History of the SDCBWLA

Sandra Powery Moses was a newly admitted lawyer in Palm Beach County when she had a great vision.  She, and unknown to her, many other black women lawyers in Palm Beach County, were facing challenges in the profession and looking for guidance.  Seeking refuge, Sandra began discussing these challenges with other black female lawyers in Palm Beach County, including attorneys Sia Baker-Barnes and Destinie Baker Sutton. The women began discussing the similarities in the challenges they were facing, even though they practiced in different areas and their career paths were different. They began to realize that although their journeys into the legal profession were different, the underlying roots of their challenges were the same. It turned out that their challenges were common in general for black female lawyers. For example, they described feelings of isolation in the profession when, in many circumstances, they sat as the only black female in the room. The neighboring South counties have organizations addressing challenges facing black women lawyers, but Palm Beach County did not.  Sandra suggested that the women consider starting such an organization in Palm Beach County.  Over the years, they discussed forming the organization, but the timing was not right.

Fast forward just over ten years to 2020, everything changed- the global pandemic of 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement, the highly publicized murder of George Floyd, and the international reckoning on race relations in America and beyond.   These events amplified the need for an outlet and a forum to be able to address the challenges they all individually continued to face throughout their years of practice, now as mothers, community advocates and black women lawyers doing their best to be successful.  The desire for change spurred the women to put their thoughts into action.  Sandra is now entering her 15th year of practicing law, supervising a team of lawyers and legal professionals at the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc.  Sia is a 20-year lawyer and partner at Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, serving on the Florida Bar Board of Governors.  Destinie is now managing partner of her own law firm Destinie Law. P.A., after 15 stellar years as a Senior prosecutor with the State Attorney’s Office and having practiced at the County Attorney’s Office.  The women felt the time was right to start turning their vision into reality.

In February 2021, in recognition of Black History Month, they co-founded and incorporated the Palm Beach County Sheree Davis Cunningham Black Women Lawyers Association, also known as SDCBWLA. What they recognized is that the unique and specific needs of black female lawyers are often overlooked. According to the American Bar Association (ABA), only 5% of lawyers in the United States are black, and there are no studies that determine the number of black women who practice law in the US and/or Florida. Like many female lawyers, sexism is rampant in the legal profession, but traditionally what female lawyers face in general terms are magnified for women lawyers of color. In 2018, the ABA, reported that men of color and white women experience prove-it-again bias at a higher percentage, nearly 25% more than white men; however, black female lawyers experienced this bias at a higher percentage than any other group- 35% more than white men and 10% more than men of color and white women. In this same study, it was reported that sexist comments were widespread in the legal field, with more than 70% of all groups reporting sexism in the workplace. The study also found that women, especially black female lawyers, face significant barriers to success, including not being measured as equals by their employers and peers.

In June 2020, the ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession released the results of a study conducted to assess the status of women of color in the legal profession, titled, “Left Out and Left Behind: The Hurdles, Hassles, and Heartaches of Achieving Long-Term Legal Careers for Women of Color” the study was designed to evaluate the relative experiences of women of color practicing in law firms for over 30 years. The results are alarming.  There were so few women of color nationwide meeting the criteria that researchers were able to identify 90% of women of color practicing in law firms over 30 years within minutes.

The researchers focused on the unique experiences of the women they were able to gather, to better understand why there were so few women of color with long-term legal careers.  One statistic that has not changed over 20 years- women of color represent approximately 2% of equity partners at large law firms.  While law firms have hired more women of color as associates in the last 20 years, attrition was high and very few attained partnership.  The women surveyed across the board expressed experiencing bias, stereotyping and racism in the workplace. They described the challenges of isolation, when one is constantly the only woman of color in the law firm, or the courtroom, or the boardroom, and inability of their colleagues to relate to their experiences.  Many women described limited opportunity for advancement.  In the end, over 70% of the women surveyed desired to leave the legal profession altogether, because they did not see any viable alternative to their current situation.  The 30% desiring to stay in the profession explained that despite experiencing isolation, bias, stereotypes, and roadblocks to advancement, they love, enjoy and excel in the practice of law. Their careers were enhanced by having strong mentors with similar experiences, support in their communities and places they could call home. They also felt a sense of responsibility to serve as examples to young women of all backgrounds, but especially women of color, that we can all be successful lawyers.  In the end, the authors issued a challenge: “We ask that this study not be read and then put on a shelf to be picked up five years from now and “surprisingly” discover nothing has changed. This study provides some answers to the questions about the state of women of color in the profession and if used to its fullest extent will assist in the change that is urgently needed now.” 

