Open to opportunities

Tamia Gaitwood Gales

@tamiagaitwoodgales

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Public policy and legal professional specializing in contracts, research, and civil rights advocacy.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I seek roles combining contracts, policy analysis, and compliance work in organizations committed to civil rights and public-interest impact.

I am a public policy and legal professional with experience across research, contracts administration, and litigation support. I hold a J.D. (Dec 2023) and am pursuing an M.P.A./Public Policy.

At Wake Forest University School of Medicine I negotiated and drafted clinical research agreements, managed pre-award and research contracting lifecycles, and collaborated with legal, finance, and research teams to mitigate compliance risk.

My legal externships and clerkships included drafting pleadings, motions, and briefs across civil, family, and immigration matters, supporting depositions and hearings, and conducting legal research and memorandum development.

I am passionate about constitutional law, civil rights, disability policy, higher education compliance, and translating legislative analysis into policy memos and advocacy. I bring strong legal research and writing, contract negotiation, and quantitative and qualitative research skills.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Contracts Administrator

Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Jul 2024 - Sep 2025 (1 year 2 months)

Negotiated and drafted clinical research agreements and managed full lifecycle pre-award and research contracting processes, ensuring compliance with federal and institutional regulations and mitigating compliance risk.

Contract Negotiation Compliance Risk Mitigation Legal Drafting

Legal Extern

Penry Terry & Mitchell, LLP

Sep 2023 - Nov 2023 (2 months)

Drafted legal correspondence, pleadings, and litigation documents in civil and family law matters and provided attorney support for depositions, hearings, and client preparation.

Legal Research Litigation Family Law Court Procedures

Summer Law Clerk

Camino Law

Jun 2023 - Aug 2023 (2 months)

Drafted motions and conducted legal research supporting immigration and family law cases, filed legal documents, and facilitated client communications using a 3L Practice Certificate.

Legal Research Immigration Law Family Law Client Communication

Residency in Practice (2L)

Roupas Law Firm

Mar 2023 - Jun 2023 (3 months)

Prepared pleadings, briefs, and settlement proposals under attorney supervision and coordinated hearing logistics while managing case materials across civil courts.

Case Management Legal Research

Law Clerk

Dummit Fradin

Jan 2023 - Mar 2023 (2 months)

Conducted legal research and drafted memoranda for family, probate, and civil cases, prepared motions, and developed case summaries to support litigation strategy.

Legal Research Legal Memoranda Preparing Motions Family Law Probate Law Case Summaries Litigation Support

Pre-Litigation Intern

Simon & Simon, PC

Jun 2022 - Dec 2022 (6 months)

Performed intake assessments to identify viable legal claims, drafted case evaluations, and participated in depositions to support pre-litigation matters.

Case Evaluations Legal Research Legal Drafting

Associate Project Manager

The Brooks Group

Jul 2020 - Jul 2021 (1 year)

Managed corporate client projects from planning through execution, oversaw virtual program delivery, and ensured instructional quality across engagements.

Project Management Program Delivery Client Management Quality Assurance

Public Policy Intern

The Color of Law Center

Sep 2020 - Jan 2021 (4 months)

Researched federal and state legislation affecting attorneys with disabilities and drafted policy memos used in Congressional outreach while supporting grassroots campaigns.

Congressional Outreach Legal Analysis

Public Policy Intern

IMPACT Strategies

Jul 2019 - May 2020 (10 months)

Conducted legislative and policy analysis on issues impacting minority communities and nonprofits, drafted advocacy memoranda, and supported coalition-building efforts.

Legislative Analysis Policy Research Advocacy Coalition Building Minority Policy Issues Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

American University

Master of Public Administration, Public Administration & Public Policy

Pursuing a Master of Public Administration & Public Policy, expected May 2027 with focus on public policy and administrative law.

Elon University School of Law

Juris Doctor, Law

Activities and societies: Innocence Project; Black Law Student Association (BLSA); Fellowship of Christian Lawyers; Top 5 Intramural Moot Court; Kaplan Bar Prep Head Representative; Law Office Technology Certification; Intermediate Spanish

Juris Doctor conferred December 2023 with involvement in Innocence Project, BLSA, Fellowship of Christian Lawyers, and Moot Court honors.

North Carolina A&T State University

Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Studies (Pre-Law)

Activities and societies: APL S Scholar; Secretary, University Honors Program; President, Alpha Lambda Delta; SGA Senator (College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences)

Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (Pre-Law) with a minor in Political Science, completed May 2020; active in Honors and student government.