School of Law Alumna Aja N. Brooks Sworn In as the State Bar of New Mexico’s 139th President
February 3, 2025
On December 11, 2024 Aja N. Brooks was sworn in as the 2025 President of the State Bar of New Mexico. In assuming this role, she became the State Bar of New Mexico’s 139th President. This appointment is a historic milestone for the New Mexico legal community, as Brooks is the first Black President of the State Bar of New Mexico.
Brooks attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina before continuing her education at the UNM School of Law where she earned her J.D. in 2008. She currently serves as the Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico. Prior to this role, she was the Director of the Second Judicial District Court’s Center for Self-Help and Dispute Resolution. Brooks is involved in many legal organizations, including the New Mexico Black Lawyer’s Association (BLSA), the Committee on Diversity in the Legal Profession, Bridge the Gap Mentorship Program, Region X of the National Bar Association, and the Iota Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She is also a dedicated supporter of legal education, contributing to the New Mexico Black Lawyers Association’s Cochran Award and the Hannah Banks Best Scholarship for Law Student Diversity at the School of Law.
Reflecting on her time at the School of Law, Brooks speaks about the impact her legal education had on shaping her career and values. “Being actively involved in organizations like the Black Law Students Association at the University of New Mexico School of Law laid the foundation for me to become the President of the State Bar of New Mexico. The experiences I had in BLSA taught me the value of leadership: that the most important part of being a lawyer is helping others and building community. My time in BLSA and law school prepared me to take on this role with a deep sense of purpose and a commitment to pursuing access to justice and inclusivity within the legal profession.”
Also sworn in to State Bar leadership was Allison H. Block Chavez (’14) as the 2025 President-Elect, and Lucy H. Sinkular as the 2025 Secretary-Treasurer.
You can view the swearing-in ceremony here.
