The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40
The National Black Lawyers is a private, invitation-only professional association recognizing elite African American attorneys across two tiers (Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40), offering networking, case referrals, CLE webinars, and recognition events across 44 states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersDothan, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 does
The National Black Lawyers is a private, invitation-only professional membership association that recognizes and connects elite African American attorneys across the United States. The organization operates two tiers of membership—Top 100 (for senior, accomplished attorneys) and Top 40 Under 40 (for emerging leaders under age 40)—with prospective members nominated by peers and vetted through third-party research evaluating reputation, achievements, certifications, and leadership. It is operated by Legal Associations Management, Inc., a corporation headquartered in Dothan, Alabama, and led by its first Executive Director, Annamaria Steward, Esq.
The organization's core products are membership recognition and a suite of member services built around the Connect.law proprietary portal, the NBL Hub for member-to-member case exchanges, and the NBL Academy webinar platform for professional development and CLE credits. Additional offerings include regional and national networking events (Town Halls, SIDEBARS, receptions), an annual Hall of Fame seated dinner held each January during the Trial Lawyers Summit, a public-facing searchable member directory across 44 states and 82 practice areas, and two monthly newsletters ("The National"). The technology stack is functional but not technically differentiated: it relies on third-party platform Connect.law for member portal infrastructure rather than proprietary AI or matching technology.
The business model is subscription-based, with annual membership dues of $325 ($300 with auto-renew enrollment) generating recurring revenue. Ancillary revenue streams include event tickets, recognition products (framed certificates, badges), and CLE conference transactions. Members are individual attorneys distributed nationally, and the organization operates as a capital-light association without external funding, venture capital backing, or parent company control.
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40
- Legal name
- Legal Associations Management, Inc.
- Website
- https://nbltop100.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- The National Black Lawyers is a private, invitation-only professional association recognizing elite African American attorneys across two tiers (Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40), offering networking, case referrals, CLE webinars, and recognition events across 44 states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Legal Association Services
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (813920)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)
Keywords
Where The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dothan
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership dues of $325 per member ($300 with auto-renew enrollment) for both Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 tiers. This is the primary recurring revenue stream.
- Recognition Products: Sale of recognition items and products such as framed certificates, badges, and commemorative materials for members seeking tangible proof of their achievement.
- Event Tickets and Discounts: NBL members practicing civil plaintiff or criminal defense receive discounts to 9 CLE Conferences. Additional revenue from event tickets for networking events and Hall of Fame dinner.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Top 100 Annual Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Top 100 with Auto-Renew |
| Subscription | Annual | Top 40 Under 40 Annual Membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The National Black Lawyers is an invitation-only professional development and networking association comprised of the top African American attorneys across the country, organized into two tiers: Top 100 (senior distinguished attorneys) and Top 40 Under 40 (emerging leaders under 40). Members pay annual dues of $325 in exchange for national recognition, access to the Connect.law member portal and NBL Hub for case referrals, NBL Academy webinars with CLE credits, networking events including Town Halls and SIDEBARS, monthly newsletters, and discounts to 9 CLE Conferences for civil plaintiff and criminal defense practitioners. The organization also maintains a public Member Directory that serves as a referral resource connecting the public with member attorneys.
Product overview
The National Black Lawyers is a professional membership organization offering an invitation-only network of African American attorneys across two tiers: Top 100 (senior elite attorneys) and Top 40 Under 40 (emerging leaders under 40). The organization provides a suite of member services including NBL Academy (webinars with CLE credits), a Member Portal on connect.law for networking and referrals, Networking Events (regional receptions and national gatherings), the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and a searchable Member Directory. Monthly newsletters keep members informed of legal news and opportunities. The organization does not offer software products or technology platforms; its offerings are professional development, networking, and recognition services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NBL Academy: Webinars led by current members focused on timely issues of particular importance to African American lawyers' professional and personal growth.
- NBL Hub
- NBL Hall of Fame
Products and services
- Top 100 Membership Invitation-only annual membership recognition program ($325/year; $300/year with auto-renew) for the top African American attorneys across the country. Members receive national recognition, access to the Connect.law portal and NBL Hub, monthly newsletters, NBL Academy webinars, networking events (Town Halls, SIDEBARS, receptions), and discounts to 9 CLE Conferences for civil plaintiff and criminal defense practitioners.
- Top 40 Under 40 Membership Invitation-only annual membership recognition program ($325/year) for African American attorneys under 40 with superior leadership, reputation, influence, and stature. Includes the same benefits as the Top 100 tier: national recognition, Connect.law portal access, NBL Hub case referrals, monthly newsletters, NBL Academy webinars, networking events, and CLE conference discounts.
