Young Lawyers Section

J'Naia Boyd

Outstanding Young Layer Award Winner

J’Naia L. Boyd is an associate with Rivkin Radler LLP and is a member of the firm’s Appeals, Intellectual Property, Commercial Litigation, Bankruptcy, and Business Dissolution groups. J’Naia’s appellate practice includes prosecuting and defending an array of appeals before the New York appellate courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit. As a litigator, J’Naia’s practice includes representing clients in federal and state courts, and in ADR forums, in matters involving trademark and copyright infringement, complex commercial disputes, business torts, bankruptcy, fraud, labor and employment law, violations of confidentiality agreements, restrictive covenant disputes, insurance disputes, and partnership and joint venture disputes.

J’Naia’s practice also includes immigration work, where she represents clients seeking H-1B visas for highly skilled workers in specialty occupations and O visas for foreign nationals with extraordinary ability.

Active in the National Bar Association, J’Naia was elected to the 2021-2022 Executive Board of the Women Lawyers Division and is the Co-Chair of the We Empower Mentoring Program, the only mentoring program of its kind designed for women of color enrolled in the six Historical Black Colleges and Universities Law Schools. J’Naia also served as a Young Lawyers Division Ambassador. The National Bar Association is the nation’s oldest bar association of African American attorneys, jurists and law students. J’Naia also sits on the Committee on the Courts of Appellate Jurisdiction of the New York State Bar Association and is a member of the Amistad Black Bar Association.

J’Naia has also been an Attorney Mentor with The Appellate Project for the past two years, which is a mentorship program designed to empower law students of color, particularly those most underrepresented, to become the next generation of lawyers and judges in our highest courts.

A staunch proponent of pro bono service, J’Naia serves as pro bono counsel for indigent tenants facing eviction through Nassau/Suffolk Law Services.

J’Naia is an active member in the firm’s Diversity, Development & Inclusion committee, which is focused on increasing the diversity within the firm through hiring initiatives aimed at identifying diverse talent.

Prior to joining Rivkin Radler, J’Naia clerked for two years at the New York State Court of Appeals. During her clerkship, J’Naia prepared comprehensive reports for the Judges of the Court that analyzed the relevant statutes, regulations, and case law; examined complex state jurisdictional issues; and recommended whether to grant, deny, or dismiss leave in civil motions for leave to appeal. She also drafted memorandum opinions for civil appeals selected for sua sponte merits disposition.

While attending the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, J’Naia served as a Student Editor for The Authority, and was a member of the INADR International Law School Mediation Tournament Team.

Additionally, J’Naia was a student attorney for the Maryland Intellectual Property Resource Center, where she advised start-up companies and individual entrepreneurs on issues such as the requirements for obtaining a patent; requirements for trademark and copyright registration; and maintenance of trade secrets. She also interned for the United States Copyright Office, Black Entertainment Television Networks, and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. J’Naia served as a student volunteer for two years with the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, where she worked with other attorneys in providing pro bono legal services to artists in the state of Maryland.

J’Naia was named a Top 40 Under 40 Attorney by the National Black Lawyers.

In 2020, J’Naia was named a Public Interest/Pro-Bono Attorney of the Year by Touro College’s Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center.

J’Naia was recognized by Long Island Business News with its Leadership in Law-Associate award.