PROFILE
Demetrius Shelton for N.B.A. President-Elect
National Leadership
Demetrius Shelton has served on the Board of Governors
of the National Bar Association ("NBA") since 1998. He
currently serves as Vice President of the association
over regions and affiliates and charged with oversight of
the association's Election Protection efforts. He has
previously served as Special Advisor to the President,
Board Member-at-Large, Member of the Executive
Committee, Region IX Director, Sergeant at Arms, Chair of the Government
Lawyers Division (during which time the division was named Division of the
Year), Member of the Nominating Committee and Federal Judicial
Selection Committees, Affiliate Chapter President (Charles Houston Bar
and the California Association of Black Lawyers), Special Assistant to a
number of Presidents, and Co-Chair of the NBA Annual Convention in San
Francisco, CA (“NBA by the Bay”).
Statewide Leadership
In 2005/2006, Demetrius Shelton served as Vice President of the State Bar
of California. He has the distinction of having been elected to the Board
of Governors of the State Bar of California in 2003, the largest bar
association in the country (210,000 members) and the governing body that
regulates the practice of law throughout the state of California.
In his victory, Shelton became the first African American in the history of
the State Bar of California to be elected to represent the 3rd District
(Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Contra Costa Counties). Shelton is
often referred to as one of the most influential African Americans in
California’s legal community and frequently called upon by local, legal and
national media and organizations to provide commentary.
Shelton recently served as the 2005/2006 President of the California
Association of Black Lawyers (“CABL”) representing the interests of African
American attorneys, judges and law students throughout California. Under
his leadership CABL was the recipient of the “Outstanding Affiliate Award”
by the National Bar Association (“NBA”).
Local Leadership
Shelton has a long history of leadership and service to the legal community
and community at large. In addition to those mentioned above, he has
served on the Board of Directors of numerous professional and community
organizations, including the Alameda County Bar Association, the State Bar
of California’s - California Young Lawyers Association, the Allen E. Broussard
Scholarship Foundation, Dolores Youth Facility, Inc. (founder), the San
Francisco Neighborhood Legal Assistance Foundation (now “Bay Area
Legal Aid”), Legal Services for Prisoners with Children and serves as the
Western Region General Counsel of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Prior to
joining the bar, while studying law at King Hall, he served as Chapter
President and Associate Director for the Western Region of the National
Black Law Students’ Association, and provided free legal services through
the law school’s Family Law and Immigration Law clinics.
Professional and Personal Background
Shelton works as a Deputy City Attorney with the City of Oakland in the
litigation division. He has also served as Special Counsel to the Oakland
Police Department and lead counsel and policy advisor to a number of
departments and agencies, including the City’s Code Enforcement
Division, the Life Enrichment Agency, the Oakland Public Library and the
Oakland Ice Center. Shelton has also served as chief advisor to the
Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee and on matters
pertaining to Business Improvement Districts and Measure Y – the Violence
Prevention and Public Safety Act of 2004.
Shelton was born in Bernice, Louisiana and is a long-time resident of
Berkeley, California. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics
from the University of California, Los Angeles, a certificate in Public
Policy/Administration from the University of California, Berkeley’s Graduate
School of Public Policy, as an Alfred P. Sloan (Ford) Foundation Fellow, and
his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Davis School of
Law (King Hall).
Honors and Awards
Shelton is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. Recently,
Shelton was the recipient of the Alameda County Bar Association's 2008
"Distinguished Service Award," the "2008 Bar Leader of the Year" award by
the Judicial Council of the State Bar of California's Bench-Bar Coalition, the
Charles Houston Bar Association's "Clinton White Advocacy Award" and in
2007 named one of the "101+ Men Making a Difference in Our Community"
by Black Expo. Ltd. In the 50th Anniversary Issue of Ebony magazine he was
prophetically recognized as one of the “Thirty Leaders of the Future” for his
many contributions to the community. In 2004 he was named “Attorney of
the Year” by the California Association of Black Lawyers, and on May 6,
2006 “Demetrius Shelton Day” was declared in the City of Oakland by
Mayor Jerry Brown and in the City of San Francisco by Mayor Gavin
Newsom. Shelton was particularly honored to receive these honors given
that eight years prior the City of Oakland had proclaimed Thursday,
November 5, 1998, “Demetrius D. Shelton Day in the City of Oakland” and
the City of San Francisco and then Mayor Willie Brown passed a resolution
honoring Shelton "for his courage, and outstanding leadership.”
