Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys, Inc.

Leadership Institute was born out of a concern about the future of diverse women in the legal profession. In 2005, the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Legal Profession released the preliminary findings of its two-year long research initiative on women of color in private law firms. The research identified several distinct factors contributing to an overwhelming majority of women of color attorneys leaving private law firms after just six years. Almost immediately, a group of concerned attorneys and members of the business community resolved that women of color attorneys needed a nationwide forum to connect, be inspired and informed. In 2005, Leadership Institute was formed as a 501(c)(3) organization, hosting its first national conference that same year in Atlanta, Georgia. The first conference hosted more than 100 women of color attorneys for two and one-half days in Atlanta and was a huge success. The speakers who came from all over the United States presented to women who were inspired, mentored and had an opportunity to network with some of the most successful attorneys in the nation. The need for the conference was confirmed and over the last decade we have continued to host more women who have given us positive feedback and expressed their gratitude for the event. In addition to hosting annual conferences, over the past 13 years, Leadership Institute, with sponsor financial support, has awarded over $175,000 in scholarships to law students from across the nation.