collageThough careers in law usually involve at least a couple of years of postsecondary education. The earning potential for jobs in the legal industry such as paralegals, court reporters, or lawyers make up for the sacrifice. So, if you’ve decided that the traditional legal career path is the right one for you, you must be on the lookout for the schools that fit you the best. To help you narrow down your search, we composed a list of potential HBCU law schools, top hbcu & hbcu colleges.
Collegelearners affords you a litany of ample information on hbcu law schools requirements, best hbcu law schools 2020 & hampton law school and so much more.
The University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law (Washington, DC)
How vital to the community is the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law? When Antioch University decided to close its School of Law in 1986, a local grassroots campaign saved it, allowing it to eventually merge with the University of District of Columbia in 1996.
Apropos of their community focus, UDC Law emphasizes hands-on experience. Students practice in one of the school’s eight public interest clinics. In these clinics, students learn how the law aids causes such as community development, criminal law for low-income citizens, and housing & consumer protection law. These clinics are part of the school’s requirements for students at every level.
First-year students must perform at least 40 hours of community service at an approved DC non-profit or government agency. All later students may participate in externships or the school’s Summer Public Interest Fellowship.
These public service requirements give students the chance to put into practice the concepts they learn in required courses such as civil procedure, criminal procedure, and criminal law.
With such a service-focused curriculum, it’s no surprise that UDC Law has trained many who have gone on to make an incredible difference in the world. Many notable public servants have graduated from the school, including Maryland House of Delegates member Tiffany T. Alston and Alaska House of Representatives member Thelma Garcia Buchholdt, as well as former U.S. Attorney General George J. Terwilliger III and Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride.
Howard University School of Law (Washington, DC)
Established in 1869, the School of Law at Howard University is not just the oldest HBCU law school, but one of the oldest law schools in the United States. Throughout its long history, Howard Law has been a leader in American equality. Not only has the school always subscribed to a non-discriminatory policy that educated women when most other institutions would not, but it is also at the forefront of the civil rights movement.
Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court justice and a key figure in decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education, graduated from Howard.
Howard Law remains a dynamic force today. Students gain hands-on experience working in one of the school’s three public welfare institutes (the Education Rights Center, the Institute of Intellectual Property and Social Justice, and the World Food Law Institute) or in one of its seven legal clinics. Each of these clinics works to improve the quality of life of those in need by addressing specific issues, from alternative dispute resolution to child welfare to fair housing.
In addition to its social action, Howard Law also advances legal conversations through the several law journals it publishes. Since 1955, the school has published the student-managed Howard Law Journal. Additionally, Howard Law publishes the Howard Human & Civil Rights Law Review, as well as a student-edited newspaper (The Barrister) as well as a respected news journal The Jurist, and the newsletter Howard Docket.
HBCU Law Schools And Related Legal Career Options
The American Bar Association has compiled and published enrollment and degree completion data for its member law schools. Here we will examine Black enrollments at the law schools at historically Black colleges and universities. There are currently six law schools at Historically Black institutions: Florida A&M University, Howard University, North Carolina Central University, Southern University, Texas Southern University, and the University of the District of Columbia.
At Howard University’s law school in Washington, D.C., there were 122 Black students enrolled in 2019. They made up 76.3 percent of the total enrollments in juris doctorate programs. This is the highest percentage of Black enrollments at any of the six law schools at HBCUs.
At the law school at Texas Southern University in Houston, there were 120 Black students among the total enrollments of 195. Thus, Blacks were 61.5 percent of all students.
Ar the four other law schools at HBCUs, Blacks were less than half of the total enrollments. Blacks were 47 percent of the students at the University of the District of Columbia and were 49.5 percent of the students at Florida A&M University.
Blacks made up 39 percent of the enrollments at the law school at Southern University and less than a third of all enrollments at the law school at North Carolina Central University.
HBCU Law Schools that offer respective law degrees/certifications.
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University
Florida A&M University College of Law is a school located in Orlando, Florida, and affiliated with Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. Offering a Doctor’s degree in law, it is accredited by the American Bar Association.
The FAMU College of Law achieved a 73.6 percent passage rate on the July 2014 Florida Bar Exam, besting the overall average for the second time within two years.
