BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Brittany Chavis is Blazing a Trail

by Kerri Cooke

Brittany Chavis knew since she was five years old that she wanted to be an attorney. She even informed her parents of her dream at that tender age. “When other children played doctors or teachers, I played courtroom,” Chavis says. Along with the support of her parents, Chavis was determined to reach her goal and she explains “hurdles were not looked to as challenges but as stepping stones to get me to my end goal.”

Chavis graduated from Southern University Law Center in 2012 and accepted a job as a clerk for Judge David Ritchie in the 14th Judicial Judge’s Office. She remained in that position for more than a year as it was great training ground. “The clerkship allowed me the ability to observe court proceedings, become familiar with the judges that I would eventually come before and gave me practical insight into the practice of law,” Chavis says. She continued gaining experience as an assistant district attorney for the 14th Judicial District Court for five years.

Law has always been a male-dominated field. It wasn’t until 1950 that Harvard Law School began admitting women into their program. However, according to the American Bar Association, last year 41% of attorneys active in the United States were women. According to the same report, only 5% of practicing attorneys are Black. Of those 5%, various sources estimate women make up 2% of that statistic. But Chavis has never let any of these stereotypes slow her down. “It’s no secret that the practice of law, especially in a small town is male driven, so it was at this level of my career that I experienced barriers as a Black woman, but those experiences crafted me into a strong advocate. During times where colleagues and adversaries tried to make me doubt myself and my ability, those feelings fueled me to do better to achieve better.”

Originally dreaming of becoming a career prosecutor, Chavis decided flexibility on the job was her priority after giving birth to her son Bryant Jr. in 2019. She has no regrets and worked at a local law office until Hurricanes Laura and Delta hit in 2020. Though destructive to SWLA, the hurricanes gave Chavis the opportunity to open her own law firm, Chavis Law, in November 2020.

When Chavis opened her own practice, she expected to focus mostly on criminal law since that was her field of experience. However, she began receiving calls relating to family law, which she has fallen in love with. “My law firm is about 75% family law cases, where we handle divorces, custody matters, child support, adoptions, etc. I am also a certified mediator, where I handle court-appointed family law cases as well as private mediations” Chavis says.

As a Black business owner and one who comes from a family without law experience, Chavis says, “It feels amazing to own my own firm as an African American woman. In Lake Charles, there are not many firms that are Black-owned and an even smaller amount that are owned by a woman of color. I built Chavis law from the ground up, and I have truly been blessed since its inception in 2020.”

Chavis says her approach to work is inspired by her son as she had a challenging pregnancy and had to fight for her life and his. “I fight for families the way I would want someone to fight for mine.”

As a woman of color paving the way for future generations, Chavis hopes her example can “inspire little Black girls with big dreams. It doesn’t matter what you look like. As long as you have a solid plan and are self-motivated, you are unstoppable.”