Black Women Lawyers Still Sparsely Seen at Federal Circuit

Brittany Amadi, a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, has never had a case at the Federal Circuit where the attorney arguing on the other side was Black.

Amadi has been counsel in over two dozen cases at the appeals court. In the year she clerked for Judge Timothy B. Dyk, she said she doesn’t remember seeing one Black attorney argue before the court.

“Even just for women in general, it’s pretty rare,” Amadi said, “except for where someone was arguing on behalf of the government.”

Fewer than 20% of attorneys arguing in front of the US ...