President Samantha Parchment, esqUIRE

Picture
Attorney Samantha Parchment, Esq.
Samantha Parchment, Esquire is the current President of the Jamaican-American Bar Association. She was born in Jamaica, and graduated from Holy Childhood High School and the University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica. Upon migrating to the United States, Ms. Parchment attended Florida International University, where she received a BSc in Management Information Technology. She later earned her J.D from Florida State University College of Law. Currently, Ms. Parchment law practice includes, Probate, Family Law, Bankruptcies and Personal Injury.

Jamaican-American bar association OFFICERS

First Vice-President

Picture
Jeremy McLymont, Esq.
Jeremy McLymont is a trial attorney at the largest criminal defense firm in the state of Florida, The Miami-Dade Public Defender Office. As an Assistant Public Defender, Mr. McLymont is currently in the Domestic Representation Unit where he represents indigent individuals who have been accused of domestic violence crimes.

Mr. McLymont is a native of Tampa, Florida where he also earned his Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from the University of South Florida in 2015. Mr. McLymont went on to earn his law degree from Florida International University College of Law.
During law school Mr. McLymont served on several executive boards. The most important being his service as the 2017-2018 National Attorney General for the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA). Mr. McLymont also served as the 2017-2018 President of the H.T. Smith BLSA Chapter at FIU College of Law. In these roles, Mr. McLymont represented thousands of Black law students across the country. He organized for political and social action with law students, lawyers, community activists and members of Congress.

Before becoming an attorney, Mr. McLymont interned for the Older & Lundy Law firm, the Hillsborough County Public Defender, the Public Defender Services for Washington DC, and the Miami-Dade Public Defender Office. During these internships, Mr. McLymont advocated for the legal rights of indigent defendants. For years, he has been filing and arguing constitutional motions in court, taking depositions, prepping trials and negotiating favorable plea agreements with prosecutors.
​
During his free time, Mr. McLymont enjoys organizing in his local community. He has worked with various Black organizations such as: Nation of Islam, NAACP, Black Lives Matter, Florida Student Power, and the Dream Defenders. He also owns a tee shirt business, selling shirts with messages that bring awareness to various racial justice issues.

Second VICE-PRESIDENT

Picture
Marlon Bennett, Esq.
Marlon Bennet is the current Second Vice-President of the Jamaican-American Bar Association.

GENERAL SECRETARY

Picture
Sheri-Ann Grant-Clarke, Esq.
Sherri-Ann Grant-Clarke is an attorney in the South Florida area. She was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica and migrated to the United States in 2001. She attended The Florida State University College of Law and currently practices in the area of insurance defense handling a wide array of cases ranging from premises liability to construction. Sherri-Ann is happy to serve as JABA's Second Vice President for the 2020-2021 year and welcomes the opportunity to serve the local community while strengthening the presence of Jamaican American legal professionals throughout South Florida.

Treasurer

Picture
Don James, Esq.
Don G. James, Esq. is the founder and current Treasurer of the Jamaican-American Bar Association. An Attorney at law with office in Coral Gables, Florida for the past 18 years, Mr. James was born in St. Catherine, Jamaica and graduated from St. Jago High School. After migrating to Florida in 1985, Mr. James entered the University of South Florida in 1991 and graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, as a Honors History major, winning commendation for Superior academic achievement. Recruited by SunTrust Bank for Management training and elected Vice-President of Tampa Bay Urban Bankers Association, he then won a Scholarship to University of Miami, School of Law.

Commencing law school in 1995, Don James graduated in 1997 and passed the Florida Bar exam, two months later, after being honored in Law School with a Dean’s Fellowship in Criminal Procedure and an Award for Excellence in Banking Law. Mr. James also accomplished this, while working as Senior Credit Analyst at City National Bank, serving as a Director of Miami-Dade Urban Bankers, Interning at Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Juvenile Justice Division and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Don James is qualified to appear in State and Federal Court and his law practice includes: Bankruptcies, Personal Injury, Divorce Actions, Foreclosures and Criminal Defense.

The Jamaican-American bar association