Some of these professional associations also include law students, such as the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers. It is not a referral service, but may be able to provide clients with information on how to contact an attorney. In some states, black attorneys have formed associations, such as the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, which provides networking opportunities for black lawyers in the state. According to the American Bar Association’s (“ABA”) Profile Of the Legal Profession, “African-American attorneys represent just five percent (5%) of all attorneys in America.” For the last decade, the percentage of Black attorneys has remained stagnant. Historically and often times presently black attorneys will face implicit bias, blatant discrimination, and discordant treatment which directly impact and even stop any effort to increase diversity within the legal field. Once again, Black lawyers are underrepresented in the legal field. However, non-Black lawyers run the risk of treating their Black clients according to their biases, intentional or not. For this reason all attorneys must take an ethics course and test prior to becoming an attorney. It is important to note that all clients deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their race. This is largely due to the fact that other attorneys who represent the majority of the legal field may not have the same life experiences and compassion to draw upon when assisting their clients. That being said however, the term African American will be used when directly quoting sources that use the term, or when quoting a person who wishes to be identified as such.īecause of systemic racism and discrimination, amongst various other reasons, many Black people who are facing various legal issues often express a desire to hire a Black lawyer to represent them. Additionally, it is important to note that much of the community has stated a preference for the term Black, as opposed to African American. Barriers To and Importance Of Finding a Black Lawyerīefore discussing how to find a Black lawyer, it is important to discuss the current and historic representation of Black lawyers in the legal field.
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