Uncrowned Community Builders

My name is TheArthur A. Duncan II. I was born in Los Angeles, California but I was primarily raised here in Buffalo, New York until the age of 14. Here, I lived with my grandparents, Pastor Rev. James V. Smith and Mary Jane Smith, in the downtown area of Buffalo. At 14, I left Buffalo and went back to Los Angeles to live with my mother until I graduated from high school. A year after high school, I journeyed back to Buffalo to visit and wound up staying. I attended college briefly but I ultimately dropped out.

Later on in life, after some life changing events, I decided to go back to college at the age of 34. I graduated from Erie Community College and then later, the University of Buffalo Cum Laude with a 3.5 GPA while still working 40 hours plus a week. Upon graduating, I decided that I wanted to become an attorney. I applied to UB's law school but was placed on the waiting list for 2 years and was not accepted. This put my dream on hold, as UB was the only law school in the Buffalo area and I did not want to leave my wife and 2 kids at the time. Subsequently, I talked it over with my wife and temporarily left my family to attend law school in Cleveland, Ohio. The following summer back in Buffalo, I was granted an invaluable internship with the Hon. E. Jeanette Ogden in Buffalo City Court. During the summer, I applied to UB Law School again and was accepted as a transfer student. I excelled at UB Law School and was voted the President of the Black Law Students Association.

During my last year at UB Law School, I had the pleasure of being employed by New York State Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes to work on her GRADSUP2020 initiative. Later that year, Mayor Brown hired me as the Chief Law Clerk in the City of Buffalo's Law Department. I graduated from UB Law School in 2012. I passed the NY state bar and swore-in in 2013 at the age of 43. Upon my swearing-in as an attorney, I was promoted to an Assistant Corporation Counsel position for the city's law department; where I currently work.

I have been married for over 10 years to my lovely wife, Latisha and we have 5 kids, Frankie, Joi, Isaiah, Lauren & Kimanie. I am also a deacon at First Calvary Missionary Baptist Church and servant leader in the church's "Boys 2 Men" mentoring ministry and marriage ministry. In my spare time, I enjoy writing and just recently finished writing my memoir. To God Be the Glory!