Panel conversation held on June 26th, 2024, with legal experts discussing wins, setbacks, and future cases for the LGBTQ+ community.
Welcoming remarks were provided by Dr. Theresa Daniel, Dallas County Commissioner for District 1.
Panel Members:
* Moderator: Shelly Skeen, Senior Attorney at Lambda Legal;
* Judge Martin Hoffman, 68th Civil District Court - Dallas County
* Jayla Wilkerson, Attorney specializing in environmental, criminal, family, and LGBTQ+ law
Bios:
Shelly L. Skeen (pronouns: she/her) is the South Central Regional Director for Lambda Legal, where she has also served as a Senior Attorney. Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national civil rights legal organization working for full and lived equality for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV through impact litigation, public policy advocacy and education.
Ms. Skeen is a seasoned litigator, appellate practitioner, mediator, and arbitrator. She holds a diploma in International Arbitration, has filed amici briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and successfully appeared before the Texas Supreme Court.
Judge Hoffman was elected in November, 2006 to the 68th District Court. This court specializes in civil jurisdiction. Judge Hoffman has been extensively involved with speaking and/or organizing continuing legal education events for the Dallas Bar Association, the Texas Bar Association, the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers, Dallas Women’s Lawyer and many other organizations. He has won awards from the American Bar Association, Texas Bar Association and Texas Young Lawyers for his work with different bar activities.
Jayla Wilkerson is in private practice at the Law Office of Jayla Wilkerson, PLLC.
Her experience and expertise includes environmental, criminal, family, LGBTQ+, and other areas of law. She has worked at the Dallas County District Attorney’s office, the City of Dallas City Attorney’s office, the Small Business Association reviewing COVID claims and as an adjunct professor at Texas A&M- Commerce and UT Arlington. Jayla is the 2019 Recipient of the Dallas LGBT Bar Association Justice Award.