LaDray B. Gilbert |

Bio

LaDray Gilbert, Esquire is an attorney from the Florida Panhandle. He was first African-American to establish a firm in his county straight out of law school. LaDray built The Gilbert Firm from his mother’s kitchen table to a lucrative personal injury practice. As an attorney, LaDray has been recognized as a Top 40 Under 40: Nation’s Best Advocates by the National Bar Association in 2016. In addition, he was named a member of The National Top 100 Black Lawyers (Board of Directors) and Lawyers of Distinction, both in 2016 as well. He was recognized as ‘Mr. Integrity’ by The Florida Bar William Reece Smith Leadership Academy in which he graduated in 2017. In 2018, he was named a ‘Rising Star’ by Super Lawyers of Florida. He is currently a member of the Florida Bar Speaker’s Bureau and goes around speaking to communities about the Constitution Revision Commission at the direction of Florida Bar President, Michael Higer.

LaDray has also served as the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s (FAMU) College of Law Alumni Alliance President since 2015. During his tenure, LaDray has been a steady force in raising the organization to national prominence. He helped increase membership in the organization, exponentially. Also, he has assisted in efforts that have raised in the neighborhood of a $100,000 dollars in scholarships for students at the law school. While president, Gilbert has ventured to numerous prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and The Citadel speaking about and promoting FAMU College of Law. At home, he was the Founding President of the Northwest Florida Chapter of the FAMU Alumni Association.

In 2015, Gilbert created the Jackson County Omega Lamplighters. The Lamplighters are a mentoring group for males sponsored by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, of which LaDray is a proud member. In his work in building this program, Gilbert has taken young males from the rural farms of North Florida to The White House in Washington, DC. Each year, the kids are treated to a cross country trip that teaches them about The Civil rights Movement as well as introduces them to college campuses. Several of his Lamplighters have excelled in the program and were invited to participate in the New England Science Symposium sponsored by Harvard Medical School. They will return to Harvard for the third consecutive year in 2018.

Attorney Gilbert is a native of Malone, Florida. He was the first African-American to sign a Division One baseball scholarship out of his high school. He graduated from FAMU’s School of Business and Industry in 2004 with a degree in Business Administration/Marketing before graduating the school’s law program in 2008.

LaDray is in high demand as a keynote and motivational speaker. He has traveled all over the country delivering addresses to various crowds at a myriad of events. In October of 2018, Attorney Gilbert was invited to Harvard University to speak on a panel regarding the challenges of reentry of offenders released from prison. The panel was comprised or several Ivy League Professors speaking about combating and resolving the problems presented. Gilbert centers his messages on: Dreaming, Faith, Perseverance, and Community Involvement.

LaDray B. Gilbert

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