CLE Speaker Bios
Diane Littlejohn
AI and Emerging Technologies
Diane Littlejohn is the inaugural Executive Director of the NCCU School of Law's Technology Law and Policy Center. Before her tenure at NCCU, she ran a solo practice dedicated to family law, intellectual property, small business issues, and social security disability, commencing her role at NCCU in January 2022.
A recognized voice on AI and emerging technologies, Littlejohn spoke at the ABA Tech Show in March 2023, covering NFTs, Web3, and the Metaverse. That year, she also taught Metaverse privacy for the Federal Bar Association and continued in 2024, delivering CLEs on AI and emerging technologies for the Durham Bar Association and TRT CLE. Alongside her teaching, she continues to practice law, focusing on intellectual property, small business legal structures, and contract drafting, with personal interests in travel and podcasts.
Megan Williams
When Pregnant People
Encounter the Justice System
Megan Scull Williams, MSW, MSPH is a Research Associate with the Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health (CMIH) at UNC Chapel Hill, where she works to improve outcomes for moms and babies by bringing research-informed best practices into communities. For the past 20+ years, she has worked in non-profit organizations, health departments, universities, and the military, improving health outcomes and supporting reproductive justice. Recognizing the significant risk of poor birth outcomes among incarcerated pregnant people, Megan and CMIH colleagues have led a statewide Perinatal Incarceration workgroup for several years, and recently received funding from the CDC to address pregnancy-related risk in carceral settings.
Megan completed her undergraduate studies at The University of Notre Dame, and completed both a Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work from UNC Chapel Hill, where she was a Public Health Leadership Fellow. Megan lives in Asheville with her family and enjoys hiking to waterfalls and watching her kids’ many sports events.
Judge Ashleigh Parker
Navigating Cases When Abuse is Present
Judge Ashleigh Parker is a District Court Judge in the 10th Judicial District, which encompasses Wake County. Prior to her appointment by Governor Roy Cooper in 2017, Judge Parker served the citizens of North Carolina as an Assistant Attorney General at the North Carolina Department of Justice and as an Assistant District Attorney at the Wake County District Attorney's Office. Judge Parker is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and lives in Raleigh with her 2 boys, Isaac and Isaiah. For more information about Judge Parker you can visit her website at www.JudgeAshleigh.com
She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wake Forest University and cum laude from North Carolina Central University School of Law. She has been practicing law since she was 24 years old. At age 30, Judge Parker was the 3rd and youngest African American female to hold this position in Wake County since the District Courts were established over 50 years ago.
Judge Parker serves as the lead Child Support Judge in Wake County and one of two Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency Judges. She is also an instructor for Meredith College’s Paralegal Program where she teaches Civil Litigation. She is passionate about increasing equity within the criminal justice system and educating our youth. She is the Co-Founder of the Capital City Lawyer's Association Law Day Program. Most recently, Judge Parker is the Co-Founder of the Wake County Legal Support Center which opened in January of 2023. This Center provides free legal information for individuals who wish to represent themselves with domestic and housing issues.
Mark Scruggs
Ethical Issues with Closed Cases
Mark Scruggs joined Lawyers Mutual in March 2001 as claims counsel. In May 2018, Mark became Senior Claims Counsel with Lawyers Mutual. Formerly a partner with Spear, Barnes, Baker, Wainio & Scruggs, LLP in Durham, North Carolina, Mark has over 14 years of experience as a trial attorney concentrating in insurance defense litigation. For the last 23 years, Mark has worked with Lawyers Mutual primarily in litigation-related claims and workers compensation and family law matters. He is a 1986 cum laude graduate of Campbell University School of Law.
Mark is a past chair of the Law Practice Management section of the North Carolina Bar Association. He has served as an Advisory Member of the State Bar Ethics Committee and the Authorized Practice Committee of the North Carolina State Bar. He also served as co-chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s “Transitioning Lawyers Commission” working to address issues facing aging lawyers. In December 2019, Mark received the North Carolina State Bar's John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award.
Skye David
Legislative Update
Skye David first got her start in politics in high school during her junior and senior years when she served as the chairperson of the Illinois State Board of Education’s Student Advisory Committee. In this role, Skye was a member of the State Board of Education and worked on an important legislative project that eventually became law in Illinois. From that point forward, Skye was hooked on politics and policy.
