategy and governance.

Ms. Tucker also serves as a Board Member for the Stonewall Bar Association of GA and as a Board member and faculty for the American Bankers Association Compliance Schools, frequently teaching, speaking and writing in industry on risk, ethics, and compliance.

Prior to her current role, Ms. Tucker served as the Head of Consumer Fair and Responsible Banking at SunTrust, led strategic development of the regulatory compliance program at BankUnited, N.A., and served as Associate Counsel at MDO Partners where she concentrated on corporate governance and global compliance and ethics with a focus on anti-bribery, anti-corruption, and the FCPA.

Phyllis R. Williams is an Associate Judge in the Magistrate Court of DeKalb County.

Phyllis graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Music with a concentration in Piano Performance (yes, she is a classically trained musician). She worked in the insurance industry in Philadelphia, PA, before attending law school at Florida State University College of Law.

Phyllis began her legal career at Swift, Currie, McGhee & Hiers, practicing insurance defense in automobile and property litigation. After leaving insurance defense, Phyllis started her own firm and was a trial attorney for about 25 years. She has tried complex divorces, auto collisions, premises liability, products liability, contract disputes and criminal defense matters. “I believe that everyone is entitled to zealous representation, even if they cannot afford it.” To that end Phyllis was a court appointed attorney in Fulton superior and state courts, and DeKalb superior, state and juvenile courts for about 11 years representing clients in trial and on appeals, and she has argued before the Supreme Court of Georgia. In 2017, she merged her firm with Fox Legal, LLC where she serves as Of-Counsel”. In addition to her practice, Phyllis was an adjunct professor at Georgia State University School of Business, and

She is an Administrative Hearing Officer for the DeKalb Merit System presiding over administrative appeal hearings. She is active in the Magistrate Court Training Council, where she serves on the Curriculum Committee and trains new Judges around the State.

Phyllis is a member Stonewall Bar Association, International Association of LGBTQ+ Judges, Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys (GABWA), Georgia Association of Women Attorney’s (GAWL), Gate City Bar Association, Atlanta Bar Association, DeKalb Lawyers Association, and DeKalb Bar Association where she served on the Board of Directors for 6 years. Phyllis has also served on the Board of Directors for the South DeKalb YWCA and is a graduate of Leadership DeKalb (2003) and the Leadership DeKalb Beacon Society.

Phyllis loves to cook, play racquetball competitively, and travel the world. “I want to see as much of this planet as I can before I leave it!”

Judge Markeith D. Wilson is a native of North Carolina. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from North Carolina A&T State University in 2001 and his law degree from Georgia State University College of Law in 2010. He started practicing law during his third year of law school when he worked for the Dekalb County Public Defender’s office, defending adults against felonies in Dekalb County Superior Court. Before, attending law school and during the beginning of his law school career, Judge Wilson served as an officer in the United States Air Force obtaining the rank of Captain.

Judge Wilson was in private practice most of his career. He joined Fox Legal, LLC as a partner in 2016 where he practiced Juvenile Law, Family Law, Criminal Law and Personal Injury and was named one of Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars in 2020. In 2018 Judge Wilson was appointed to sit as a Judge Pro Tempore in Dekalb County Juvenile Court. In 2021, during his time as a Judge Pro Tempore he took time away from the Court and private practice. For a little over a year, he practiced in the U.S. Virgin Islands as an Assistant Attorney General representing the government in various practice areas. He returned to fulfill his role as a Judge Pro Tempore and as a partner in Fox Legal in 2022. Judge Wilson was appointed a Full Judge of Dekalb County Juvenile Court in 2024.

Judge Wilson is a member of the Georgia Council of Juvenile Court Judges, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Dekalb lawyers Association, Dekalb Bar Association, Stonewall Bar Association, and the 2021 Class of Leadership Dekalb