For many Black women attorneys, entrepreneurship isn’t just a career path; it’s a form of empowerment. Starting a law firm offers something the traditional legal structure often doesn’t: agency, ownership, and authenticity. Here’s advice from four solo practitioners on finding success as an entrepreneurial black woman lawyer.
Owning a firm allows Black women lawyers to design a professional life that aligns with their values and priorities, to build firms that reflect their communities, honor their lived experiences, and create workplace cultures that support other women and diverse professionals.
Rather than waiting for an invitation to the partnership table, entrepreneurship gives them the chance to own the table.
It’s about creating spaces where black women can lead, innovate, and thrive on their own terms.
Entrepreneurship also offers the power to shape impact. Black women-owned firms often serve clients and communities that have historically been overlooked or underserved. That visibility and representation matter — not just for clients, but for the next generation of lawyers watching what’s possible.
Life of a Solo
“I always thought I would spend five years at a firm learning the ropes before opening my own practice,” says Reatter Neal, a solo attorney in Franklin County, North Carolina. “When that plan fell apart on the very day I was sworn in, I had to pivot quickly and bet on myself.
“Starting my own firm wasn’t part of my original timeline, but it became the path that allowed me to keep moving forward when traditional options disappeared.”
Louise Williams, owner of William Brunson Solutions, has this to say about her path to entrepreneurship:
“One of the biggest challenges in growing and starting my law firm has been in obtaining legacy wisdom, not just forms, but processes and strategy. I am a first-generation college degree and secondary degree graduate, and one of the first to establish a professional business. While I have learned the law and know certain things about practice, it has taken me a longer time to learn some of the secrets and processes that would propel my business forward faster.”
Williams is not alone in thinking that it has taken her longer to move her business forward.
Aviance Brown is a millennial lawyer from North Carolina and the host of the podcast Blk and Barred. She tells the story of starting her law firm when, a few months later, a white male lawyer shared his document templates with her. It was an old folder, obviously passed down for a long time from lawyer to lawyer, and it included not only hundreds of templates, but also other valuable information that would make the process of creating and filing cases easier. As Brown says on the podcast, “These are things we don’t have access to. Where I’m starting from scratch, they have templates they’re using to draft their motion. So it’s taking me double, triple the time to do the research, draft it and file it, where they have a whole filing guide of ‘here’s how to file this.’ At that moment, my eyes just opened. I’m like, you what? Like, you had this straight starting out? And that’s really how it is.”
Brown started her career in a mid-sized corporate law firm. “For the first few years of practice, I tried so hard to fit a mold that I would never fit into. I faced daily microaggressions, from comments about my hair to comments from a partner in which he expressed surprise about how ‘articulate’ I was.”
She continues, “For years, I watered down some of my favorite parts of my identity to fit into a white-male-dominated profession that fed me false narratives on what was necessary to be a ‘good lawyer.’ Then one day, I decided that I wouldn’t do it anymore. It’s like a light bulb switched on and, just like that, I stopped code-switching. I decided it was OK for me to wear my festive nails, even in court. I could wear colorful suits and show my personality.
“But beyond just the outer appearance, I also decided that it was OK for me to show up as my authentic, passionate self.”
Lessons in Entrepreneurship
So how can Black women in law become more entrepreneurial? Advice from these successful law firm owners centers on the importance of relationships, community, authenticity, and business mindset.
Leveraging Your Network to Build Business
Leverage your network. Build relationships through bar associations, women’s law groups, and affinity organizations that can offer mentorship, referrals, and support. Collaborate with other entrepreneurs — including those outside the legal field — to learn how they grow and sustain their businesses.
Louise Williams says, “I depend on organizations like Shades of Mass and Corporate Counsel Women of Color to buttress my ‘operating wisdom’ and to find mentors and sponsors and people that can meet me where I am, understand where I’m coming from and speak to me in terms that I understand, as well as offer guidance from a place of respect and familiarity.”
Neal extended her network by joining the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in college. “I learned early — through my sorority and later through law school — that relationships matter. Everyone struggles in law school, especially that first year, and those shared experiences create bonds that last.
“When I reached out for help after my job fell through, one attorney told me, ‘I’m not hiring, but I’ll help you get started.’ That made all the difference. He became my mentor and introduced me to other lawyers and people in the community. He took me to court with him and introduced me to all the judges. He helped me find my footing.”