- NBL Academy Professional development webinar platform led by current members, focused on timely issues important to African American lawyers' professional and personal growth. Webinars provide expert-led content and are tied to CLE credits for civil plaintiff and criminal defense practitioners.
- Networking Events Regional and national in-person receptions, Town Halls, and SIDEBARS that enable members to connect with top African American lawyers across practice areas, interact with attorneys against whom they may have litigated, and expand their national networks. Includes access to 9 CLE Conferences with member discounts.
- NBL Hall of Fame Annual seated dinner (held in January during the Trial Lawyers Summit) recognizing and celebrating living African American legal stalwarts who have made significant contributions to the legal profession.
Quantifiable outcome
- 44 states covered with local expertise
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Connect.law PlatformcoreThe Connect.law platform is the primary digital infrastructure for member networking, case referrals, discussion groups, and professional opportunity postings. It serves as the exclusive member portal for The National Black Lawyers, enabling members to connect nationally, participate in forums, and access resources. All membership communications and new member announcements flow through this system.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- American Bar Association: The ABA is the largest voluntary professional association of attorneys in the U.S. with hundreds of thousands of members. While not minority-focused, it competes with NBL for members' attention, dues dollars, and CLE consumption, and operates section-based affinity programming that overlaps with NBL's offerings.
- Chambers and Partners: Chambers produces the leading research-driven legal rankings used by corporate clients for attorney selection. While targeting larger-firm partners, its research-driven inclusion methodology parallels NBL's peer nomination + third-party research process and targets overlapping high-end practitioners.
- Best Lawyers (U.S. News & World Report): Best Lawyers is the oldest and most established peer-reviewed legal recognition directory, integrated with U.S. News rankings. Both Best Lawyers and NBL curate invited-list-style recognition directories aimed at helping clients find top attorneys, with overlapping value propositions to listed members.
- Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters): Super Lawyers is the leading peer-review-driven legal recognition listing that selects attorneys across practice areas and publishes state-level directories. It overlaps with NBL's Top 100 ranking methodology and competes for recognition-related mind share among elite attorneys and client referrals.
- National Lawyers Guild: The National Lawyers Guild is an older, progressive legal association with a membership of attorneys, legal workers, and law students organized around political and social values. It is a comparable mission-driven legal membership organization but with a different ideological focus than NBL's professional recognition approach.
Direct peers
- Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA): HNBA is a national membership organization for Hispanic legal professionals that mirrors NBL's role in recognizing and connecting top minority attorneys. Both fill the same structural gap: building a national referral network for a community historically underrepresented in major legal directories.
- National Native American Bar Association: The National Native American Bar Association represents another racial/ethnic affinity bar association with a similar mission of supporting and connecting minority attorneys. Comparable in scope and exclusivity approach to NBL, though smaller in scale.
- National Bar Association: Founded in 1925, the National Bar Association is the largest network of African American attorneys and legal professionals in the U.S. It is the most direct comparable to NBL — both are membership organizations serving Black lawyers, though NBA is broader and older while NBL is invitation-only and recognition-focused.
- National LGBT Bar Association: The National LGBT Bar Association (formerly the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association) is an affinity bar association analogous to NBL. Both serve as national recognition and networking platforms for attorneys from underrepresented communities in the legal profession.
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA): NAPABA is the leading membership organization for Asian Pacific American attorneys, operating a parallel affinity-networking model similar to NBL. Both organizations serve as recognition and referral networks for high-performing minority attorneys across the U.S.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 social profiles
Digital presenceThe National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40
What does The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 do?
The National Black Lawyers is an invitation-only professional development and networking association comprised of the top African American attorneys across the country, organized into two tiers: Top 100 (senior distinguished attorneys) and Top 40 Under 40 (emerging leaders under 40). Members pay annual dues of $325 in exchange for national recognition, access to the Connect.law member portal and NBL Hub for case referrals, NBL Academy webinars with CLE credits, networking events including Town Halls and SIDEBARS, monthly newsletters, and discounts to 9 CLE Conferences for civil plaintiff and criminal defense practitioners. The organization also maintains a public Member Directory that serves as a referral resource connecting the public with member attorneys.
Is The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 a public or private company?
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 founded?
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 was founded in -1. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 based?
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 is headquartered in Dothan, United States, in the North America region.
How does The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are recognition Products and event Tickets and Discounts.
Who are The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are American Bar Association, Chambers and Partners, Best Lawyers (U.S. News & World Report), Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) and National Lawyers Guild. Direct peers are Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), National Native American Bar Association, National Bar Association, National LGBT Bar Association and National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA).
Does The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 have an API?
No public API is recorded for The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40.
What industry is The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40 in?
The National Black Lawyers Top 100 and Top 40 Under 40's product category is Professional Legal Association Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAFAC, Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAGAFAB, Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations. Its NAICS code is 813920 and its SIC code is 8600.