Association of Black Women Attorneys (ABWA) is a left-of-center professional membership organization that provides development and personal growth services for Black female attorneys. ¹

In July 2020, ABWA partnered with Dominican Bar Association in hosting Facebook webinars on left-of-center policing policy. ² The featured speakers promoted lowering spending on police and shifting the public funds to other sections of the community.” ³

ABWA posted comments on Facebook condemning the Dobbs v. Jackson decision that overturned the nationwide right to abortion created by Roe v. Wade that stated, “Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues.” ⁴

Background

In June of 1976, Association of Black Women Attorneys was founded by four women all of whom graduated from Howard University School of Law. ABWA has five committees: Communications/Social Media; Community Service; Legislative, Civil Rights, and Judicial; Member Engagement; and RWW Luncheon.  ABWA is a professional membership organization that posts job opportunities, offers scholarships, and hosts events such as brunches, luncheons, dinners, galas, networking receptions, outreach events, panel discussions, and golf outings. ^{5 6}

Funding

In 2019, Littler Mendelson Foundation gave ABWA a grant for $4,500. ⁷ Littler Mendelson provides labor and employment legal services to its clients. ⁸

ABWA’s tax returns for the fiscal year ending June 2020 show received membership dues amounted to $9,025 while fundraising events brought in $18,925. ⁹

Advocacy Activities

Pro-Abortion

On June 24, 2022, ABWA posted the caption on Facebook, “Protect Black Women. Protect All Women. Protect Women’s Rights. Protect Women’s Choice” above a meme with a picture of former President Barack Obama with the statement, “Today, the Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues” ¹⁰ in response to the Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson, which held, “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion.  Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” ¹¹

“End Predatory Court Fees Act”

In October 2021, ABWA reposted a post on Facebook that read, “Today I had the privilege of representing NDS at the NY State Senate hearing on the End Predatory Court Fees Act.  NY must end its disgusting practice of funding the state through predatory court costs which further criminalize and exploit poor Black and Latinx communities” with an accompanying video. ¹²

Policing

ABWA partnered with Dominican Bar Association in hosting webinars on police reform. ¹³

In the July 15, 2020, “Let’s Chat: Police Reform (Part 2)” Facebook webinar, moderator Angela Fernandez stated at 25:01, “People understand the definition of defunding the police. It’s not a complete emptying out of the police budget, but a real kind of distribution of the police budget.” ¹⁴

New York state Senator Jamaal T. Bailey (D-Bronx) stated, “It’s more about refunding the community.” ¹⁵

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez (D) at minute 28:40 on the webinar talked about “Justice 2020, An Action Plan for Brooklyn” program, which he stated came down to “four prime things”: reducing automatic reliance on jail, reducing reliance on getting criminal convictions. Gonzalez claimed, “I was the first district attorney in the United States to actually articulate a vision of having immigration-neutral consequences in our plea bargainings [sic] and hiring immigration attorneys to help people, and it’s not just undocumented people who are facing immigration issues, people with green cards, people with work visas and school visas, and asylum applications – focus on drivers of crime, and have to put data and transparency out in the public.” ^{16 17 18}

Leadership

Jennifer L. Taiwo is president of Association of Black Women Attorneys; Leneer Hutchinson is vice president; and Natasha Fortune is treasurer. ¹⁹

1. “The Association of Black Women Attorneys.” ABWA. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://abwanewyork.org/
2. “The Association of Black Women Attorneys.” ABWA. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://abwanewyork.org/
3. “Let’s Chat: Police Reform (Part 2): Dominican Bar Association Was Live.: By Dominican Bar Association.” Facebook. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/294493623928379/videos/628404541130703/?__so__=watchlist&__rv__=video_home_www_playlist_video_list
4. Facebook. June 24, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/associationofblkwomenattys
5. “Committees.” ABWA. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://abwanewyork.org/committees/
6. “Gallery.” ABWA. Accessed November 3, 2022. https://abwanewyork.org/gallery-2/
7. ^[1] Form 990-PF. Littler Mendelson Foundation, Inc. P.C. Return of Littler Mendelson Foundation, Inc. Part XV.  LITTLER MENDELSON FOUNDATION INC – Form 990PF- Nonprofit Explorer – ProPublica
8. “About Littler.” Littler Mendelson P.C., May 4, 2021. https://www.littler.com/about-littler
9. Form 990. Association of Black Women Attorneys, Inc. Return of Association of Black Women Attorneys, Inc. Part VIII, 1b and 1c.  ASSOCIATION OF BLACK WOMEN ATTORNEYS INC – Form 990 for period ending Jun 2020 – Nonprofit Explorer – ProPublica
10. Facebook. June 24, 2022. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/associationofblkwomenattys
11. “Supreme Court of the United States.” Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/19-1392_6j37.pdf
12.  Facebook. October 13, 2021. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/associationofblkwomenattys
13.   “The Association of Black Women Attorneys.” ABWA. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://abwanewyork.org/
14. Angela Fernandez. “Angela Fernández for City Council NY-10 – 2021: About.” Angela Fernandez for City Council NY10 2021, September 2, 2020. https://angelafernandez.nyc/about/
15. “State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey and Members of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus Call for Police Reform.” The Bronx Chronicle, June 5, 2020. https://thebronxchronicle.com/2020/06/05/state-senator-jamaal-t-bailey-and-members-of-the-black-puerto-rican-hispanic-asian-legislative-caucus-call-for-police-reform/
16. León, Gabe Ponce de. “Is Da Eric Gonzalez Progressive Enough for Brooklyn?” City & State NY. City & State New York, August 2, 2021. https://www.cityandstateny.com/personality/2020/09/is-da-eric-gonzalez-progressive-enough-for-brooklyn/175625/
17. “Let’s Chat: Police Reform (Part 2): Dominican Bar Association Was Live.: By Dominican Bar Association.” Facebook. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://www.facebook.com/294493623928379/videos/628404541130703/?__so__=watchlist&__rv__=video_home_www_playlist_video_list
18. “Justice – Brooklynda.org.” Accessed October 1, 2022. http://www.brooklynda.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Justice2020-Report.pdf
19. “Board of Directors.” ABWA. Accessed October 1, 2022. https://abwanewyork.org/board-of-directors/