Mya is the first Bay Area Urban Debate League Champion. She received her Bachelor's degree in Communication from San Francisco State University. As an Emerge graduate, her long-term plan is to run for Congress. Mya organized a roundtable for youth to speak directly to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Superintendent Antwan Wilson. Students came together to speak to powerful policy makers about their education. Mya makes a difference & empowers Oakland youth.

Sekayi is a senior at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Political Economy and graduating in 2023. She participated in BAUDL at Oakland Tech high school, winning the league championship and representing BAUDL at the National Urban Debate Championships. Sekayi worked as a Regional Coordinator at BAUDL for three years before becoming the BAUDL Program Director in 2023. Sekayi is the second BAUDL Program Director who also has experience participating in the program. ​

Ne’Jahra is an Emery High School alum who competed in BAUDL in 2019. Ne’Jahra is the first BAUDL debater to go undefeated at six consecutive tournaments, and our Season Opener debate tournament was named after her. We are excited to welcome another Bay Area youth onto the BAUDL Staff. It speaks volumes when youth who participated in programming apply for positions to continue making an impact in their hometowns. Tell Ne’Jahra congratulations! Train Bay Area youth, Hire Bay Area youth.

​Darin is a partner in O'Melveny's San Francisco Office and Chair of the Intellectual Property and Technology Practice within the Litigation Department. The trial victory for client NDS Group, in which he served as lead counsel, was named by the Daily Journal as one of the top 10 defense verdicts of 2008.  The Daily Journal named Darin amongst the top 75 Intellectual Property litigators in California in both 2010 and 2011.  The Legal 500 has acknowledged Darin for his work in patent, copyright and trade secrets litigation, repeatedly recognizing Darin, for his excellence in trade secret litigation, quoting clients who call him "one of the West Coast's biggest names in the area."  Darin has also been recognized repeatedly by Law & Politics Media Inc. as a Northern California "Super Lawyer."

Ms. Castella specializes in public law litigation at both the trial court and appellate court levels, and has extensive experience litigating cases on behalf of public and private entities.  Her areas of specialization include Proposition 218, 1021.5 attorney’s fees disputes, inverse condemnation and takings, environmental law, and eminent domain. When litigation looms, Ms. Castella counsels her clients to consider creative, cost effective solutions to potential disputes.  In the event that litigation ensues, Ms. Castella is an aggressive advocate with an exemplary track record of success at the demurrer, summary judgment, and appeal stages.

Jill’s practice focuses on commercial real estate and business litigation. Her experience includes handling commercial and mixed use development, leasing, and finance disputes, receivership issues, title disputes, anti-SLAPP proceedings, and attorney fee claims involving developers, lenders, real estate syndicators, brokers, closely held businesses, non-profit corporations and public entities. She has represented clients in all phases of litigation, at the trial and appellate levels.

Kina is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the BAUDC and has assisted the organization with legal, governance and finance matters.  She graduated from UC Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in Rhetoric and has a law degree from The University of Chicago.  She practiced law at the law firm of Brobeck, Phleger and Harrison before joining VISX, Inc. (maker of the laser for correcting vision) as Assistant General Counsel and later becoming the company’s General Counsel.

Jeff focuses his practice on business and employment litigation and counseling. He represents clients in disputes relating to; claims of discrimination and harassment, trade secret violations, wage and hour compliance, wrongful discharge, and breach of contract. Recognizing the risk and expense inherent in litigation, Jeff has extensive experience in alternative methods of resolving disputes, including mediation.

​Lexy is the Director of Debate at The College Preparatory School.




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