On December 11, 2024, Aja N. Brooks was inaugurated as the 2025 President of the State Bar of New Mexico, marking her as the organization's 139th president. Her appointment is notable as she becomes the first Black president in the history of the State Bar of New Mexico.

Brooks pursued her undergraduate studies at Wake Forest University in North Carolina and later earned her J.D. from the UNM School of Law in 2008. She currently holds the position of Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico. Before this role, she served as Director of the Second Judicial District Court’s Center for Self-Help and Dispute Resolution. Brooks is active in various legal organizations such as the New Mexico Black Lawyer’s Association (BLSA), Committee on Diversity in the Legal Profession, Bridge the Gap Mentorship Program, Region X of the National Bar Association, and Iota Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Additionally, she supports legal education by contributing to initiatives like the Cochran Award and Hannah Banks Best Scholarship for Law Student Diversity at UNM School of Law.

Reflecting on her time at law school, Brooks shared how it influenced her career and values: “Being actively involved in organizations like the Black Law Students Association at the University of New Mexico School of Law laid the foundation for me to become the President of the State Bar of New Mexico. The experiences I had in BLSA taught me the value of leadership: that the most important part of being a lawyer is helping others and building community. My time in BLSA and law school prepared me to take on this role with a deep sense of purpose and a commitment to pursuing access to justice and inclusivity within the legal profession.”

Also taking leadership roles within the State Bar are Allison H. Block Chavez ('14) as President-Elect for 2025, and Lucy H. Sinkular as Secretary-Treasurer for 2025.