We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrea Rivers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Andrea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Black JD, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for Black and Brown future attorneys.
Black JD’s mission is to provide law school preparatory resources and ensure readiness for Black and Brown students who are committed to obtaining a Juris Doctor degree; mentors, loved ones, and supporters of Black and Brown pre-law students; and high school teachers and undergraduate professors who teach pre-law and other law-related courses.
Black JD was co-founded by two Black female former law students: Andrea Rivers and Kny Cordes. Andrea and Kny both grew up in Brooklyn, New York and attended Howard University. While in college, they quickly realized they shared the dream of obtaining a law degree. Both Andrea and Kny participated in several pre-law programs during their time at Howard. Andrea and Kny felt highly discouraged and ill-equipped to handle the rigors of the admissions process, and realized that, unfortunately, most pre-law students of color experience similar struggles.
Most Black and Brown pre-law students are overwhelmed by the disproportionate entry barriers they must face such as a lack of diversity in the legal profession and an inaccessibility to targeted resources.
Our vision is to enrich Black and Brown scholars’ lives and diversify the legal profession by empowering and informing these future law students.
Andrea, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Black JD, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides support to Black and Brown individuals aspiring to pursue a career in law. Our aim is to create a community where students who may not have access to adequate resources and information can learn about existing opportunities, receive mentorship, and build a network of Black and Brown lawyers committed to giving back to the next generation.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I met my cofounder, Knyasia Cordes, in college. We both transferred to Howard University in 2013. At the transfer student orientation, we introduced ourselves as a transfer student from Brooklyn, New York that intends to pursue law school after Howard. We immediately clicked! Throughout college, we were each other’s support network and pushed each other to pursue law school. We looked for resources to help us understand what law school would be like and to prepare for the law school admissions cycle. We realized a lot of the mainstream programs were either extremely expensive or limited. It took a lot of research, but we found organizations that were dedicated to
diverse pre-law students. Once we graduated from Howard, I took a year off to work and then went to American University Washington College of Law. A year later, Knyasia enrolled at the University of Baltimore School of Law.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
We really rely on social media and email campaigns to get our message out and reach diverse pre-law students. We’re hoping to start a YouTube channel very soon!
We are also visiting high schools and undergraduate institutions with a high population of Black and Brown students to encourage them to consider pursuing a law degree. Our goal is to show them that the legal profession offers diverse career paths and to demonstrate that lawyers come from similar backgrounds. We also aim to highlight the essential role that law plays in various aspects of life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blackjd.com
- Instagram: @blackjd.prelaw
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-jd-org/
Image Credits
Andrea Rivers