What cities have the strongest African diaspora legal communities?
Washington D.C., New York, Atlanta, Houston, and Minneapolis all have significant and active African diaspora communities with established legal professional networks. The National Bar Association has chapters in many of these cities. African bar associations and immigrant professional organizations also operate in several major metropolitan areas and can be valuable resources for networking, mentorship, and community connection as you build your legal career.
Are there scholarships available for African diaspora students pursuing legal education?
Yes. The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund is specifically designed to support students committed to diversity in the legal profession. HKM Employment Attorneys currently has $1,000 awards open to eligible students near 39 U.S. cities. A selection of participating locations:
- Birmingham, Alabama: hkm.com/birmingham/
- Huntsville, Alabama: hkm.com/huntsville/
- Phoenix, Arizona: hkm.com/phoenix/
- Los Angeles, California: hkm.com/los-angeles/
- Oakland, California: hkm.com/oakland/
- Orange County, California: hkm.com/irvine/
- Riverside, California: hkm.com/riverside/
- Sacramento, California: hkm.com/sacramento/
- San Diego, California: hkm.com/sandiego/
- San Francisco, California: hkm.com/san-francisco/
- San Jose, California: hkm.com/san-jose/
- Denver, Colorado: hkm.com/denver/
- Fort Collins, Colorado: hkm.com/fort-collins/
- Boulder, Colorado: hkm.com/boulder/
- Washington, D.C.: hkm.com/washingtondc/
- Atlanta, Georgia: hkm.com/atlanta/
- Boise, Idaho: hkm.com/boise/
- Chicago, Illinois: hkm.com/chicago/
- Indianapolis, Indiana: hkm.com/indianapolis/
- Baltimore, Maryland: hkm.com/baltimore/
- Boston, Massachusetts: hkm.com/boston/
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: hkm.com/minneapolis/
- Kansas City, Missouri: hkm.com/kansascity/
- St. Louis, Missouri: hkm.com/stlouis/
- Bozeman, Montana: hkm.com/bozeman/
- Las Vegas, Nevada: hkm.com/lasvegas/
- New Paltz, New York: hkm.com/new-paltz/
- New York City, New York: hkm.com/new-york/
- Charlotte, North Carolina: hkm.com/charlotte/
- Cincinnati, Ohio: hkm.com/cincinnati/
- Portland, Oregon: hkm.com/portland/
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: hkm.com/philadelphia/
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: hkm.com/pittsburgh/
- Houston, Texas: hkm.com/houston/
- Arlington, Virginia: hkm.com/arlington/
- Bellevue, Washington: hkm.com/bellevue/
- Seattle, Washington: hkm.com/seattle/
- Spokane, Washington: hkm.com/spokane/
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin: hkm.com/milwaukee/
The HKM deadline is October 15, 2026. Full details at hkm.com/scholarship.
How do I find mentors in the U.S. legal profession as an African diaspora professional?
The National Bar Association and its local chapters are the most established network for Black legal professionals in the United States and are actively welcoming to African diaspora attorneys. Many major cities also have African immigrant professional associations, African bar associations, and diaspora community organizations that connect legal professionals with each other and with their communities. Law school Black Law Students Associations (BLSAs) are another strong network during school. Reaching out directly to African diaspora attorneys whose work you admire, with a respectful and specific message about why their path resonates with you, works more often than people expect: the legal community in most cities is smaller than it appears from the outside, and most people who found support on their own journey are glad to offer it to others.
Joyce Wilson
A retired teacher who believes she can help save the Great Outdoors while also helping local economies recover