Grambling State University
Located in Grambling, Louisiana, Grambling State University offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science (pre-law) studies. The Political Science curriculum is designed to provide students with an understanding of basic political institutions in the United States and internationally.
The program prepares students for governmental careers or further study in the discipline of political science or law.
Hampton University
Hampton University resides in Hampton, Virginia. The Department of Political Science and History offers a pre-law program which prepares students for law school and how they can succeed once they become lawyers, attorneys, and judges.
These courses include but are not limited to, Constitutional Law, Legal Theory, Introduction to Logic and Scientific Method, and Legal Writing.
Howard University
Located in Washington campus in District of Columbia, Howard law school is fully accredited by American Bar Association and the Association of Law Schools. It offers programs leading to the Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM) for foreign law graduates, and Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration (JD/MBA) degrees.
In a 2014 National Law Journal & Legal Times article, Howard University School of Law was ranked among the top fifty law schools in the nation.
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Central University (NCCU) School of Law is located in Durham, North Carolina. Considered to be one of the most diverse and affordable law schools in the country, it offers two programs leading to the Juris Doctor degree: a part-time evening program and a full-time day program.
The NCCU School of Law ranks in Top 25 Best Public Interest Law Schools in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and the North Carolina State Bar Council.
Southern University Law Center
The Southern University Law Center (SULC) has been successful in training more than 3,000 lawyers who have made their mark in all areas of the legal profession.
SULC offers a Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) through a full-time and a part-time day and evening program is offered at the Southern University Law Center. A J.D. and Master of Public Administration joint degree is also offered by the Law Center and the Southern University Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs.
Texas Southern University
The Texas Southern University – Thurgood Marshall School of Law (TMSL) offers a three-year, full-time Juris Doctor Program. The Houston, Texas-based university is accredited by the American Bar Association.
TMSL is one of the nation’s most diverse law schools. Ranking in each of the last ten years among the top three law schools in the national index of diversity published by U.S. News and World Report.
University of The District of Columbia
The University of The District of Columbia is located in Washington, DC. Its David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC-DCSL) offers a traditional three-year, full-time J.D. Program and a four-year, part-time J.D. Program.
UDC-DCSL is recognized as one of the nation’s most diverse law schools both for our faculty and students. The UDC-DCSL is also ranked 7th in the U.S. for clinical training by U.S. News and World Report.
HBCU Community Colleges with Pre-law Programs
If you are interested in pre-law studies and plan to seek admission to law school or start a legal career after graduation, these HBCU Law Schools are options to consider.
Coahoma Community College
Coahoma Community College is a small public college located in Clarksdale, Mississippi. At present, it offers an associate degree in pre-law studies.
Shelton State Community College
Located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Shelton State Community College is an inexpensive public college. It offers less than one year certificate in legal assistant.
St. Philip’s College
St. Philip’s College is a medium-sized public college located in San Antonia, Texas. Currently, it offers associate’s degree in legal, administrative assistant and pre-law studies.
Thank you for viewing our list of HBCU Law Schools and Related Legal Career Options. If there is a university that we have failed to mention, please message us on our contact form to submit HBCU Law Schools to should be added.
HBCU Law Schools Changing the World
Throughout American history, Black students have been denied access to universities across the country, solely on the basis of their skin. When the Supreme Court began to require states to provide to African Americans equal versions of anything given to white citizens, Historically Black Universities and Colleges (HBCUs) were established throughout the United States.
In addition to the excellent education they provide, HBCUs work to improve their communities and fight injustice. But while there were once thirteen HBCU law schools in the United States, only six remain. However, those six continue on the mission of their predecessors.
More than most fields of study, law gives students the opportunity to carry out the mission of HBCUs. Every one of these schools looks at education not just as an individual endeavor, but as a means to serve the larger community. That service extends beyond the local to those around the world. The schools give future lawyers a wide range of experience and familiarity in various legal topics, preparing them to make history.
Because all of America’s HBCU Law Schools are of excellent quality, this list is unranked. Instead, we’ll help you make your decision about your future course of study by listing the various qualities of each program.