Shelton has also been recognized by the National Bar Association on three
occasions, the Charles Houston Bar Association with its "President's Award,",
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Senator Don Perata - President pro
Temporate of the Senate of the State of California, the Hon. John Chiang -
Chair of the California State Board of Equalization, Alameda County
Supervisor Nate Miley, the Office of the San Francisco City Attorney
(Dennis Herrera), the Office of the Oakland City Attorney (John Russo), the
Public Interest Law Foundation, the Wiley Manuel Law Foundation, the
Wiley Manuel Bar Association, UC Davis' African Continuum and the
Minority Bar Coalition for his continuous efforts.
Driving Change and Equality
Most recently, Shelton spearheaded efforts: 1) urging the Governor of the
State of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to increase the number of
African Americans appointed to all levels of the bench including the
California Supreme Court; 2) opposing the split of the United States Court
of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; and 3) calling for a thorough investigation
into the government’s Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts and
mobilizing attorneys throughout the state to assist in this endeavor and in
the recovery. Shelton also led an effort by various Northern California bar
associations to defeat Ward Connerly’s so called, “Racial Privacy
Initiative” leading to adoption of a resolution by numerous bar associations
and legal groups against the initiative. Additionally, Shelton served as
lead counsel in asserting the City’s legal rights in the placement, and
eventual relocation, of state-defined “sexual violent predator” Cary Verse
for crimes committed outside of Oakland.
As you can see from his accomplishments, Shelton has endless energy and
is driven to improving the quality of life in our community and to furthering
the goals of the NBA. He is a leader of today and of tomorrow.
Demetrius Shelton has served on the Board of Governors
of the National Bar Association ("NBA") since 1998. He
currently serves as Vice President of the association
over regions and affiliates and charged with oversight of
the association's Election Protection efforts. He has
previously served as Special Advisor to the President,
Board Member-at-Large, Member of the Executive
Committee, Region IX Director, Sergeant at Arms, Chair of the Government
Lawyers Division (during which time the division was named Division of the
Year), Member of the Nominating Committee and Federal Judicial
Selection Committees, Affiliate Chapter President (Charles Houston Bar
and the California Association of Black Lawyers), Special Assistant to a
number of Presidents, and Co-Chair of the NBA Annual Convention in San
Francisco, CA (“NBA by the Bay”).
Statewide Leadership
In 2005/2006, Demetrius Shelton served as Vice President of the State Bar
of California. He has the distinction of having been elected to the Board
of Governors of the State Bar of California in 2003, the largest bar
association in the country (210,000 members) and the governing body that
regulates the practice of law throughout the state of California.
In his victory, Shelton became the first African American in the history of
the State Bar of California to be elected to represent the 3rd District
(Alameda, Santa Clara, San Mateo and Contra Costa Counties). Shelton is
often referred to as one of the most influential African Americans in
California’s legal community and frequently called upon by local, legal and
national media and organizations to provide commentary.
Shelton recently served as the 2005/2006 President of the California
Association of Black Lawyers (“CABL”) representing the interests of African
American attorneys, judges and law students throughout California. Under
his leadership CABL was the recipient of the “Outstanding Affiliate Award”
by the National Bar Association (“NBA”).
Local Leadership
Shelton has a long history of leadership and service to the legal community
and community at large. In addition to those mentioned above, he has
served on the Board of Directors of numerous professional and community
organizations, including the Alameda County Bar Association, the State Bar
of California’s - California Young Lawyers Association, the Allen E. Broussard
Scholarship Foundation, Dolores Youth Facility, Inc. (founder), the San
Francisco Neighborhood Legal Assistance Foundation (now “Bay Area
Legal Aid”), Legal Services for Prisoners with Children and serves as the
Western Region General Counsel of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Prior to
joining the bar, while studying law at King Hall, he served as Chapter
President and Associate Director for the Western Region of the National
Black Law Students’ Association, and provided free legal services through
the law school’s Family Law and Immigration Law clinics.
