Lessons from Successful African American Lawyers: Practical Wisdom for Those on the Path to Lawyerhood (Volume I)

Why make the same mistakes and learn things the hard way - when you can gain priceless wisdom and learn invaluable lessons from the lived experiences of numerous successful African American lawyers? Lessons from Successful African American Lawyers: Practical Wisdom for Those on the Path to Lawyerhood (Volume I) is an empowering, easy-to-read, and practical book featuring insightful personal and professional profiles and vital lessons learned from a diverse group of 55 Black lawyers from across the nation. These lawyers represent different decades of law school graduates (1970s to the 2010s), types of law schools (local to national, HBCUs to Ivy Leagues), and career paths (from small firm practitioners to civil rights lawyers to corporate counsel to large law firm partners). This groundbreaking resource serves as "mentorship in a book" from a variety of dynamic voices specifically directed to the many African American readers who are interested in pursuing this challenging path to becoming lawyers, but who may not have real-life mentors that they call upon to ask questions of. Every lawyer featured generously shares thoughtful advice that they hope will make the path a little easier for those who hope to pursue this obstacle-laden, yet worthwhile journey. This book provides a large number of "mentors" who have contributed to this incredible effort.The lawyers in this book share critical advice on a wide range of relevant topics for aspiring lawyers from applying to and preparing for law school, making the most of the law school experience, preparing for the bar exam (state licensing exam), coping with the additional challenges of being a Black law student and lawyer, strategies on finding a job and career advancement, to why we need more Black lawyers and whether and why the law degree is worth the financial investment. This "must have" resource is filled with an incredible amount of rich, game-changing anecdotes and countless pearls of wisdom. The reader gets to consider advice from an array of lawyers, where almost all were "firsts" and did not benefit from wise counsel before entering the entirely different universe of legal education. This book is extraordinarily useful to the aspiring lawyer (both trying to get into law school and those already law students), parents and advisors who want to gain a greater perspective on what it means to be a "successful" lawyer and what it really takes on the road to get there. Take your notebook and pen out and get ready to take notes because so many precious gems are included. This significant and indispensable book represents a genuine labor of love and a united collective effort of Black lawyers who are all different but share a common, strong sense of social responsibility and a deep desire to help other Black people interested in becoming lawyers. It was created to inspire and encourage more African Americans interested in the challenges and opportunities presented by pursuing a professional legal education. They want you to understand their journeys to success, but most importantly, they want to pour into you so that you can achieve success too. No matter your path, if you read this book, you will learn something and be motivated to do better and be better.