Tia L. Gibbs, director of academic advisement and bar success at Georgia State Law
Tia L. Gibbs, director of academic advisement and bar success, has had a semester full of noteworthy achievements, earning recognition from prestigious organizations across the country.
In January 2024, the Society of American Law Teachers (SALT) presented Gibbs with the Junior Faculty Award for her work as a champion of justice, diversity and teaching excellence. The Association of Academic Support Educators (AASE) gave her a spotlight on their website in April, and she was elected treasurer-elect of the Association of Academic Support Educators (AASE) in May.
Gibbs is also leading the “Pounce the Bar,” bar preparation program for Georgia State University College of Law students who visit the law school every Monday during the summer to put themselves under testing conditions for the Supplemental Writing Program.
“GSU students are working really hard this summer to pass the bar,” said Gibbs. “The bar exam is a great equalizer as anyone who attends law school can pass if they put in the hours of studying. “
Gibbs was also recognized by the T. J. Reddick Bar Association with a special appreciation for her exemplary service as their historian for the past year.
During her term as historian, Gibbs curated a special exhibit for the Old Dillard Museum in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla entitled “From Brown to Broward,” documenting the 16-year delay in public school desegregation efforts in Broward County, Fla.
Attorney W. George Allen, the first African American to graduate from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, sued the county on behalf of his elementary-aged sons — Frederick and Tim Allen — to integrate the school system in 1971.
The exhibit featured contemporary photographs from the Allen family alongside artifacts in the museum’s permanent collection, including copies of the Supreme Court records, transcripts, pleadings and the school board’s desegregation plan. According to Gibbs, students who attended the exhibit opening were surprised to learn that the children at the heart of the case were only in their 50s, many assuming that these events were far enough in the past that the plaintiffs might already be deceased.
“I love teaching children about the law, because I believe knowledge of the law is like a superpower,” said Gibbs. "It’s important to teach people the history of the past so we don’t make the same mistakes in the future.”