Jennifer Richardson, Esq.
Letter from the President
I am pleased to continue my service as the President of the Capital District Black and Hispanic Bar Association for the 2019-2020 term. As President, one of my goals will be to
encourage and foster diversity on the bench, particularly for people of color. Over the past years
the Capital District Black & Hispanic Bar Association, in conjunction with the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission and other bar associations, has held a free CLE during the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus weekend with the hope of educating lawyers of color on the various pathways and rules related to becoming a judge. I hope to continue and expand upon this tradition by honoring judges and historic firsts during this upcoming year.
I appreciate the support and hard work of our officers and board of directors. We are all committed to the goals of this organization to promote diversity in the legal profession and the judiciary. We continue to work successfully with Albany Law School and with the BALSA and LALSA to mentor law students and newly admitted attorneys. We hope this website helps us to continue to expand our member base, inform the public of our mission and events, enhance our work with other local bar associations and collaboration with other minority bar associations.
Our organization is committed to promoting diversity in the legal profession and the judiciary and with your help, we can accomplish our goals.
Founding Objectives
1983
Year of Inception
110
Current Membership
90
% in Public Sector
10
% in Private Sector
There are approximately one hundred Black and Hispanic attorneys in the Capital District, including several judges from federal and state or city courts. Most Black and Hispanic members of the bar in the Capital District work as attorneys in the public sector; fewer than ten percent are employed in private law firms. After several years of inactivity, the CDBHBA was restarted, renamed and merged by an initial board of local Black and Hispanic attorneys, including U.S. Magistrate Judge Randolph Treece, with the assistance of Nixon Peabody LLP. Our current membership consists of attorneys in private practice, attorneys in the public sector as well as public interest attorneys and judges.
The objectives of the CDBHBA are as follows:
- To promote an increase in racial and ethnic diversity at all levels of the legal profession in the Capital District (Albany, Rensselaer, and Schenectady counties and surrounding areas) for the benefit of Black, Hispanic, and other attorneys of color and the entire legal profession;
- To create awareness in the legal profession about the value of racial and ethnic diversity and the need for full equal employment of racial and ethnic attorneys of color at every level and in every sector;
- To assist in the adequate preparation of Blacks, Hispanics, and other students of color as they pursue a legal career;
- To promote an increase in the number of Black, Hispanic, and other students of color who attend and graduate from law school;
- To assist Black, Hispanic, and other students of color to pass the bar examination;
- To encourage the recruitment of Black, Hispanic, and other attorneys of color within the public and private sectors of the legal profession;
- To foster an increase in the retention and advancement of Black, Hispanic, and other attorneys of color in private law firms and in corporations with in-house legal departments in the Capital District;
- To work collaboratively with other bar associations, governmental agencies, and community groups to achieve greater understanding of and involvement of Blacks, Hispanics, and other people of color in the American legal system and here in the Capital District at the federal, state, and local levels;
- To work with other organizations to pursue the interest of justice within all communities, but particularly the communities of color within the Capital District;
- To promote diversity within the judiciary at all levels.
Events: Upcoming & Past
What’s been happening
Associations & Resources
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ABA Blawg Directory
A comprehensive directory of continually updated law blogs
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ABA Center for Racial Diversity
Advocate for diversity & inclusion within the ABA and the legal profession
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ABA Journal
Journal of the American Bar Association
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Albany County Bar Association
The voice of the Albany legal community for more than a century
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American Bar Association
Defending Liberty Pursuing Justice
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Capital District Women’s Bar Association
Chapter of the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York
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Diversity at Albany Law School
Offering an outlet for engagement between prospective and current law students, alumni, faculty and staff
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Juneteenth Celebrations
Oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States
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Minority Corporate Counsel Associaton
Advocates for the expanded hiring, retention, and promotion of minority attorneys
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Minority Law Journal
The Minority Law Journal’s National Directory of Minority Attorneys
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National Black Law Students Association
National organization formed to articulate and promote the needs and goals of Black law students
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National Latino Law Students Association
Conduit for Latina/o law student voices
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NYS Bar Association
Serving the legal profession and the community since 1876
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NYS Trial Lawyers Association
Working to preserve and enhance New York’s civil justice system
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Schenectady County Bar Association
Lawyers mindful of their unique role in the relationship between the community and the law
Key at CDBHBA
