Binta Robinson is an attorney (Active Member of the DC Bar) located in Washington, DC. When she is not practicing law, Binta Robinson enjoys supporting Washington Nationals baseball. The Washington Nationals recently made baseball history, turning Major League Baseball’s (MLB) first ever 3-5-5 triple play and the franchise’s first triple play in any fashion. The play occurred in the bottom of the eighth inning, with the Nationals up 4-1 over the San Francisco Giants on the Giants’ home field. The three run lead began to look tenuous as the Giants loaded the bases with no outs. What followed will not soon be forgotten by Nationals fans and baseball enthusiasts the world over. Batting for the Giants, Brandon Crawford hit a sharp line drive to first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who had taken the field immediately before Crawford’s at bat for defensive purposes. Zimmerman made good on that call, catching the line drive for one out and immediately tagging first base, denoted by the number three on baseball’s positional numbering system. With two outs suddenly on the board, Zimmerman scanned the field and quickly saw that San Francisco’s Denard Span had not turned back to third base. Zimmerman made a casual toss across the diamond to third, denoted by the number five, for the easy out, ending the historic play. The Nationals went on to win the game. An attorney based in Washington, D.C., Binta Robinson received her juris doctor from the George Washington University Law School. Moreover, Binta Robinson has visited several countries, including Switzerland. Switzerland is known for its watches and chocolates, and the Alps. It is also known for its high quality of life, which it shares with a number of its European neighbors. However, this quintessential European country is neither a member of the European Union (EU) nor the European Economic Area (EEA). How is that possible when Switzerland is located at the center of Europe? The main explanation for the status quo is the way the Swiss government functions. Switzerland is the only European country whose people actually have a direct influence on government decisions. Hence, a voter majority has to ratify all new laws, especially those that involve the constitution. Regarding the country’s non-membership in the EEA, 50.3 percent of voters participating in the referendum decided on the matter in 1992 when they voted against membership. Binta Robinson is an attorney who is an active member of the Bar of the District of Columbia. Over the course of her career, Binta Robinson has worked to enhance her professional knowledge and skills through attendance of activities of several organizations, including the National Bar Association. In its efforts to advance the careers of minorities in the legal profession, the National Bar Association oversees the National Bar Institute (NBI), a nonprofit group that conducts a variety of programs and events focused on advocacy, research, and education. Founded in 1982 by members of the association, the NBI is supported entirely by individual and corporate donors, including Walmart, MetLife, and Ford Motor Company. One of NBI’s top programs is its Law Student Fellowship, which provides grants to support the academic pursuits of second-year law students. Funded for the last several years by State Farm, the program provides fellowships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate a commitment to social justice and have the intention of working in an underserved community when they graduate. In addition to its Law Student Fellowship program, the NBI awards scholarships to college and law students and conducts youth programs. Each year, the group oversees the Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major for Justice Competition, which brings promising high school seniors to the National Bar Association’s Annual Convention to participate in an essay contest. For more information about any of the NBI’s programs or activities, visit www.nationalbar.org. A graduate of Atlanta’s Spelman College, Binta Robinson earned her JD from the George Washington University Law School and is an Attorney who is an active member of the Bar of the District of Columbia. When she is not pursuing her professional objectives, Binta Robinson enjoys Caribbean food and looks forward to traveling to destinations like Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. One of the more interesting Caribbean foods is the fruit of the ackee tree. The tree is native to West Africa and was introduced to Jamaica and other West Indian islands in the 18th century. The pear-shaped fruit grows in clusters and, as it matures, changes in color from green to bright red and then to a yellowish orange. Before it ripens, ackee contains dangerous levels of a substance called hypoglycin, which usually causes Jamaican vomiting sickness and, in rare cases, coma and death. The fruit is fully ripe only when it splits open naturally, revealing three large, shiny, black seeds surrounded by soft and spongy flesh, white to yellow in color, called aril. The aril is the only edible part of the ackee fruit; the black seeds are always toxic. The potential danger notwithstanding, ackee is so popular that it has been named Jamaica’s national fruit, and the country’s national dish is ackee and salted codfish. Ackee isn’t commercially grown in the United States, so the only ackee generally available for cooking is canned and imported. It resembles scrambled eggs when prepared, and has a similar consistency, with a nutty, buttery flavor. Ackee and saltfish is prepared by sautéing ackee with onions, tomatoes, and salted cod, from which the salt has been leached, as well as other ingredients like bacon. Binta Robinson, a former primary patent examiner who examined patent applications pertaining to organic chemistry with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia, enjoys creating and appreciating art in her leisure time. In addition to serving as the seat of the federal, Washington, D.C. has also earned a reputation as a cultural center in the United States, due in large part to the Smithsonian Institution. An educational and research institute with a related museum complex, the Smithsonian Institution currently stands among the most famous and respected museums in the world. In particular, the Smithsonian Institution plays host to a number of art museums and galleries that focus on the work of artists from different parts of the world.
American Art Museum: One of the most popular art museums at the Smithsonian Institution, the American Art Museum houses a wide variety of artworks, ranging from sculptures to paintings to folk and decorative art. Pieces in the American Art Museum span the entire history of the United States, from colonial times to the modern era, giving visitors a unique look at the history of American art. Current exhibits in the American Art Museum include a series of Thomas Moran Landscapes, To Make a World: George Ault and 1940s America, and more than 500 sculptures from Paul Manship. National Museum of African Art: Another popular destination in the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of African Art features some of the best examples of art from the African continent. Exhibits at the national Museum of African Art span the entire history of the continent and draw upon artworks from a wide range of cultures. Freer Gallery of Art: One of the most widely recognized Asian art galleries in the world, the Freer Gallery of Art plays host to art and artifacts from the Neolithic period to the early 1900s. In addition to traditional Chinese paintings and Indian Sculptures, the Freer Gallery of Art also features Korean ceramic work, Japanese lacquer, and painting and metalware from Islamic cultures in southwest and central Asia. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: Located inside a modern cylindrical building on Independence Avenue, the Hirschhorn Museum serves as a premier collection of art from both modern masters and emerging figures in the world of modern art. Adjoined to the museum is a sunken sculpture garden, which houses a large number of sculptures from such renowned sculptors as Matisse, Rodin, and Moore. While studying full time at Spelman College, Binta Robinson received the prestigious Minority Access to Research Centers (MARC) program scholarship, part of an initiative to increase the number of skilled scientists from underrepresented demographics who work in biomedical research. The MARC program looks to higher education institutes that enroll a large number of minority students in order to strengthen its scientific curricula and research opportunities.
After receiving the Minority Access to Research Centers program scholarship, students must perform a research project in a biomedical field under the supervision of an approved faculty member, while simultaneously participating in three honors courses and maintaining a grade point average of 3.0 or above. MARC scholarship recipients must also write and defend an undergraduate thesis based on their research and findings. Outside of their academic requirements, MARC scholarship holders are also required to take part in various seminars and workshops, as well as regional, national, and international meetings. The Minority Access to Research Centers program also highly encourages its scholars to participate in a summer research program at an external laboratory after they have completed their schoolwork. At Spelman College, the MARC program joins with the Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research to assist a greater number of minority students and teachers in pursuing careers in biomedical research. |
AuthorA former Primary Patent Examiner at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Binta Robinson has examined more than 100 United States patent applications. Archives
October 2021
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