In December 2020, the ABA reported on the impact of the pandemic’s work-life imbalances on women lawyers. The study concluded that COVID-19 disrupted workplace advancement for women, and although it is not specifically considering lawyers, if tradition holds true, this issue was magnified for black female lawyers. The Founders recognized the need to try and address these new stressors- the feelings of isolation, a different type of stress, income loss, additional caregiving responsibilities, and more.  They felt that women lawyers in Palm Beach County were likely experiencing these added pressures without anywhere to turn for help.  Desiring to heed the call, bridge the gap and make a difference, the Founders decided to put their many years of thought into action.  SDCBWLA is an association dedicated to filling the gap, providing resources, support and mentorship, and to help lawyers facing these challenges to reach even higher heights.

SDCBWLA was strategically developed to create a unique space, an association designed to provide mentorship, support and guidance to help the generations of practicing lawyers find meaningful solutions to combat the challenges here in Palm Beach County. The organization intends to serve as a safe space of refuge so black women lawyers can speak freely on the issues of sexism and racism without normalizing the concerns, but rather looking for solutions that address the issues. This will include the development of strategies to address the micro-aggressions and macro-aggressions that black female lawyers are often faced with regularly. The SDCBWLA intends to provide a light, a map, a support team and experience, to help black women lawyers achieve success, longevity and leadership in the legal profession.

The Founders understand that naming an association after someone that is still living is not customary or traditional, but they desired to name the association after the Honorable Sheree Davis Cunningham to pay homage to her inspirational leadership, vision and exemplary career.  Having all been raised in in Palm Beach County, and each of them having a special relationship with Judge Cunningham, the founders have a unique understanding of Judge Cunningham’s impact and inspiration to so many lawyers.  The Honorable Sheree Davis Cunningham was appointed to the Palm Beach County bench in 1993 as the first ever African-American woman to be seated as a judge in Florida’s 15^th Judicial Circuit. She faithfully served the citizens of Palm Beach County, and devoted her career to ensuring fairness, professionalism, and the rule of law were upheld.  Judge Cunningham retired after 26 years of excellent service.

Judge Davis Cunningham’s stellar legal career and her journey to becoming the First black female Judge in Palm Beach County illustrate the strong foundation of the Palm Beach County Sheree Davis Cunningham Black Women Lawyers Association.  We desired to give Judge Cunningham her flowers now.

Created with strategic vision, the association’s colors are purple and black, representing royalty and power.   The unique logo is an image of a black lady justice. Our Charter Board Members span almost all sectors of the legal profession; our Judicial advisors consist of all of the black female Judges and Magistrates in Palm Beach County, and the only black female U.S. District Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Florida.

The Charter Members include attorneys Donise Edwards Brown, Kalinthia Dillard, Adrienne Ellis, Gloretta Hall, Elaine Johnson James, Hershley Ogé, Ava Parker, Lisa Quarrie, Pamala Ryan, Salesia Smith Gordon, Gwendolyn Tuggle, Lawanda Warren, Ethel Isaacs Williams and Dawn Wynn.  The Organization’s Judicial Advisors include the Honorable Maxine Cheesman, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit; the Honorable Renatha Francis, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit; the Honorable Cymonie Rowe, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit; the Honorable Shaniek Maynard, U.S. Magistrate Judge, Southern District of Florida; the Honorable Debra Moses Stephens, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, County Court; the Honorable Maxine Williams, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, Administrative Magistrate; and the Honorable Damary Stokes, former 15^th Judicial Circuit, General Magistrate.

The mission of the Palm Beach County Sheree Davis Cunningham Black Women Lawyers Association is to provide mentoring, guidance and support to black women lawyers in the legal profession.  The organization is established to help black women lawyers navigate the unique challenges they face in the practice of law, in their lives and in their communities.  The organization does not discriminate on any basis and welcomes all lawyers to join and participate in the organization’s activities and programming. The Founders, Charter Board Members and Judicial Advisors enthusiastically look forward to seeing what they have envisioned become an impactful reality for black female lawyers in Palm Beach County.

i.  “Systemic bias in legal profession confirmed by new report,” (2018) American Bar Association, available at https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/aba-news-archives/2018/09/new-study-finds-gender-and-racial-bias-endemic-in-legal-professi1/

ii.  “Left Out and Left Behind: The Hurdles, Hassles, and Heartaches of Achieving Long-Term Legal Careers for Women of Color,” (2020) American Bar Association, Commission on Women In the Profession, 20-26, available at https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/women/leftoutleftbehind-int-f-web-061020-003.pdf