LGBTQ Attorneys

Where are they now? Legal Opportunity Scholarship recipients share impact on their careers

It’s been more than 25 years since past ABA President William “Bill” Paul created the Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund, which has provided $15,000 scholarships to more than 400 diverse law students from around the country.

Jan 6, 2026 11:17 AM CST

Breaking the Stigma: Gavin Alexander shares mental health struggles to improve the profession

Gavin Alexander often tells other lawyers that success and seeking help aren’t mutually exclusive. Alexander, the Boston-based well-being director at Jackson Lewis, speaks from experience.

Jan 1, 2026 12:25 AM CST

LGBTQ rights lawyer faces federal indictment for testimony in ‘judge shopping’ probe

A lawyer working for an advocacy organization for the LGBTQ+ community is facing a federal indictment alleging that he made false statements while testifying in an inquiry into "judge shopping."

Sep 11, 2025 12:15 PM CDT

Transgender lawyers are resilient, but level of fear is real, says business consultant and coach

While June is Pride Month, Dru Levasseur, a transgender attorney, thinks it’s a somber time for the trans and nonbinary community.

Jun 12, 2025 3:03 PM CDT

Bryanna Jenkins advocates for the Black transgender community

“I saw law school as the natural next step after my organizing and activism work,” says ABA member Bryanna Jenkins, who graduated from the DePaul University College of Law in 2019. “I wanted to figure out how I could use the law as a tool to push forward my agendas for helping the trans community and helping Black folks.”

Jun 1, 2025 12:40 AM CDT

Helping people feel safe is a primary goal of lawyer Chase Strangio

Chase Strangio, co-director of the LGBTQ & HIV Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, stresses the importance of remaining hopeful, even if the legal landscape for transgender rights seems bleaker right now than it has in years past. “I’m very committed to moving us out of a space of chaos, catastrophe and fear, and moving us to a place of possibility and grounded connection,” says Strangio.

Apr 1, 2025 1:30 AM CDT

Federal judge sanctions 3 LGBTQ rights lawyers for ‘malignant practice’ of ‘judge shopping’

A federal judge in Alabama has sanctioned three lawyers for trying to get their cases challenging an Alabama transgender law assigned to a judge deemed more hospitable to their arguments.

Mar 3, 2025 9:44 AM CST

BigLaw firm tones down diversity references on website, citing ‘fluctuating internal and external expectations’

Updated: K&L Gates has removed references to “diversity” from its website and rebranded its Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Feb 13, 2025 10:13 AM CST

Helping people feel safe and find joy are Chase Strangio’s primary goals

Chase Strangio, co-director of the LGBT & HIV Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, stresses the importance of remaining hopeful, even if the legal landscape for transgender rights seems bleaker right now than it has in recent times.

Jan 28, 2025 11:07 AM CST

Lawyers spar in Supreme Court over constitutional rights in transgender health care case

The lengthy arguments this week in United States v. Skrmetti—a major case about whether a Tennessee law barring certain medical treatments for transgender minors violates the 14th Amendment—were marked by past positions, anticipation of future battles, a historical first and one justice’s curious silence.

Dec 5, 2024 2:15 PM CST

Where have all the lawyers gone? 25% are in these 2 states with higher pay than $176K average

Twenty-five percent of all lawyers live in California and New York, states that include five of the top 10 metropolitan areas for attorney pay.

Nov 19, 2024 11:01 AM CST

Hazed and abused, some lawyers see bullying as part of job while others leave, new study says

Bullying experienced by lawyers is causing increased turnover and “a talent drain from the profession,” according to a new Illinois survey and study thought “to be one of the first wide-scale research projects” of its kind in the United States.

Oct 2, 2024 12:03 PM CDT

Formidable Foe: Roberta Kaplan doesn't back down from tough fights

Lawyers who know Roberta Kaplan say they weren’t surprised when she agreed to represent writer E. Jean Carroll in her litigation against former President Donald Trump, even though it meant being the subject of intense media scrutiny. Kaplan, her friends say, isn’t the type of person to be intimidated.

Oct 1, 2024 3:30 AM CDT

These law firms topped rankings for minority, female and LGBTQ lawyers

Larger law firms are making slight gains in employment of minority and female lawyers, according to rankings released last week by the American Lawyer.

Jul 3, 2024 12:41 PM CDT

This BigLaw firm is tops for culture, most important factor to surveyed law students, new report says

Culture is the most important factor for Yale Law School students when deciding which law firm offer to accept, according to a new report by Yale Law Women+.

Jun 11, 2024 1:42 PM CDT