Ericka Byram (Welsh) is a program associate at IAALS. In this role, she supports IAALS’ work across its programmatic areas, including civil justice reform, family justice reform, the judiciary, and legal education and the profession.
Byram joined IAALS in 2024 after a variety of roles in the public service sector. She began her legal career as Pepperdine Law’s Chandi Global Justice Fellow in Delhi, India, where she co-authored a report on restorative justice processes in cases of sexual violence. She then joined a small immigration firm in the Washington, D.C., metro area supporting families through various immigration processes, including asylum, Cancellation of Removal, and family-based petitions. After moving to Colorado, Byram expanded her practice to include post-conviction criminal defense work as a contractor for indigent criminal defendants in Colorado and Alaska. She then transitioned to the Colorado Poverty Law Project (CPLP) as a staff attorney, where she defended tenants facing eviction and other housing legal issues and led CPLP’s community organizing efforts in Northern Colorado.
Byram received her JD, magna cum laude, from Pepperdine University School of Law. She has received additional training and certifications in alternative dispute resolution processes, including restorative justice and mediation. She served as the Board Secretary for the Colorado Coalition for Restorative Justice Practices from 2021-2023.