Abigail Lloyd

Volunteer LGBT Asylum Litigator  

Abigail Lloyd

(She, Her) is 39

Abigail Lloyd is an intellectual property attorney (think trade secrets and trademarks) in private practice in Orange County, California, working at the international law firm of Orrick, Herrington, and Sutcliffe LLP. Abby co-founded the Orange County Lavender Bar Association (OCLBA) in 2010, the first LGBT bar association to ever exist in Orange County. Abby is currently the Vice President of the OCLBA for 2019 and the President-elect for 2020.

As an openly lesbian attorney with a family, Abby shows grit and emotional strength in just being who she is and living an open, authentic life in conservative Orange County. She has fought conservative school districts to be more welcoming to LGBT families by changing their forms to not just list “mother” and “father” as the only parental options —inclusion matters.

Abby also consistently litigates pro bono cases on behalf of immigrants seeking asylum based on LGBT persecution in their home countries, including winning asylum in 2018 for a man who fled Mexico at age 14 after being tortured for being gay—she is their angel. In early 2019, she will represent Carlos Bringas-Rodriguez, another LGBT asylum pro bono case. Abby volunteers her time on these cases because community service is one of her core values. She is also a mentor to other LGBT attorneys as well as young people at the local community center. Abby hopes to inspire other attorneys in private practice to make room for pro bono work serving vulnerable LGBT populations.

Abby also sits on the scholarship committee for the M. Katherine Baird Darmer Equality Scholarship for a student pursuing LGBT justice.  Abby has served on the Board of Directors of AIDS Service Foundation. As a child, her uncle died of HIV/AIDS. This inspired her to volunteer at The Children’s Place in Chicago, IL, working with children impacted and/or infected by HIV/AIDS for ten years and eventually becoming Director of the Summer Program. Her uncle had a profound impact on Abby’s life and she continues to try to honor his memory in her life.

Abby and her wife Lisa have two daughters, Zoe, age 8, and Maya, age 6.