About the NBPA Foundation

Founded in 1983, the National Black Prosecutors Association (NBPA) is the only organization dedicated to the hiring, retention and promotion of Black prosecutors. In 2016, the NBPA expanded its mission by creating a 501(c)(3) foundation to support the next generation of law students of color passionate about pursuing a career in public service. Studies revealed a lack of diversity in the field, as well as in the numbers of elected prosecutors. Specifically, a 2015 study commissioned by the Women Donors Network and conducted by the Center for Technology and Civic Life, showed the following: of the approximately 2,437 elected state and local prosecutors across the country, 95 percent are white; 79 percent are white men; three in five states have no black elected prosecutors; 14 states have no elected prosecutors of color at all; just 1 percent of elected prosecutors are minority women; and 66 percent of states that elect prosecutors have no black prosecutors in those offices.

Since 2016, the NBPA Foundation has provided scholarships to Black students that demonstrate an interest in prosecution. In 2021, the NBPA Foundation launched a fellowship program, providing funding and mentorship to students who will be interning at state prosecutors’ offices. The Foundation seeks to strengthen the pipeline of minority law students entering a career in prosecution through its Fellowship Program, which will provide placement and financial assistance to law students interested in participating in a non-paid internship at a prosecutor’s office. The Foundation partners with local and state prosecuting offices and law schools to recruit and place eligible students in competitive 8 – 10 week internship programs across the country.