Since 2013, Meredith Ragains has served as the Executive Director of Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. Meredith oversees legal services, education programs, and community relations for the statewide organization. Her duties also include long-range planning, budgetary controls, fundraising, and personnel supervision.

Prior to her work at GLA, Meredith was a litigator for 12 years at Robins Kaplan where she was in the Commercial Litigation practice group. In 2009, the State Bar of Georgia awarded Meredith its Pro Bono Project Award for her outstanding work with pro bono clients.

Meredith graduated from Emory University and Mercer Law School. After law school, Meredith clerked for the Honorable G. Ernest Tidwell of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. In addition to her work at GLA, Meredith is an adjunct professor at Emory Law School where she teaches contract drafting, and she regularly guest lectures at the Georgia State University College of Law on intellectual property-related topics.

Kelly oversees the Georgia PATENTS program and manages GLA services. Kelly obtained her LLM from Vanderbilt Law School in 2016 and was the recipient of the Scholastic Excellence Award in Copyright Law. In 2016, she also attended the 17th International Copyright Law Summer Course at University of Amsterdam, Institute for Information Law. Kelly received her JD from Dalhousie University and her MBA from the University of Toronto.

Kelly has over 10 years’ experience in the film and television industry having worked for producers and international distributors of live action and animated productions. She has independently produced two feature films, both of which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her experience also includes six years with a boutique branding, research and valuation company.

Jayma was born and raised in Rochester, NY. She then moved to Charleston, SC where she graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in Business Administration. She co-owned and operated several businesses before attending Thomas M. Cooley Law School where she received her JD and LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law. After law school, Jayma relocated to Atlanta to focus on trademark and copyright law. She has enjoyed meeting and working with GLA’s creative clients to help them protect their intellectual property. In her free time, Jayma enjoys cooking with her family, playing tennis, and spending time with her newly-adopted cat, “Batman.”

Coming Soon

Brandon is a legal fellow for Georgia PATENTS program. Brandon graduated from Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea with a Master of Science degree in Electronics and Computer Engineering and received his Juris Doctor from Emory University School of Law. Brandon worked for a semiconductor manufacturer for more than 8 years. Brandon is an animal lover and likes to spend his free time watching documentaries about animals, history, military, and technologies.

Ben is a Legal Fellow for Georgia Lawyers for the Arts. As a law student, Ben was selected for the Summer Intellectual Property program at University Lovran, Primorje-Gorski, Croatia where he studied international intellectual property and worked with European IP owners. As a student attorney with the Great Lakes First Amendment Clinic, Ben was featured in two newspaper articles on the importance of the First Amendment and its convergence with copyright and trademark law as it relates to journalism.

Ben became a percussionist at an early age. As a percussionist, Ben performed in symphonic and marching bands throughout his college years at South Carolina State University where he became a member of the Marching 101 Band and graduated with a B.S. in Psychology. Ben received his J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law. Before law school Ben worked as a software test engineer during the day and spent his nights as a budding music producer and songwriter. As a Broadcast Music, Inc. member Ben continues to engage the creative process through music production. He now lives
in Smyrna, GA with his wife, Andrea, and two daughters, Jeneen and Lana.

Xiaotong Shan is originally from China. Xiaotong got her Bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University and then went to law school at Emory University School of Law. Xiaotong passed the New York State Bar Examination and is waiting for admission. In her free time, Xiaotong likes reading novels, cooking food, and listening to music. 

Michael Anderson graduated magna cum laude with a dual liberal arts degree from Tulane University, majoring in International Relations and Theater Performance, and will be graduating this May from Emory University School of Law. As a member of Emory’s Technology Innovations Program (“TI;GER”) Michael has practical hands-on experience with applying his talents and skills in intellectual property, specifically trademark law, to transform innovative medical research into viable commercial products. Outside of law school, Michael continues to pursue his passion for the performing arts by acting both on stage and screen – you might even catch his five seconds of fame in the blockbuster “22 Jump Street”.

Elizabeth Poland is pursuing her Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia Law School. Prior to law school, Elizabeth attended the University of Georgia where she earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations. After working as an intern in various art museums in Athens and Atlanta, Elizabeth attended the Savannah College of Art & Design where she earned her master’s degree in Arts Administration. Elizabeth then worked full-time as a development associate for a prominent arts and activism nonprofit in Atlanta where she focused on grant writing, event planning, and fundraising for the organization. While preparing for and applying to law school, Elizabeth worked as a paralegal for a boutique intellectual property law firm in Atlanta. In her spare time, Elizabeth enjoys attending art shows in Athens and Atlanta and hosting pop-up thrift shops to sell vintage clothing.

Stephen is an extern from Mercer University. Before law school, he received his Bachelor of Science in Physics from Brigham Young University where he studied the magnetic ordering of magnetite nanoparticle assemblies. He is a father of two girls, a two-year-old and a newborn. 

David is an extern from Emory University where he focuses on patent law. Before law school, he worked part-time as a wedding singer and full-time as an engineer in thermo and fluid dynamics. David has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in German from the Ohio State University. In his free time, he likes playing board games and singing in the law school band.