Minorities In the Profession - NCBarBlog

Legal Legends of Color To Honor Five Attorneys at NCBA Annual Meeting

From left, Charles Daye, attorney Janice Cole, former legislator H. M. “Mickey” Michaux Jr., Judge Sammie Chess and the late Julius Chambers will be honored as Legal Legends of Color during the NCBA Annual Meeting.


The Minorities in the Profession Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association will celebrate the fourth installment of the Legal Legends of Color Award in conjunction with the 2019 NCBA Annual Meeting in Asheville.

The LLOC Reception will be held at the Biltmore, headquarters for the NCBA Annual Meeting, beginning at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, June 21. Admission to the reception is included in Annual Meeting registration. Non-members and NCBA members who are not otherwise attending the Annual Meeting should email Amy Kemple.

Although this is a relatively new award for lawyers of color in North Carolina, the LLOC Reception has already established itself as a popular event. There is great interest surrounding the history of this honor and, especially, the announcement of each year’s recipients.

For answers to these and other questions, please continue to the following Q&A interview with Gwendolyn Lewis of Lincoln Derr PLLC in Charlotte, a member of the Minorities in the Profession Committee who presently serves on the NCBA Board of Governors.

Racial Equity Institute Introductory Groundwater Training Set For May 9 At the Bar Center

By Niya Fonville

Imagine being asked “Hey girl, what attorney are you here for?” by a court official or having a client you have never met claim (in a phone consultation) that “all the N-word and Mexicans are taking over and I can’t get help.” Then imagine being expected to zealously advocate for clients and be confident in the judge’s decision in spite of these statements to you. Now imagine being a 25-year-old, newly minted attorney when these “conversations” take place.

Increasing Diversity In the Profession: The Fifth Annual Minority Pre-Law Conference

Minorities In the Profession

By LaToya Powell

Increasing the presence of minorities in the legal profession is an important goal of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Minorities in the Profession Committee (MIP). According to the American Bar Association, law is the least diverse profession in the nation. Nationally, eighty-eight percent of lawyers are white and roughly two-thirds are men. Improving this lack of diversity starts with law schools.

On March 16, 2019, MIP will host the 5th Annual Minority Pre-Law Conference: Putting the Pieces Together, Is Law School the Right Fit? This event will be held at the UNC School of Law and is designed for prospective law students from underrepresented groups. The program helps to empower minority students who may be interested in law school but don’t have the information necessary to get started.

Prospective law students will hear from law school deans and admissions officers about why they should attend law school and how to navigate the admissions process. They will experience life as a law student by attending a mock law school class and interacting with current law students. They will hear from practicing attorneys about the various careers available with a law degree and attend a career fair with representatives from several law schools in North Carolina and surrounding states.