Update on Jontae Chatman: First Napoleon Beazley Award Recipient

Jontae Chatman is a founding partner of Chatman & Griffith, PLLC, a law firm specializing in family law, juvenile defense and children’s protective services cases. Ms. Chatman received her law degree from the University of Houston Law Center in May 2005 and obtained a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Psychology from Clark Atlanta University in 2002. In 2005, the Southwest Juvenile Defender Center honored Ms. Chatman as the first recipient of the Napoleon Beazley Defender Award and the University of Houston Faculty awarded her with the Distinguished Service Award. Ms. Chatman serves on the Board of Directors for Santa Maria Hostel, Inc. and volunteers with the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program. She is also a member of the Houston Bar Association - Family and Juvenile Law Sections, State Bar of Texas - Family Law Section and Texas Young Lawyers Association.
When asked to reflect on the importance of child advocacy; Jontae’s response is heartfelt: “Children do not ask to be born; they come into this world without any understanding of how or why they got here. And many times, the same people who brought them into this world kill them—emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes physically. In a world so big, with so many people, children often stand alone, unseen, unheard. It is a privilege to be the voice for those who can not advocate for themselves...an honor to stand by them, with them, for them.”

SWJDC Conference May 2006

Kameron Johnson at skills session

Simmie Baer at General Session

Skills session

Tina Reyes

Believer Awards May 2006

Dustin Rynders- recipient of Napolean Beazley Defender Award with Napolean Beazley's Family and Malikah Marrus and Ellen Marrus

Mr. Beazley, Dustin Rynders - recipient of Napolean Beazley Defender Award, Jontae Chatman- first recipient of Napolean Beazley Defender Award, Mrs. Beazley

Malikah Marus, Rev. William Lawson - recipient of Believer Award, Mike Feinberg - recipient of Believer Award, and Ellen Marrus

Dean Nimmer - UHLC speaking at dinner

Summer Interns

David Bates, Robyn Rosen, Brian Levy, Jeanice Dawes, Rachael Pifer, Tiana Sanford, Andy Meissesn, and Brian Deitch