Brown decided to give back to her community by creating her passion project, the Blk and Barred podcast, a community for Black lawyers that also hosts in-person events and discussions, such as a monthly solo and small firm meet-up. She says, “I created this space because in my eight years of practice, I’ve come to learn that this profession can be isolating for practitioners of color, but we thrive in authentic community.”
Building a Niche Practice
Another way to success as an entrepreneur is to identify a niche that aligns with your strengths and passions. Specialization can help you stand out and build credibility.
Neubia Harris is a solo practitioner in Raleigh, North Carolina. “From an early age, I learned to chart my own course. While I may have appeared to be a people-pleaser, I quietly resisted the status quo. Much of that independence came from my mother, who never constrained my ambitions. Whether I imagined myself as a doctor, lawyer, singer or athlete, she encouraged every possibility.”
“Along the path to building my practice, my silent partner (my husband, Michael) and I welcomed two children, the first born just two weeks before the first U.S. COVID case was announced. What began as an unexpected entrepreneurial path ultimately gave me the life I envisioned.
“I choose the cases I accept. I am present for my children. I mentor and train the next generation of lawyers. I serve my community on my own terms.”
Harris operates an education law firm that supports the dismantling of the school-to-prison pipeline by making sure that children of color, children with disabilities, and other marginalized youth are protected in our educational and juvenile justice systems.
As she explains, “During law school, I interned with Legal Aid of North Carolina. The work resonated deeply. My family and I have experienced many of the same challenges as our clients (e.g., housing instability, food insecurity, addiction, undiagnosed mental health needs, and a steadfast belief that faith alone would carry us through). I knew then that public-interest law would shape my career. While at Legal Aid, I was introduced to education law.
“After yet another round of funding cuts, I transitioned [from legal aid] to a small firm focused on education advocacy. Although the work was meaningful, I was troubled by the barriers preventing many families, particularly families of color, from accessing representation due to high retainers. I was also constrained by decisions beyond my control: which cases I could litigate, how I structured my time, and whether I could serve my community pro bono. In 2018, following Hurricane Matthew, I decided to open my own practice.”
The transition from employee to entrepreneur was neither simple nor comfortable, Harris says.
“I relied heavily on available resources, including the Lawyers Mutual Attorney Toolkit, the NCBA’s Center for Practice Management, colleagues, CLEs and constant self-education. Imposter syndrome was persistent. There were frequent threats to sustainability and stability: a global pandemic, staffing challenges, limited resources, and the ongoing pressure of practicing law independently. Still, weeks became months, months became years, and before long I found myself among the few firms remaining with a primary focus on education law.”
Thinking Like a CEO
Another key to success as an entrepreneur starts with a shift in mindset. Think like a CEO, not just a practitioner. Developing business acumen and financial literacy is essential.
“One of the hardest parts of starting my firm was setting fees and realizing I was charging way below market rate,” says Neal. “I had to learn that it’s OK — and necessary — to value my work and raise my rates. Law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer, but running a firm forces you to learn how to think like a business owner.”
As law firm owners, black women lawyers have the power to control their time, shape their firm’s culture, and determine their financial destiny. Just as important, however, ownership creates ripple effects, inspiring others, mentoring younger lawyers, and expanding access to justice in communities that need it most.
Neal talks about the impact she hopes to make in her community: “Helping people get their driver’s licenses back has been one of the most meaningful parts of my work. In a rural community with no public transportation, that one issue affects jobs, finances and family stability.”
Brown says, “Becoming a solo helped me fall in love with the practice of law again. I care deeply about my cases and those that I serve, and rather than leave my emotions at the door, I pour them wholeheartedly into my work and advocate fiercely, on my own terms.”
‘Yes, I Am the Attorney’
Neal shares her advice to any Black woman attorney, “Be authentically and ethically you. You be the vision of a Black attorney.”
Harris says, “I continue to quietly, but firmly, defy the stereotypes and expectations long placed on professional Black women.”
No, I’m not the paralegal.
Yes, I am the attorney.
No, I will not tolerate abuse of my staff.
I suppose we’ll see what the judge or jury decides.
Yes, I’m happy to speak with your class.
“Entrepreneurship in the legal profession is demanding. Even so, it remains the best decision I have made, for my family, my clients and my community.”
For many Black women attorneys, entrepreneurship is much more than a career path; it’s a form of empowerment. It’s not just about running a firm. It’s about leading a movement — one client, one community, one success story at a time.
Image © iStockPhoto.com.
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