Before becoming the ABA’s first female black president, Paulette Brown was raised in Baltimore, where she attended segregated schools. She was born in 1951 and eventually attended Howard University as the first in her family to go to college in 50 years. Brown then earned a full scholarship to Seton Hall University School of Law. After graduating in 1976, she worked at a New Jersey steel company and Prudential Insurance Co. before opening her own law firm dedicated to employment, product liability and civil rights issues.

Brown began her time with the ABA when she joined the Young Lawyers Division in 1976. In 1997, she started serving in the association’s House of Delegates. She is also a former member of the ABA Board of Governors. But it wasn’t until 2015 that Brown became the ABA president, as the first woman of color and the first black woman in the role. Like Dennis Archer, Brown made diversity and inclusion efforts a priority during her presidency.

In 2019, Brown is practicing as a senior partner with Locke Lord, and is also the firm’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.

Updated on Feb. 28 to add Brown’s current position.