STEP TOWARD EQUAL JUSTICE - PROGRAMS TO INCREASE BLACK LAWYERS IN THE SOUTH, 1969-1973 - AN EVALUATION REPORT TO CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK

• NCJ Number: 48577
• Author(s): R W SPEARMAN; H STEVENS
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 68 pages
• Corporate Author: Carnegie Corporation of New York
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS OF AN EXTENSIVE EVALUATION OF A NUMBER OF GRANT PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BLACK LAWYERS IN THE SOUTH BETWEEN 1969 AND 1973 ARE PRESENTED.

Abstract

GRANTS FROM PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS OF THE EARL WARREN LEGAL TRAINING PROGRAM, INC., THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND (LDF), AND THE LAW STUDENTS CIVIL RIGHTS RESEARCH COUNCIL (LSCRRC). THESE ORGANIZATIONS OFFERED A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS WHICH RECRUITED BLACK LAW STUDENTS; PROVIDED SCHOLARSHIPS, TUTORING, AND COUNSELING; OFFERED SUMMER INTERNSHIPS IN CIVIL RIGHTS LITIGATION; PROVIDED POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS; AND PROVIDED FEES FOR YOUNG BLACK LAWYERS DOING CIVIL RIGHTS WORK IN THE SOUTH. THE SERIES OF GRANTS CONSTITUTED A BROAD SYSTEMS APPROACH TO THE NEEDS OF BLACKS IN 11 STATES. PROGRAMS WERE OPEN TO BLACK STUDENTS IN 4 PREDOMINANTLY BLACK SCHOOLS, 13 STATE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOLS, AND 4 PRIVATE LAW SCHOOLS. RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION INDICATE THAT SINCE 1969 THE NUMBER OF BLACK FIRST YEAR LAW STUDENTS HAS INCREASED FROM 22 TO 171 IN 17 SOUTHERN LAW SCHOOLS, 375 BLACK STUDENTS WERE ENROLLED IN THESE SCHOOLS IN 1973, AND A MAJORITY OF THESE BLACK STUDENTS INTENDED TO PRACTICE LAW IN THE SOUTH. FURTHER, ALMOST ALL OF THESE LAW SCHOOLS ARE NOW RECRUITING BLACK STUDENTS, AND APPLICATIONS FROM BLACKS HAVE STEADILY RISEN. INTERVIEWS INDICATED THAT THE INCREASING NUMBERS OF BLACK ENROLLEES FACILITATED THE RECRUITMENT AND APPOINTMENT OF BLACK LAW PROFESSORS AT STATE UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOLS IN VIRGINIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, NORTH CAROLINA, FLORIDA, LOUISIANA, AND ALABAMA. THE NUMBER OF BLACK LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES AT THE 17 SCHOOLS STUDIED HAS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. AN LSCRRC SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDED CIVIL RIGHTS AND LEGAL AID WORK EXPERIENCE TO 481 STUDENTS; 50 PERCENT WERE BLACK. ATTRITION RATES FOR WARREN SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS DECLINED FROM 30 PERCENT IN 1969 TO 10 PERCENT IN 1971, AND DATA INDICATE THAT A NUMBER OF DROPOUTS HAD TRANSFERRED TO OTHER LAW SCHOOLS OR HAD BEEN SUBSEQUENTLY READMITTED. LARGE NUMBERS OF BLACK LAWYERS ARE ESTABLISHING PRACTICES IN THE SOUTH; IN MISSISSIPPI THE BLACK BAR HAS QUADRUPLED IN MEMBERSHIP SINCE 1969. FINALLY, BLACK LAWYERS ARE INEVITABLY BEING DRAWN INTO COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP ROLES, AS IS ILLUSTRATED BY THE POSITIONS NOW HELD BY A NUMBER OF FORMER POSTGRADUATE WARREN FELLOWS. FACTORS INVOLVED IN THE CHANGING ATMOSPHERE OF SOUTHERN RACE RELATIONS AND FUTURE TRENDS IN BLACK LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS ARE DISCUSSED. A BIOGRAPHY OUTLINING THE EXPERIENCES OF AN LDF PROGRAM PARTICIPANT, NOW A SUCCESSFUL CIVIL RIGHTS LAWYER IN COLUMBUS, GEORGIA, IS ALSO INCLUDED. A LIST OF MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO THE PROGRAM IS PROVIDED.