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Taylor Calvert
(5th Circuit)
Taylor Calvert is an amazing young woman. She went to Winthrop University for her undergraduate degree, graduated at the top of her class while also serving as team captain
for her Division 1 basketball team. She then enrolled in law school at Texas Tech University. She served as a judicial intern for Craig Gargotta, a bankruptcy judge from the Western District of Texas. Her bankruptcy professor - Sally Henry - noted that Judge Gargotta was effusive in his praise for Taylor’s work product and work ethic. Sally Henry likewise lauded Taylor’s great grasp of bankruptcy issues and outstanding work product. During law school, Taylor worked on a pro bono project involving filing bankruptcy petitions for low income persons. She co-authored a presentation published in the 2018 Annual NCBJ publication, which pertains to a liquidation trustee’s ability to recover under D&O insurance policies. Taylor worked in the office of the General Counsel of Texas Tech and served as vice president of the Black Law Students’ Association. In February 2019 Taylor won Texas Tech Law’s 44th National Advocacy Championship at the ABA Negotiation Competition. A fun fact about Taylor is that she played Division 1 basketball for 4 years and made it to the NCAA tournament.
Marina Kirtland (6th Circuit)
Marina went to law school at University of Kentucky and graduated in the top 10% of her class. She was a judicial extern for Judge Tracy Wise and thereafter Chief Judge
Gregory Schaaf of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Her bankruptcy law professor describes Marina as hard working and brilliant as well as likeable, down to earth and a person of character. She has shown a deep and abiding commitment to public service and has led several philanthropic efforts including a strong involvement for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Kentucky Youth Advocates. In law school, she served in a leadership position on her journal dedicated to health law and also served on her law school’s Faculty Appointments Committee. She currently works at the firm of Waller Dortch & Davis in Nashville, TN in their Business Restructuring Group. A fun fact about Marina is that she has travelled extensively throughout Germany.