The disparity in the numbers of African-American students admitted to higher education institutions, particularly law school, as compared to Caucasian students or even minorities is staggering.  African- Americans make up approximately 13% of the U.S. Population, but less than 7% of the nation’s law students.  There are several factors which can contribute to this disparity; the overall lower percentage of African-Americans in higher education, the increased dependence on “standardized” test scores, and Supreme Court decisions in the last decade which have had a chilling effect on affirmative action programs.  But amidst all the statistics, a factor often overlooked that may affect the number of African-American applications to law schools significantly is the degree to which such applicants feel welcomed and included in law school and the legal profession.  This factor often seems to be glaringly absent or even worse–law school is a hostile environment for African-American students.  An example of this was recently splashed all over the media – the incident involving Harvard third year law student Stephanie Grace’s email blast confirming and reiterating her opinion that it is possible “African-Americans are, on average, genetically predisposed to be less intelligent.” Grace’s statement is only one example of how a law school can be made hostile and unwelcome to  African-American students and students of color in general.   Continued advocacy in the area of education diversity, anti-discrimination and permitted affirmative action programs is essential and public interest law programs and attorneys are uniquely positioned to carry it out.  Programs and attorneys can conduct direct advocacy such as assisting minority students to avoid expulsion or receive necessary special education services so that they may matriculate properly.  They can also do outreach events where minority students are introduced to the legal profession and given the opportunity to talk to and connect with a diverse set of attorneys.  Advocacy efforts in these areas can help to combat the many obstacles that minority and particularly African-American students face when considering law school.