Florida A&M University College of Law (Orlando, FL)
According to its mission statement, the College of Law at Florida A&M University exists to train students who will become a transformative force for the public good. The school strives to be a “beacon of hope and catalyst for change” by providing exceptional education, thereby giving opportunities to underprivileged populations throughout the world. All of their classes emphasize distinctive teaching and scholarship, mixing professionalism with caring.
Among the many benefits FAMU Law offers to its students (and its community) is its law library. The library exists to give students the resources they need to learn about the history of key cases and decisions. It also has an open policy, allowing members of the public access to its vital information.
That type of support has resulted in a long list of celebrated alumni. One of the most accomplished is Arthenia Joyner, who graduated from FAMU Law in 1968. Since then, she went on to serve in the Florida Senate and House of Representatives.
FAMU Law continues this legacy of excellence with recent successes. This past June, the school received a $5 million grant to extend its diversification efforts in STEM fields. Shortly before that, a 2021 graduate won an Equal Justice Works Fellowship to help people avoid eviction. These achievements demonstrate that FAMU Law has no plans to step away from its mission.
North Carolina Central University School of Law (Durham, NC)
When North Carolina Central University opened in 1939 as the North Carolina College for Negroes, it was the only higher education institution that accepted Black students.
NCCU Law has grown to become one of the best law schools in the country. At the center of the program is the Turner Building on the NCCU campus, which features a model law office, several high-tech smart classrooms, two distance learning classrooms, and two high-tech smart seminar rooms.
Additionally, the fully appointed NCCU Law Library contains over 400,000 volumes, as well as an area for workshops and seminars. The school’s mission has been advanced thanks to $2 million in funding received from the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration, as part of a mandate to improve broadband infrastructure and make legal services available to more North Carolinians.
In addition to these resources, NCCU Law also features several clinics and institutes in which students gain hands-on training and help the community. The school’s thirteen clinics address social justice concerns, such as family law, domestic violence, community development, and low-income taxpayers.
NCCU Law also features two institutes for large-scale concerns. The Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Law Institute takes a multidisciplinary approach to contribute to the development of global biotechnology and pharmaceutical law. In the Dispute Resolution Institute, students and clients learn alternative means of resolving conflicts.
Southern University Law Center (Baton Rouge, LA)
One of only two law schools in the state of Louisiana, the Southern University Law Center came to be after African American veteran Charles J. Hatfield III was denied admission to Louisiana State University Law School. Following the separate but equal doctrine, the state opened the SULC in September 1947 to allow Black students to study law.
Based in the 93,400 square foot A. A. Lenoir Hall, the Law Center breaks from most legal programs by emphasizing the substantive and procedural law of Louisiana, with its French and Spanish origins. Students in their second and third years have the opportunity to work in one of the school’s seven clinics.
These clinics include the Administrative/Civil Law Clinic, the Juvenile Law Clinic, and the Mediation Clinic. Alongside its community service, the Law Center extends legal conversations in the two legal journals it publishes, the Law Review and The Journal of Race, Gender and Poverty.
Students can study in full-time, part-time, evening programs. Additionally, the school offers a study-abroad program that sends students to London and allows them to take courses with international subject matter.
The support provided by the Law Center has led to some outstanding graduates. Alumni include notable legislators such as former Governor of Louisiana Mike Foster and Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden, as well as legal figures such as United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and Louisiana Supreme Court Associate Justice Jesse N. Stone.
Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law (Houston, TX)
By choosing as its namesake a towering figure in African American legal history, the Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law is not just setting down a challenge for itself. It’s also honoring a key player in the school’s creation.
Since then, TSU Law has worked to honor the legacy of its namesake, in part by publishing two legal journals. The Thurgood Marshall Law Review has featured the work of legal minds across the world since 1970 and the student-run Thurgood Marshall School of Law Gender, Race, and Justice Law Journal. Additionally, the TSU Law Library boasts over 350,000 volumes, earning it 31st place in the National Jurist’s best American law libraries list.
Students can further serve their community by working in the school’s three legal clinics. At the Earl Carl Institute for Legal and Social Justice, Inc, students identify solutions to legal and social issues that target minority communities. The Center for Legal Pedagogy studies and creates instructional designs for legal education. The Institute for International and Immigration Law provides specialized academic and practical legal training for students planning a career in international or immigration law.
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