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.
Asian Pacific American Lawyers Association of New Jersey, Inc.
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.
Bar Report: More Effort Needed to Retain Minorities, The American Lawyer (October 2015).
Is Anybody Listening? Does Anybody Care? Lack of Diversity in the Legal Profession, The Federal Lawyer (June 2015).
The Diversity Crisis: What's Wrong With This Picture?, The American Lawyer (May 29, 2014).
ABA Commission on Hispanic Legal Rights & Responsibilities, Latinos in the United States: Overcoming Legal Obstacles, Engaging in Civic Life (August 2013).
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.
The Rise of the Latino Lawyer: New Study Reveals Inspiring Successes, Lingering Obstacles, ABA Journal (October 2011).
ABA Presidential Diversity Initiative, Diversity in the Legal Profession: The Next Steps (April 2010).
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 Mental and Physical Disability Law, The Second National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities: A Report from the American Bar Association to the Legal Profession (June 2009).
ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, From Visible Invisibility to Visibly Successful: Success Strategies for Law Firms and Women of Color in Law Firms (2008).
ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms (2012).
ABA Presidential Advisory Council on Diversity in the Profession, Collaborating to Expand the Pipeline (2006).
Hispanic National Bar Association, Few and Far Between: The Reality of Latina Lawyers (September 2009).
Minority Corporate Counsel Association, An Examination of the Professional Experiences and Challenges Faced by Attorneys with Disabilities Who Work at Large Firms (2009).
Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Diversity and the Bar Magazine.
Diversity Scorecard 2010: One Step Back, The American Lawyer (March 2010).
New York City Bar Committee on Women in the Profession, Best Practices for the Hiring, Training, Retention, and Advancement of Women Attorneys (February 2006).
New York City Bar Committee on Minorities in the Profession, Best Practices Standards for the Recruitment, Retention, Development and Advancement of Racial/Ethnic Minority Attorneys (April 2008).