Dawn Barrios Leadership Program

The Dawn Barrios Leadership Program

The Dawn Barrios Leadership Program is a new program offered by the New Orleans Chapter of the Federal Bar Association in an effort to seek, promote, and develop new leadership talent within the organization.  We are looking for attorneys with 5 to 10 years of practice experience who want to get more involved in the FBA while developing their organizational and leadership skills and building relationships with other area attorneys and judges.  The Chapter will sponsor the candidate’s membership dues for his/her first two years (up to a $600.00 benefit) and will sponsor the candidate through several leadership-building opportunities.  Dawn Barrios believed in supporting rising attorneys, so there is no better way to honor her memory than helping to build the skill set of younger lawyers.

Leadership Academy

Our Leadership Academy will run from September 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027.

Our Class is limited to 5 participants, each with between 5 and 10 years of practice experience. Participants do not need to be an FBA Member. The Dawn Barrios Leadership Program is a one-year commitment.

Participants will have the opportunity to:  

• Attend an orientation and reception;

• Attend numerous social events, including cocktails and lunches with the Court, at which they will have an opportunity to meet other class participants as well as FBA lawyers and judges;

• Attend one board meetings of the FBA Board of Directors;

• Attend one board meetings of the FBA Younger Lawyers Division;

• Attend FBA CLEs at no cost;

• Attend Cocktails with the Court and other social activities;

• Attend Lunches with the Court;

• Attend one YLD Committee Meeting with a committee of choice virtually;

• Attend Pro Bono offerings by either the FBA or YLD Board;

• Assist with planning our Malcolm Monroe Federal Practice Series CLE

Participants will be acknowledged and introduced at the annual meeting and in the Fall Edition of our Advocate Newsletter.  Participants will also be our guest at our annual meeting.

Applications are currently being accepted and due no later than June 26, 2026, at 5:00 pm.

The application can be found here. Applicants can nominate themselves to participate in the Leadership Program, or a fellow attorney can nominate a potential participant.

Please contact us with any questions at nofbaed@gmail.com.