Four attorneys in the Office of Chief Counsel at NASA’s Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., were recently admitted to the bar of the
U.S. Supreme Court.
Pamela A. Bourque, Gray Marsee, Audrey Robinson and Devinti M. Williams were
sworn in at a ceremony in Huntsville by former Army Maj. Gen. William K.
Suter, clerk of the Supreme Court. As members of the chief counsel’s staff,
they provide Marshall Center management with legal advice and representation
on personnel law, federal ethics standards, contracts and agreements and
other matters.
As members of the Supreme Court Bar, they can file and argue cases before
the justices and attend Supreme Court oral arguments closed to the public.
To become a member, applicants must be sponsored by a current member of the
bar; have at least three years of experience practicing law in a state,
commonwealth, or territory; and appear to the court to be of good moral and
professional character.
Since joining NASA in 1993, Bourque has served as an attorney in the
Marshall chief counsel’s office. Born in Broussard, La., she earned her
bachelor’s degree in English in 1990 from the University of Louisiana at
Lafayette and her Juris Doctor in 1993 from Tulane University in New
Orleans. In 1995, Bourque was presented a Silver Snoopy Award honoring
individuals who have made contributions to the success of human space flight
missions. She also was named a Space Flight Awareness honoree in 1999,
recognizing those who demonstrate exemplary teamwork while accomplishing a
significant task or goal in support of NASA’s space flight programs.
Marsee has been an attorney in Marshall’s Office of Chief Counsel since
1984. A native of Knoxville, Tenn. he earned his bachelor’s degree in
psychology in 1980 from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and his
Juris Doctor in 1983 from the University of Tennessee College of Law in
Knoxville. He was honored with the NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 2000,
recognizing significant, sustained performance characterized by unusual
initiative or creativity. Marsee received a Silver Snoopy Award in 2002 and
was a Space Flight Awareness honoree in 2003.
Robinson has been an attorney to Marshall’s chief counsel since 1996. Her
first work experience with NASA was in 1981 as a participant in the Summer
High School Apprentice Research Program – an eight-week program where
students work hand-in-hand with mentors to conduct research and improve
leadership skills. Born in Montgomery, Ala., she earned her bachelor’s
degree in chemistry in 1986 from Oakwood College in Huntsville; her master’s
in management in 1989 from Florida Institute of Technology in Huntsville;
and her Juris Doctor in 1993 from Emory University School of Law in Atlanta.
She was honored with the NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 2000 and is
currently part of the Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program
– the personnel system that covers most of the top managerial, supervisory
and policy positions in the executive branch of the federal government.
Robinson was assigned to the Office of Chief Counsel at NASA’s Kennedy Space
Center in Florida in 1994 before returning to the Marshall Center in 1996.
Williams has been an attorney advisor in the Marshall chief counsel’s office
since joining NASA in 2003. An Athens, Ala., native, he earned a bachelor’s
degree in science in 1994 from Alabama A&M University in Huntsville and his
Juris Doctor in 1998 from Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Ala. In
June 2004, Williams was published in the Huntsville-based Black Business
Monthly magazine with his article titled “Establishing a Business in Madison
County (Ala.): A step by step approach to accomplishing your dream of
business ownership.”
