Table of Contents
- What Percentage of Lawyers in the US are Black?
- How many Black Female Attorneys are in the US?
- What Percentage of Law Firm Partners are Black?
- How Many Lawyers are Biracial?
- Legal Diversity Organizations
What Percentage of Lawyers in the US are Black?
According to the most recent data from the American Bar Association, there are 685 black lawyers in the United States. That makes up 3.7% of all lawyers in the country. This number has stayed relatively consistent since the ABA started tracking these statistics in the mid-2000s, showing that there are still significant barriers to entry for black and minority lawyers.
How many Black Female Attorneys are in the US?
The ABA also reports that there are 413 black female attorneys in the United States. That number makes up 2.3% of all lawyers in the country, and this number has also remained consistent since the ABA started tracking these statistics.
What Percentage of Law Firm Partners are Black?
Unfortunately, the number of black attorneys who have ascended to partnership level positions in law firms is even lower. According to the ABA, there are only 168 black partners in law firms across the United States. This number makes up just 0.9% of all law firm partners in the country.
How Many Lawyers are Biracial?
The ABA also reports that there are 1,008 biracial lawyers in the United States. This number makes up 5.7% of all lawyers in the country, a significant increase over the percentage of black lawyers. This increase is likely due to the growing acceptance of mixed-race people in the United States, as well as the increasing prevalence of interracial marriages.
Legal Diversity Organizations
There are several organizations dedicated to increasing diversity in the legal profession. The National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) is a non-profit organization that works to increase the number of minority and women owned law firms. The National Bar Association is the oldest and largest national association of African-American lawyers and judges in the United States. Finally, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the hiring, retention, and promotion of diverse lawyers in corporate legal departments.
The number of black lawyers in America is shockingly low and needs to be addressed urgently. Exploration must continue for more effective solutions.
This article is an important reminder about the challenges faced by Black lawyers in America. We must strive to level the playing field.