Professional and Personal Background
Shelton works as a Deputy City Attorney with the City of Oakland in the
litigation division. He has also served as Special Counsel to the Oakland
Police Department and lead counsel and policy advisor to a number of
departments and agencies, including the City’s Code Enforcement
Division, the Life Enrichment Agency, the Oakland Public Library and the
Oakland Ice Center. Shelton has also served as chief advisor to the
Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee and on matters
pertaining to Business Improvement Districts and Measure Y – the Violence
Prevention and Public Safety Act of 2004.
Shelton was born in Bernice, Louisiana and is a long-time resident of
Berkeley, California. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics
from the University of California, Los Angeles, a certificate in Public
Policy/Administration from the University of California, Berkeley’s Graduate
School of Public Policy, as an Alfred P. Sloan (Ford) Foundation Fellow, and
his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Davis School of
Law (King Hall).
Honors and Awards
Shelton is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions. Recently,
Shelton was the recipient of the Alameda County Bar Association's 2008
"Distinguished Service Award," the "2008 Bar Leader of the Year" award by
the Judicial Council of the State Bar of California's Bench-Bar Coalition, the
Charles Houston Bar Association's "Clinton White Advocacy Award" and in
2007 named one of the "101+ Men Making a Difference in Our Community"
by Black Expo. Ltd. In the 50th Anniversary Issue of Ebony magazine he was
prophetically recognized as one of the “Thirty Leaders of the Future” for his
many contributions to the community. In 2004 he was named “Attorney of
the Year” by the California Association of Black Lawyers, and on May 6,
2006 “Demetrius Shelton Day” was declared in the City of Oakland by
Mayor Jerry Brown and in the City of San Francisco by Mayor Gavin
Newsom. Shelton was particularly honored to receive these honors given
that eight years prior the City of Oakland had proclaimed Thursday,
November 5, 1998, “Demetrius D. Shelton Day in the City of Oakland” and
the City of San Francisco and then Mayor Willie Brown passed a resolution
honoring Shelton "for his courage, and outstanding leadership.”
Shelton has also been recognized by the National Bar Association on three
occasions, the Charles Houston Bar Association with its "President's Award,",
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Senator Don Perata - President pro
Temporate of the Senate of the State of California, the Hon. John Chiang -
Chair of the California State Board of Equalization, Alameda County
Supervisor Nate Miley, the Office of the San Francisco City Attorney
(Dennis Herrera), the Office of the Oakland City Attorney (John Russo), the
Public Interest Law Foundation, the Wiley Manuel Law Foundation, the
Wiley Manuel Bar Association, UC Davis' African Continuum and the
Minority Bar Coalition for his continuous efforts.
Driving Change and Equality
Most recently, Shelton spearheaded efforts: 1) urging the Governor of the
State of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to increase the number of
African Americans appointed to all levels of the bench including the
California Supreme Court; 2) opposing the split of the United States Court
of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; and 3) calling for a thorough investigation
into the government’s Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts and
mobilizing attorneys throughout the state to assist in this endeavor and in
the recovery. Shelton also led an effort by various Northern California bar
associations to defeat Ward Connerly’s so called, “Racial Privacy
Initiative” leading to adoption of a resolution by numerous bar associations
and legal groups against the initiative. Additionally, Shelton served as
lead counsel in asserting the City’s legal rights in the placement, and
eventual relocation, of state-defined “sexual violent predator” Cary Verse
for crimes committed outside of Oakland.
As you can see from his accomplishments, Shelton has endless energy and
is driven to improving the quality of life in our community and to furthering
the goals of the NBA. He is a leader of today and of tomorrow.
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"National Bar Association - Unity Is Our Strength"
| "Proven Leadership" |
