The Founders of the Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey (ABWL-NJ) established an organization to meet the needs of Black women and students interested in the practice of law.

Their dream became a reality in 1975 when they formed ABWL-NJ, a non-partisan, non-profit organization that promotes the participation of African American women in the field of law. The oldest women’s bar association in New Jersey, ABWL-NJ has spent four decades engaged in strategies designed to gain the legal, educational, economic, and social empowerment necessary to enhance the quality of life for African American women, their families and the New Jersey community-at-large.

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ABWL-NJ’s commitment to providing outstanding service to women and to the wider community is demonstrated by an untiring commitment to improving the quality of life for all. ABWL-NJ is actively involved in facilitating and disseminating information and discussion on a wide range of topics including public education, domestic violence, mortgage foreclosure, the juvenile the justice system and the challenges of mass incarceration of people of color. ABWL-NJ has cooperated with other states, county and specialty bar associations to address these important issues. Through the Social Justice Committee, ABWL-NJ has enhanced its grass-roots outreach, providing workshop speakers to the New Jersey Black Issues Convention, New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus and continuing to strengthen opportunities to support the guiding democratic principles of equal justice for all with the New Jersey NAACP State Conference and its branches, and the African American Chamber of Commerce.

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ABWL-NJ is also known for its Law Day programs in schools and other community-based venues; its Pink and Black Affair to promote awareness of breast cancer prevention and provide financial assistance for medical care for women of color; and its annual Scholarship Jazz Brunch, the forum through which it awards book grants and scholarships to Black women law students and also to recognize the professional achievements of those who have made significant contributions to the community. In addition, ABWL- NJ continues to advocate for increased access of persons of color and women into the legal profession, supporting efforts to preserve law school admission policies that promote their enrollment; encouraging employment practices that promote diversity; and championing for equal rights under the law through active participation on NJ Supreme Court Committees, in specialty bar associations and in the New Jersey State Bar Association. In further keeping with its service mission ABWL-NJ created the Honorable Anne E. Thompson American Inn of Court in March 2009 [renamed the Honorable Marie White Bell, JSC (ret) in 2019] which provides continuing legal education and fosters fellowship among the bar and bench.