Founded in 1978, the, then, Black and Latino Law Alumni Association (BLLAA), was established with the support of the Black Allied Law Students Association (BALSA), the student organization. When created, the goals its visionaries sought to achieve were threefold:
• To increase admissions for students of color at NYU Law;
• To serve as a resource for current students of color, as an external influence at that law school and a source of financial support;
• To maintain a close knit community among alumni of color and preserve the relationships that were established as students.
FOUNDING MEMBERS
Honorable Barry Cozier ’75
Ruth Gordon ’80
Joanne Johnson ’79
Wendy Scott ’80
Honorable Barry Stevens ’78
Honorable Betty Staton ’79
Ruth Gordon ’80
Joanne Johnson ’79
Wendy Scott ’80
Honorable Barry Stevens ’78
Honorable Betty Staton ’79
INAUGURAL LEADERSHIP TEAM
Joseph B. Armstrong ’69
Honorable Antonio Brandveen ’72
Wilfredo “Freddy” Caraballo ’74
Robbie Dix III ’70
Raymond Durand, Jr. ’72
Gilbert Holmes ’72
Kenneth B. James ’73
Charles “Charlie” Tejada ’73
Ronald Travis ’72
Honorable Antonio Brandveen ’72
Wilfredo “Freddy” Caraballo ’74
Robbie Dix III ’70
Raymond Durand, Jr. ’72
Gilbert Holmes ’72
Kenneth B. James ’73
Charles “Charlie” Tejada ’73
Ronald Travis ’72
Other alumni of color, who were elder statesmen, served as resources and support of BLLAA:
• Honorable Fritz W. Alexander II LLB ’51
• Honorable David Edwards LLB ’48
• Honorable Elrich Eastman ’LLB 46
AS WE EVOLVED
When it expanded its membership in the 1980s, the organization changed its name to the Black, Latino, Asian Pacific American Law Alumni Association—affectionately referred to as BLAPA.
LACA TODAY
In 2016, the organization was once again renamed as a means of being more wholly inclusive of all of its members. Today, the organization carries the name the Law Alumni of Color Association (LACA) and serves as the umbrella organization of all of NYU Law’s alumni of color.