The State of Black Women in the Law 2023 DEIB Assessment Report

Black women attorneys in this country shared a collective victory when Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed and sworn-in to the Supreme Court of the United States. Her triumph showed us that the highest levels of our beloved legal profession were accessible to Black women. However for many, the level of success achieved by Justice Jackson and others seems out of reach.

The National Bar Association (NBA) and Kanarys Inc. partnered to evaluate the state of Black women attorneys on matters of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Members of the NBA Women Lawyers Division (WLD) were the source of the data, which showed that while a majority of us feel empowered, respected and supported in our workplaces, there are many that experience, or witnessed someone experience, discrimination or bias. Incidents of discrimination and bias are amplified when they occur at the intersection of being Black and being a woman.