LIWOCA was born out of a concern about the future of diverse women in the legal profession.  In 2005, the American Bar Association’s Commission on Women in the Legal Profession released the preliminary findings of its 2-year long research initiative on women of color in private law firms. The research identified several distinct factors contributing to an overwhelming majority of women of color attorneys leaving private law firms after just six years. Almost immediately, a group of concerned attorneys and members of the business community resolved that women of color attorneys needed a nationwide forum to connect, be inspired and become informed.  

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In 2005, LIWOCA was formed as a 501(c)(3) organization, hosting its first national conference that same year in Atlanta, Georgia. The first conference hosted more than 100 women of color attorneys for over two days and was a huge success. Speakers who came from all over the United States presented to women who were inspired, mentored, and had an opportunity to network with some of the most successful attorneys in the nation. The need for the conference was confirmed and over the last eighteen years we have continued to host hundreds of women, many of whom describe the conference as the most professionally rewarding event of the year. In addition to our annual conference and thanks to sponsor financial support, LIWOCA has awarded over $300,000 in scholarships to women law students throughout the country.