Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association

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About Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association

The Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association (GSCBWLA), formerly the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division Dade County Chapter, was formed in 1985. The purpose of this association shall be to address the concerns of our community with an emphasis on the legal, social, economic and political needs of the Black community, and to address the professional development of Black women lawyers, and its members, including continuing legal education and the pursuit of professional excellence. Read the July 1985 Florida Bar News article on GSCBWLA’s formation.

For over thirty-six years, the association has been a network of attorneys dedicated to community service and the professional development of its members. The association has placed a strong emphasis on community service through its community seminars, free neighborhood legal clinics and programs educating and empowering youth and the mentorship of law students. The association is also known for its support of its members’ growth and development within the legal profession. With this support, our members have achieved many “firsts” within Florida as lawyers within law firms, corporations, government agencies and the judiciary.

In 2005, the association voted to be renamed in honor of community activist Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry, who was the first Black female attorney to practice in Dade County and the first Black female legislator in the State of Florida. Throughout the association’s existence, it has grown and its reach has expanded. Although it began as a Dade County bar association, GSCBWLA currently represents over 500 men and women law students, lawyers and judges throughout the State of Florida.