Diversity Resources Available
The following organizations provide valuable information and networking and mentoring opportunities for students of diverse backgrounds. Many host conferences and job fairs and provide mentorship and scholarship opportunities. You should visit their respective websites often and consider becoming a member. The membership fee is usually waived for students.
Professional Organizations
American Bar Association, Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities
American Bar Association, Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession
American Bar Association, Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
American Bar Association, Commission on Women in the Profession
American Bar Association, Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Education Pipeline
American Bar Association Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund
Asian American Bar Association of New York
Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey, Inc.
Association for Legal Career Professionals (NALP)
Association of Black Women Attorneys
Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey
Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO)
Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey
Hispanic National Bar Association
Minority Corporate Counsel Association
Muslim Bar Association of New York
National Association of Women Lawyers
National Native American Bar Association
New Jersey Women Lawyers Association
North American South Asian Bar Association
Practicing Attorneys for Law Students Program, Inc., (PALS)
South Asian Bar Association of New York
Many organizations have published studies, reports, and articles examining the issues faced by individuals of diverse backgrounds in the legal profession and how individuals and institutions address these challenges. The list below provides a sampling of these resources.
Resources
Bar Report: More Effort Needed to Retain Minorities, The American Lawyer (October 2015).
The Diversity Crisis: What's Wrong With This Picture?, The American Lawyer (May 29, 2014).
IILP Review 2012: The State of Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession.
IILP Review 2011: The State of Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession.
Hispanic National Bar Association Commission on the Status of Latinas in the Legal Profession: A Study on the Latina Attorneys in the Public Interest Sector (September 2010).
ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms (2012).
Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Diversity and the Bar Magazine.
Diversity Scorecard 2010: One Step Back, The American Lawyer (March 2010).