From HBCU
to Esquire
How Historically Black Colleges and Universities Shaped Legal Leaders and Their Paths to Success.
A powerful new anthology celebrating lawyers shaped by HBCUs.
Edited by Evangeline M. Mitchell, Esq., Ed.M.
About the Upcoming Book
A 2027 Book Project Honoring HBCU Legal Excellence
From HBCU to Esquire is an upcoming anthology that will bring together the stories of accomplished attorneys whose educational journeys were shaped by HBCUs.
Through real-life profiles and personal reflections, this book will highlight how HBCU environments helped cultivate resilience, confidence, leadership, purpose, mentorship, academic preparation, professional direction, and a strong sense of identity.
This project is designed to preserve, celebrate, and share the stories of HBCU-educated lawyers whose journeys can inspire future generations.
Why This Book Matters
The Story of HBCUs and Legal Leadership Deserves to Be Told
For generations, Historically Black Colleges and Universities have helped shape lawyers, judges, advocates, scholars, entrepreneurs, policymakers, educators, and changemakers across the country.
Yet many of these stories have not been collected, honored, and shared in one place.
From HBCU to Esquire will document the personal journeys of attorneys who were shaped by HBCU communities and who now carry that legacy into the legal profession and beyond.
What the Book Will Feature
Real Stories. Real Journeys. Real Impact.
The book will feature HBCU-educated lawyers reflecting on:
Their path from HBCU student to attorney
How their HBCU experience shaped their confidence and identity
Mentors, professors, classmates, and communities that influenced them
Lessons learned while preparing for law school
Experiences navigating law school and the legal profession
How HBCUs helped prepare them for leadership, service, and advocacy
Advice for aspiring lawyers and future legal leaders
Legal Career Paths Represented
Stories Across the Legal Profession
Contributors may represent a wide range of legal careers, including:
Who This Book Is For
This Book Is Being Created For
Whether you attended an HBCU or simply value the role HBCUs continue to play in developing leaders, this book will offer meaningful insight into the impact of HBCU education on the legal profession.
Choose Your Path
There Are Two Ways to Connect With This Project
Be Considered for the Book
Are you an attorney whose path was shaped by an HBCU through undergraduate education, law school, or both? We are now accepting submissions for inclusion in From HBCU to Esquire.
Receive Book Updates
Want to know when the book is available? Join the updates list to receive project updates, release announcements, and information on how to support and share the book when it launches in 2027.
Call for Contributors
Now Accepting Submissions from HBCU-Educated Lawyers
Attorneys who attended an HBCU for undergrad, law school, or both are invited to submit their stories.
There are no “right” answers. Your lived experience is the heart of this project.
Contributors are encouraged to share thoughtfully and authentically about their educational journey, legal path, lessons learned, and the impact of HBCUs on their development.
Estimated time
45–60 minutes
Save & return
You can save and resume anytime
Interest List
Join the Book Updates List
Not submitting a profile, but interested in the book? Receive occasional updates about the project, release timeline, launch announcements, and ways to support the book when it becomes available.
About the Editor
Meet the Editor
Evangeline M. Mitchell, Esq., Ed.M.
Editor · Attorney · Social Entrepreneur
Evangeline M. Mitchell, Esq., Ed.M. is an attorney, educator, author, mentor, and social entrepreneur who has spent more than two decades helping aspiring lawyers gain access to information, strategy, mentorship, and opportunity.
She is the founder of the National Black Pre-Law Conference and Law Fair, the National HBCU Pre-Law Summit and Law Expo, and HBCUPreLaw.com.
A graduate of Prairie View A&M University, the University of Iowa College of Law, and Harvard Graduate School of Education, she has dedicated much of her life’s work to expanding access to legal education and helping future lawyers believe that they belong, prepare strategically, and move forward with confidence.
Final Message
The Legacy Continues
HBCUs have long helped cultivate generations of legal leaders whose impact continues to shape communities, institutions, and the future of the profession.
From HBCU to Esquire will honor those journeys and preserve stories that deserve to be remembered, shared, and passed forward.
The legacy matters.
The stories matter.
Releasing 2027