In the summer of 2024, Atlanta native Courtney-Simone Graves (J.D. ‘25) traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to help facilitate an annual conference on Urban Law and Policy titled “Study Space XIII: Rio de Janeiro, Creating Resilient Cities.”
“The Brazil project was an incredible opportunity for me to explore international legal frameworks,” said Graves as she explained how this conference broadened her perspective on urban law and how it can be applied on an international scale. "It opened the door to learning about how law intersects with global issues, public interest, business and governance—particularly in areas like health and climate change,” she explained. Graves assisted with planning, logistics, language translation interpretation, selecting academic reading/media materials, securing speakers for events; and she worked directly with a tourism organization to bring the conference to life.
Courtney-Simone Graves (J.D. ‘26) played a key role in planning this year's annual conference on Urban Law and Policy titled “Study Space XIII: Rio de Janeiro, Creating Resilient Cities.”
The conference was hosted by Georgia State University College of Law’s Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth and Fundação Getúlio Vargas Rio de Janeiro Law School. Graves, a graduate research assistant for Professor Ryan Rowberry, became involved in the Brazil project after he reviewed her resume and interests.
Now, as a third-year law student, Graves reflects on how she initially became interested in studying law during a high school trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. As part of an experiential learning program, Graves and her high school classmates were hosted by Common Ground Relief, a social services organization that serves the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orleans. During the trip, they learned about the lasting impact of Hurricane Katrina on the neighborhood’s legacy residents. The group looked at ways residents could use the law to get justice and address systemic challenges.
“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to do something meaningful,” Graves said. “That trip helped me realize the law could be a way to achieve that.”
Motivated by this encounter, she went to Loyola University New Orleans to pursue her undergraduate degree. She studied modern language and culture, along with mass communications — merging her interest in communications with her passion for understanding communities.
After graduating from Loyola University, Graves attended a visitation day at Georgia State University College of Law where she heard Professor John Marshall speak about his work in urban law. “I was impressed with his approach,” Graves said. “That’s when I started to delve further into urban law and policy. At the time I had no idea that Professor Marshall would play a pivotal role in my law school experience.”
Mentorship is very important to the future attorney. She has several mentors including Professors John Marshall, Ryan Rowberry and Karen Johnston in the Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth, and Professor of Practice Mo Ivory who heads the Center for Entertainment, Sports & Intellectual Property.
Professor John Marshall, who has worked closely with Graves, spoke highly of her character and capabilities. “I’ve come to know Courtney-Simone during her tenure as one of 12 university-wide Center for Urban Transformations Fellows and as a graduate research assistant to the College’s Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth – and what a privilege working with CS has been!” said Marshall. “Her keen ear for listening to others and her deeply thoughtful reflections distinguish her in the seminar room, at a team meal, or on conference calls with Center partners grappling with community sustainability challenges.”
Graves gives her mentors credit for guiding her through the challenges of law school. “The mentorship I’ve received from Georgia State University College of Law faculty has been invaluable,” she said. “They gave me the support I needed to build my self-confidence in making decisions about my desired path.”
Professor Ryan Rowberry, who worked with Graves on the Brazil initiative, had similar views and emphasized her critical contribution to the program's success. “Courtney-Simone has been indispensable to the work of the Center for the Comparative Study of Metropolitan Growth. In August of 2023, she and I traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to set up a Study Space conference for summer 2024 with our local host university partner, FGV Law School. In the summer of 2024, Courtney-Simone again traveled to Rio de Janeiro to participate in the Study Space conference. While there she was instrumental in helping our foreign visitors feel safe and welcomed. She was truly a vital member of the team, and her poise and easy-going personality made all the difference. We could not have held Study Space 2024 without her.”
Courtney-Simone Graves (J.D. ‘26) in Rio de Janeiro with College of Law professors (from left) John Marshall, Ryan Rowberry and Karen Johnston.
Graves works at the Center for Metropolitan Growth, participates in the College of Law’s Urban Fellows program led by Professor Karen Johnston and serves as an Urban Transformation Fellow in a cross-departmental initiative funded by the National Science Foundation. In her role as an Urban Transformation Fellow, she collaborates with graduate students and professors to address real-world problems, such as Chatham County's infrastructure development. Alongside her colleagues Alice Price and Professor John Marshall, Graves focuses on various initiatives to support the community. For instance, her current project addresses the challenge of failing septic tank systems in coastal communities, examining how rising water tables, aging systems and insufficient maintenance contribute to the failure of septic systems in Chatham County.
Also, over the summer, Graves was among a group of students who went on a special trip to Paris for the Olympic Games with Professor Mo Ivory. The students were a part of the “Legal Life of the Olympic Games,” course which gives them the opportunity to study the business and legal issues related to the Olympic experience. “The Olympic Games in Paris is an incredible case study where entertainment, innovation, and urban transformation all come to the table,” Graves stated. “Having previously worked in creative industries, I took an immediate interest in entertainment law.”
Graves’ main goal is to use her legal knowledge to make a positive impact on people’s lives in different cities like Atlanta. Most importantly, she is very passionate about urban transformation and desires to actively assist in shaping the future of urban development, policy, and entertainment law in her state. “It has been a pleasure to learn in this environment. My time here has shown me that the possibilities of what my career as a lawyer may hold are endless,” she said.
-Written by Ifunanya Ejimofor (LL.M. ‘25)