Skye went on to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she served on the Student Council as well as the Educational Policy Committee for the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. Skye's academic work on domestic violence led to an Orville Bentley Undergraduate Research Award for her work and served as the foundation of her future work at the North Carolina General Assembly. In law school at UNC-Chapel Hill, Skye remained passionate about policy and domestic violence and took her desire to shape public policy to the legislature. In addition to Skye's generous pro bono work to those in need, she also earned the Steve Smith Aspiring Activist Award for her domestic violence work.
At New Frame, Skye works on policy, legal and regulatory issues affecting all the firm's clients, with a focus on the policy, lobbying, and legal needs of the New Frame's clients. The effects of her work have been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, The Washington Post, and NBC News, among other outlets. In Skye's free time, she has served on the Board of Directors for the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, serves on the Council for the Government and Public Sector of the North Carolina Bar Association, volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Meals on Wheels, Legal Aid of NC, Neighbor to Neighbor, and Partners Read.
Rep. Vernetta Alston
Women Lawyers LEAD:
A Law and Democracy Workshop
Rep. Vernetta Alston is a North Carolina native with a B.A. in Political Science from North Carolina State University and a J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. She practiced criminal law for several years before being elected to the Durham City Council in 2017. She was appointed to the NC House of Representatives in 2020 and was elected again in 2022. Vernetta and her wife, Courtney, are raising their two children, Reese and Davis, in southwestern Durham County.
Elizabeth Goodwin
Women Lawyers LEAD:
A Law and Democracy Workshop
Elizabeth is the Executive Director of LEAD NC, an organization that recruits and trains the next generation of civic leaders in North Carolina. She obtained her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law and a BA in Public Policy from UNC-Chapel HIll. She’s worked on campaigns from school board to presidential. She formerly practiced as a litigation attorney, and worked with law students on professional development. She enjoys helping people reach their potential and goals, and fostering civic engagement within her community.
Sen. Lisa Grafstein
Women Lawyers LEAD:
A Law and Democracy Workshop
Sen. Grafstein has been a civil rights lawyer since 1995. After running her own firm for 16 years, she joined Disability Rights North Carolina, a non-profit organization that advocates on behalf of people with disabilities. She has a BA from Northwestern and a JD from UNC-Chapel Hill. She was elected to serve the people of Wake County in the State Legislature in 2022. Lisa was the NCAWA President 2000-01, and served on the Board of Directors starting in 1998. Initially elected in 2022, she is currently running for re-election in the highly competitive NC Senate District 13.
Damon Beaty
Complex Cases Simplified:
Gaining Logistical Control
from Calendaring to Courtroom
Damon joined Veritext in the fall of 2019 as an Account Manager. His background includes over 25 years of experience in the legal industry with Data Imaging, Document Technologies and Nova Office Strategies - supporting clients with both document management and discovery needs. He has worn many hats in the industry, from making copies, managing a production team, to selling eDiscovery. He grew up in Salisbury NC and attended college at NC State. He currently lives in Raleigh with his wife Chelsea and his daughter, Piper.
Damon’s motto is to “make your deposition life easier” and is constantly working with her clients to improve their experience or to enhance their quality of depositions through the use of technology and services.
Christina Baldauf
Complex Cases Simplified:
Gaining Logistical Control
from Calendaring to Courtroom
Christina is an Account Executive for Veritext Legal Solutions in North Carolina, with over two decades of diverse expertise within the legal sector. Her career spans roles from Legal Assistant, Account Executive for document services and court reporting organizations, accomplished Sales Manager, and dedicated Relationship Manager.
Christina’s extensive experience includes service to law firms and corporate legal departments across all scales, making her a trusted advisor at Veritext. Based in Charlotte, she caters to clients from Charlotte to Western North Carolina.
Cheri Mason
Banquet Keynote Speaker
The Honorable Cheri Mason, J.D., is a relational leadership expert, TEDx speaker, author, and the Chief Catalyst of Catalyst Leadership Management. She guides CEOs, senior leaders, companies, and teams to lead with authenticity and empathy, leveraging strategy, analytics, vision, and change management to achieve better results. As the fourth Presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed CEO/Chairman of the VA Board of Veterans' Appeals—and the first woman and military spouse in this position—she has demonstrated a proven track record of impactful, morale-boosting, trust-based, and people-centric leadership. Mason is also the author of the acclaimed book Dare to Relate: Leading with a Fierce Heart, which focuses on transforming challenges into opportunities and cultivating strong workforce relationships.
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