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Multitasking is nothing new to Brianna Golden, a 2011 graduate of St. Joseph’s Academy. During her four years at SJA, Brianna was a talented and hard-working student while staying busy year ’round as a member of the volleyball and track and field teams. She was the 2011 state champion in the shot put and discus, earning All-State honors. As a junior, she set the state outdoor meet record in the discus (132-5) and placed second in the shot put, once again earning All-State recognition. She was named SJA’s Outstanding Athlete for 2010-2011 and would attend Southeastern Louisiana University on an athletic scholarship.

After graduation, Brianna studied at the Southern University Law Center while also working as a graduate assistant for the Louisiana Board of Regents. Her work was unique, as she held two positions. As a program manager for the Louisiana Center Addressing Substance Use in Collegiate Communities, she oversaw and coordinated university participation in the 2021 Bi- annual Core and Drug Alcoholic Survey. She advised and consulted with university liaisons to ensure federal compliance with the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act.
 
After graduating from law school in 2020, Brianna added a second set of responsibilities as associate general counsel and policy advisor with Legal and External Affairs. She advised the agency and in-state public post-secondary institutions on laws and statutes concerning higher education.

As a first-year lawyer, she was entrusted with the responsibility of being lead policy drafter for the Board of Regents’ Uniform Policy on Power- Based Violence/Sexual Misconduct. The policy was recently passed unanimously by the board. Brianna said the experience was the pinnacle of her time at the Board of Regents.

“This was my first major project as a first-year lawyer who was only one year out of law school,” Brianna said. “To be entrusted to be lead policy drafter for a policy that would impact all public post-secondary colleges and universities in the state of Louisiana was a big responsibility, especially as a new lawyer.”

Today, Brianna is employed as a judicial law clerk for a federal magistrate judge. With her wide range of interests and areas of expertise, Brianna is exploring the next steps on her legal career path when her clerkship is complete. “I have a deepened interest in pursuing higher education law,” she said.

Away from work, Brianna enjoys taking walks and listening to podcasts. “I am a huge fan of Brené Brown and all law-related podcasts,” she said. “I also enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and painting on occasion.”

Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director

Photos courtesy of Brianna Golden