Melanie E. Bates is the Owner of Melanie Bates Consulting, LLC. She also serves as a CRSJ Council member and Criminal Justice Committee Vice Chair.
Melanie E. Bates
Civil Rights and Social Justice Member Spotlight
Where are you from?
I am from Fairfax County, Virigina, a suburb of the Nation’s Capital. I currently reside in Northeast Washington, DC.
How have your experiences here, or throughout your upbringing, influenced your passions and aspirations today? What drives you?
In spring 2007, all I could think about was my upcoming college graduation. Little did I know that I would soon find myself in the wrong place, at the wrong time. I was wrongfully arrested.
At the blink of an eye, all of my rights were taken from me and I was caged like an animal. There I was, with graduation less than two months away, sitting in a jail cell. I was in jail for something that I did not do.
This experience exposed me to another side of life that 2.3 million people are experiencing every day all over the United States. Having first-hand experience with the legal system and experiencing such a high-level of emotional stress gave me the ambition to assist others who are in jeopardy of having their rights taken away.
I want to ensure that every human being is afforded their most basic right – the right to be treated equally under the law. As Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Thurgood Marshall once said, “Mere access to the courthouse doors does not by itself assure a proper functioning of the adversary process.”
I will never stop fighting for justice.
What does social justice mean to you?
I believe that it is crucial to the well-being of society that every person has access to affordable legal representation, especially in these tough economic times. No one should have to enter a courtroom without adequate legal representation. No matter what their issue may be, it will be more efficiently resolved with the guidance of an advocate.
What do you feel is the greatest challenge to social justice today?
I believe the greatest challenge to social justice today is police brutality. Blacks are racially profiled and discriminated against consistently by law enforcement, due to implicit bias stemming from the horrendous history of this nation.
I had the privilege of serving as the initial drafter of ABA Resolution 116A, which urges the use of special prosecutors when investigating police-involved killings. My hope is that policy such as this can move us toward more accountability on the part of our government that is paid by our tax dollars to “protect and serve.”
What is a piece of advice to give law students and young lawyers that want to make a meaningful impact on civil rights and social justice in today’s world?
Always remember why you are doing what you are doing. That will get you through the lulls and energize you to keep going.
What CRSJ project(s) are you working on? Or, what have you undertaken in CRSJ that you found most rewarding?
I organized and moderated a webinar titled, “The Impact of Mass Incarceration of Communities of Color in the Wake of COVID-19.” The panelists I invited for this program had lived experience navigating the justice system. It should go without saying that people who are directly impacted can provide the most effective solutions to these complex issues. Their stories are powerful and should be at the core of any reform efforts. We must ensure that persons with lived experience are included on any panel discussion, roundtable, or meeting related to the topic. To watch a recording of the webinar, please visit the program webpage or CRSJ YouTube Channel.
What do you do to relax in your spare time?
I love running. Over the last decade, I have completed two half marathons and countless 10 milers, 10Ks, 5Ks, and other distances in between. In 2022, I had the honor of representing Potomac River Running and Altra Running at the National Women’s Half Marathon and 8K.
What is one thing most people do not know about you that you feel they should?
I am a violinist dedicated to amplifying music written by Black composers. I began playing violin in the fourth grade but stopped when I got to high school. Fortunately, I was able to resume my practice during the pandemic.
I believe music has the power to transform our overall well-being. I seek opportunities to share my passion through performances for assisted living facilities, youth groups, and other community organizations. To learn more, please visit www.melaniebates.net/violinist
Melanie E. Bates
Owner, Melanie Bates Consulting, LLC
Melanie Elizabeth Bates, Esquire is the owner of Melanie Bates Consulting, LLC. MBC is a strategic policy and communications firm with an overall focus on criminal justice reform.
Melanie’s legal background developed her expertise in government relations. Previously, Melanie served as the Legislative Director for the Ward 6 Councilmember at the Council of the District of Columbia, Legislative Counsel for the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety at the Council of the District of Columbia, Legal Intern at Legal Aid of North Carolina, and Legal Intern at Neighborhood Legal Services Program.
She has extensive experience in communications, having served as the first-ever Director of Communications at the Future of Privacy Forum, Director of Policy and Communications at the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia, and Advertising Coordinator at The Washington Post.
As a native of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Melanie has dedicated her career to serving the local community. She has a strong passion for criminal justice reform and believes that poverty, lack of education, and other social issues should not feed the pipeline to prison.
She serves on the Advisory Board of Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop, an organization that uses books, creative writing, and peer support to awaken DC youth incarcerated as adults to their own potential.
Melanie is a committed leader. She is a graduate of the New Leaders Council Institute’s Washington, DC Chapter, District of Columbia Bar John Payton Leadership Academy, American Bar Association Bar Leadership Institute, and American Bar Association Collaborative Bar Leadership Academy. She was the 2014-2015 President of the Greater Washington Area Chapter of the Women’s Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association (GWAC). Under her leadership, GWAC was awarded Affiliate Chapter of the Year. She currently serves on the Leadership Council of the American Bar Association Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice.
Melanie earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Hampton University. She earned a Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law.