A First of Its Kind: The NBA WLD’s Report on the State of Black Women in the Law

The NBA/WLD's Report is a first of its kind national study of Black Women's views and experiences across all legal sectors. D.C. Bar Criminal Law and Individual Rights Community Chair Robin Earnest introduces Morgan Lewis partner Grace Speights to discuss the Report with diversity leaders GW Dean Alfreda Robinson, Holland & Knight partner Kwamina Williford, and WBA President Kandis Gibson. 

Robin M. Earnest chairs the DC Bar’s Criminal Law and Individual Rights Community’s Steering Committee, and GWAC’s EPD Committee. She serves on the DCCA’s Committee on Admissions, practices appellate law with Earnest Attorney at Law, and is on the CJA panels for the Fourth and DC Circuits, and the DCCA.

Grace E. Speights is the global leader of the Labor and Employment practice at Morgan Lewis and the co-leader of its Mobilizing for Equality task force committed to promoting racial equality and justice. She helps employers navigate demands toward more diverse workplaces advising on corporate diversity and inclusion. She also chairs GW’s board of trustees. 

GW Dean Alfreda Robinson is a lead contributor of NBA/WLD’s Report on The State of Black Women in the Law. She is also a
past President of the NBA and the first woman recipient of its Trial Master Award. She is the Associate Dean for Trial Advocacy, Co-Director of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Program at GW Law, and on the Advisory Committee of the GW Equity
Institute.

Kwamina T. Williford is an Equity Partner and Practice Group Leader of the Litigation Department at Holland and Knight where she chairs the firm’s DEI Engagement Initiative Committee and co-chairs its  Consumer Protection Defense and Compliance Team. She also serves on the board of the NBI. 

Kandis C. Gibson is an attorney in the Washington, D.C. office of Morgan Lewis where she focuses her practice on Section 337 proceedings at the U.S. International Trade Commission. She is also the President of the WBA, DC. 

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.

Thank you to our sponsor!

⁠LawPay⁠ was developed specifically to help law firms streamline billings and collections, providing a simple, secure solution for legal clients to pay their bills. LawPay is the industry leader in legal payments, providing a cost-effective solution for more than 50,000 law firms around the country.