TALI Scholarships: 2024-2025 Recipients

Executive Leadership Academy Recipient: Jacques Moye

Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up, where did you go to college?
I am a native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. I graduated from Slippery Rock University in 1998, where I earned a BSBA in Accounting. Upon graduation, I began working as an advisor in the Business Assurance and Advisory Services Group of Deloitte & Touche, LLP, where I earned my certified public accountant (CPA) certification and gained a broad range of financial and business experience. After practicing at Deloitte for a few years, I went to law school in the evening at Duquesne University School of Law and graduated in 2006. Upon graduation, I began my legal practice at McGuireWoods LLP, focusing in corporate mergers, acquisitions and general corporate matters. In 2012, I moved my legal practice to Clark Hill PLC, a full-service law firm with 700+ attorneys worldwide, where I am currently a partner practicing in mergers, acquisitions, general corporate, private equity and real estate transactions.

Why did you decide to go to law school? What motivated you to be a lawyer?
Since undergrad, my plan was to become a corporate transactions attorney, first obtaining my CPA and practicing accounting to get the relevant business experience, then finally finishing up in business transactions law.

Why do you love Pittsburgh?
I love Pittsburgh mostly because of its people. They are largely people full of character, substance and outstanding work ethic. They are family-oriented folks that like to work hard and play hard. As it relates to the actual city itself, I love it because it’s small enough for me to get my hands around it sufficiently, but large enough to encompass a great workforce and business environment, interesting neighborhoods and culture, including many national and local restaurants and venues, and world-class universities, health systems and sports teams.

What does this opportunity to be a part of TALI’s Executive Leadership Academy mean to you?
I’m excited about being a part of the ELA in order to continue to advance my management and leadership skills, and to network with fellow diverse leaders and professionals in the Pittsburgh region. I’m looking forward to sharing and imparting what I’ve learned throughout my career and life, and hopefully enriching the lives of others. In return, I look forward to being enriched as well. Additionally, I’m familiar with some of the management of TALI and CMU and am proud to have the opportunity to work with them and to participate in this joint program.

What can the legal community do better to support the growth and advancement of Black lawyers?
There is so much to any answer to this question, so I’ll be brief. I think that the spirit of diversity and inclusion of any organization, and especially law firms, starts at the top and then trickles down. Therefore, the institution of a chief diversity officer that reports directly to the executive committee, and the development of an overall D&I inclusion plan for the organization/firm would be great and help to support the growth and development of black attorneys. To be most effective, this plan would need to be very comprehensive and incorporate items to address black attorney recruitment, mentorship, work productivity, retention and advancement / promotion (including management).

Who are your legal heroes?
My legal heroes are all of my attorney mentors and true champions for the advancement and success of black attorneys.

Who is your favorite fictional lawyer?
Atticus Finch

Do you have anything else you want the Pittsburgh legal community to know about you?
Growing up, I used to be part of a rap duo group and we toured and pressed a CD called “Principles of the Ghetto”.

Emerging Leaders Program Recipient: Jesse Exilus

Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up, where did you go to college?
I was born and raised in South Florida. I spent most of my childhood in Delray Beach, FL, but I’ve also lived in Lake Worth, FL, Pompano Beach, and South Miami. I went to Florida State University and received a B.S. in Multinational Business Operations. Additionally, I went to Florida International University and received a Master’s in international business.

Why did you decide to go to law school? What motivated you to be a lawyer?
As one of the first generation in my family to be born in the United States, my family relied on me to help them understand documents, such contracts and their immigration papers. At first, I was merely reciting words to my family, but at some point, they asked what would happen if they signed a document. That pushed me to learn more about what a particular document meant and how it would impact the person signing the document.

I felt very accomplished helping my family and that feeling gave me the spark to consider law school. I wanted to help people understand the implications of contract terms and guide them on making the right decision given their circumstances. I felt like being a lawyer was close to what I was doing for my family, so it was natural to choose that career path.

Why do you love Pittsburgh?
It all goes back to my first visit to Pittsburgh. The University of Pittsburgh School of Law was one of my top law school choices, but I had never been to Pittsburgh. I thought it was best to visit the area before making my final decision. I flew into Pittsburgh International Airport and took the bus to the city. I still remember sitting on the 28X and seeing the downtown skyline for the first time. Its vibrancy made me feel at home.

When I visited to Pitt Law, the staff and students were so friendly and welcoming that I knew being in Pittsburgh would be the right choice. I still believe I made the right choice 10 years later. I truly believe that I would not be where I am today had I picked a different place to live and work.

What does this opportunity to be part of TALI’s Emerging Leaders Program mean to you?
In addition to leadership skills, I believe that TALI’s Emerging Leaders Program provides connection and community. We all know the phrase, “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” I believe being part of the cohort helps build on who we know and how we can help other leaders within the community. As those connections grow, we can find new and improved ways to lead the local community on issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusion.

What can the legal community do better to support the growth and advancement of Black lawyers?
I think the legal community should broaden its perspective when it comes to retaining Black lawyers. Particularly for Black Lawyers who aren’t from Pittsburgh, there are many factors beyond working at a law firm that incentivizes them to stay long-term. Part of the issues is making sure that an attorney feels welcome within the firm and within the local community. While a Black attorney may be thriving in the work they do, if they aren’t feeling like they are part of the legal and local community, the prestige of working at a law firm or the compensation that comes with it won’t be enough to keep them.

The legal community should look at factors that impact Black attorneys as they find ways to become part of the Pittsburgh legal and local community. It likely won’t look like the traditional Pittsburgh culture, but there should space to welcome the different views and culture.

Who are your legal heroes?
I have a lot, but one of my top legal heroes is George Vashon. Mr. Vashon is my heroes because of his commitment to education for Black diaspora. Mr. Vashon was the first practicing attorney in New York. While that is an amazing accomplishment, this is due to the fact that Mr. Vashon was denied his right to practice in Pennsylvania due to his race.

I appreciate the perseverance and determination Mr. Vashon exhibited in obtaining his license to practice. He inspires me to keep pushing to make pathways for people who look like me in the legal community.

Who is your favorite fictional lawyer?
I’m a bit of a Marvel Comics nerd, so my favorite fictional hero would be Matt Murdock (his alter ego being the Dare Devil). I thought it was cool to see someone very dedicated to justice that their day job was defending his clients in court. Typically, you see that a hero has a low-key job to avoid connection with their true calling. With Matt, he’s a hero with or without his Daredevil costume.