about wblaa
The Wisconsin Black Law Alumni Association (WBLAA) was formed in 1998 by members of that year’s law school graduating class. The organization was formed to provide scholarships and financial assistance to Black American first-year law students attending the University of Wisconsin Law School.
WBLAA was founded based on the admonition of the late Charles Hamilton Houston that individuals and particularly black attorneys be social architects and have a responsibility to reach back and give back.
The mission of the organization is simple: to provide financial support to first-year law students and networking opportunities for University of Wisconsin Law School graduates.
In 2022, WBLAA partnered with the University of Wisconsin Foundation to create a scholarship fund and subsequent endowment. The UW Foundation manages the fund, and the UW Law School awards the scholarships. The fund is currently a callable fund that collects contributions towards paying our two scholarships. Once the fund’s balance reaches $25,000, the fund will automatically convert to an endowment. As an endowment, the fund will pay both scholarships into perpetuity.