JOIN A DREAM TEAM AS A LAWYER, PARALEGAL OR LEGAL PROFESSIONAL MINORITIES WANTED : Law School Directory • Cause Magazine Only about one in 25 lawyers is African-American, Latino, or Native American. Think about going to law school and you could help change those odds. Can’t afford it? If you are motivated you can find lots of resources for scholarships and financial aid—especially if you are a minority. Too difficult? After earning a bachelor’s degree, most students earn their Juris Doctor within 2-3 years, taking 12-16 credits a semester. You have to work? Many schools offer part-time, night and summer sessions. If you want to be a lawyer or legal professional you will find plenty of support to help you. And a JD degree will give you the foundation to take your career in any number of directions. A lawyer can find work in virtually any area that interests him or her. Some lawyers even decide to pursue careers in business or government, becoming executives and CEO’s of large companies and organizations, while others employ their legal expertise at the highest levels of local, state and federal government. There is a disturbing shortage of African Americans and other minorities at all levels of the legal profession. Of the 1 million lawyers in the United States, only 3.9 percent are AfricanAmerican. Enrollment in law schools peaked back in 1994 and has since declined. The last census figures from 2000 indicate that only 47,000 African Americans identified themselves as lawyers in the United States. The figures are more shocking when you stop and realize that the legal system affects nearly every aspect of our society, from buying a home to crossing the street. Lawyers and legal professionals are the backbone of this system, in many ways they are the link between society and government. When someone becomes entangled in the legal system or involved with a legal issue and has little chance of dealing with lawyers, judges, and others from similar minority or ethnic backgrounds you have to wonder “Is justice blind?” That’s why it is vital that minority professionals in this field increase to a level that better mirrors the US population. For the past 20 years, major corporate law firms have faced complaints about the lack of racial diversity among their associates and partners. Now more and more corporations, even WalMart, are demanding that corporate law firms have lawyers of color assigned to their cases. Law firms face challenges recruiting talented people of color similar to those faced by law schools. Part of the challenge facing both law schools and law firms is a lack of information and lack of available role models for the groups they are trying to attract. In many families — in many neighborhoods, for that matter — there is no trusted adviser who can steer a smart student toward the law simply because there is little knowledge of what law school and the legal profession are about. Sometimes smart minority students receive bad advice or are misinformed about law school. It is our hope to provide some useful information to this underserved market with the Cause Law School Directory. There will be many great opportunities for African Americans who pursue careers in the legal profession. If you are qualified, employers will likely be competing to have you become a part of their “dream team.”
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