(Editor’s note: This is the 43rd installment in a monthly series speaking with minority business owners and leaders. Each will be asked their views on minority-business conditions in the state and for ways to improve those businesses’ chances for success. See previous installments here.)
There is a misconception prevalent outside of legal circles that criminal defense attorneys are seen as a sanctuary of trust for those accused of crimes, their only saviors from a prison sentence.
But many defendants facing a judge, particularly racial minorities, distrust lawyers as much as the police who arrested them, feeling they’re part of an elite world from which they’ve been shunned, and could never truly understand their personal circumstances, says attorney Noah J. Kilroy.
But what if a criminal defense lawyer could honestly say to a client, “I know exactly what you’re going through”?
Kilroy can say that.
Today, Kilroy works from a law office high above Dorrance Street in downtown Providence, one of the three offices of Kilroy Law Firm, which he founded in 2015.
Kilroy is an example of the adage that it’s never too late to turn it all around. A one-time drug dealer, he was arrested in 2002 by federal authorities in Florida while attempting to transport $250,000 worth of cocaine north on a Greyhound bus.
Prosecuted under the major kingpin statute, Kilroy faced decades in federal prison but was released after serving 18 months when it was determined his co-defendant had made false statements about him to authorities.
Given a second chance, Kilroy first enrolled at the Community College of Rhode Island before transferring to Salve Regina University in Newport, the city where he was raised by his adoptive parents. From there, he enrolled at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law for one year and then moved back to Rhode Island to complete his law degree at Roger Williams University School of Law.
After passing the bar exam in 2013, he took a position as an attorney in the Providence solicitor’s office.
Kilroy’s experience seeing both sides of the law has provided him with an advantage in a legal system in which over 80% of his clients are racial minorities.
“New clients are comfortable hiring me not only because I’m a minority but because I’ve had contact with the criminal justice system,” Kilroy said. “There is a big trust factor in that. When someone brings it up, I say, ‘This is who I was.’ It will always be a part of me and has helped in the work that I do and helped me to be sensitive to those that I serve.”
Kilroy also co-founded the nonprofit Transcending Through Education Foundation, which helps convicts attain higher education, provides scholarships to incarcerated people, pairs them with mentors and runs workshops on how to apply to law schools with a criminal record.
While not a definitive aspect of his current life, Kilroy said that bias occasionally rears its head.
“I have some clients that tell me they chose me because of the color of my skin,” he said. “And I’ve had some clients that choose not to go with me because I don’t look like them.”
1. Do you believe racism is keeping minorities from starting businesses in the Ocean State or succeeding when they do? Not in my personal experience. I don’t think it affects the ability to succeed. There are resources out there. I think it’s more a matter of exposure. There could be more done to raise awareness.
2. How dependent is your business on the support of other minority groups? Is that a sustainable business model? My law firm does mostly criminal defense work. The overwhelming number of clients that I have or who are impacted by the criminal justice system are minorities. I am reliant on the minority community. It’s not something I’m proud of. It’s just something that is. It’s just a fact. I don’t get to pick my clients.
But generally speaking, business is booming for the criminal justice system. We in the United States incarcerate at a higher rate than most countries. As a general practice, you want to cast your net widely. Relying on one cohort is not sustainable in the long term. The system today disproportionately impacts minorities. I try and cater to other groups. But I’m also a minority business owner. So, there is that comfort level.
3. What one thing could Rhode Island do to boost the odds for minority-owned business success? Raising awareness about these organizations. Rhode Island can probably do a better job at helping minorities and minority business owners know there are resources and grants out there. Sometimes I wonder if there is a racial connection between some institutions and their lack of [prioritizing] outreach. It’s a good question.
4. Have you had to turn somewhere other than a bank for a loan? Do you believe the state’s lending institutions generally treat minorities fairly? No. I’m lucky enough that I haven’t had to turn somewhere other than a bank. But I agree that some institutions treat minorities unfairly. Look at [The Washington Trust Co.] redlining settlement. I was blown away. It was disappointing to read that still happens.
But it’s good to know the U.S. Department of Justice is policing that. As long as there is a policing of it, hopefully that will deter other institutions from doing the same.
5. If another minority entrepreneur asked you where they could turn to for support for their business, where would you direct them? One is the Rhode Island Black Business Association. They have workshops to help minority entrepreneurs raise money and access capital, provide other types of mentorship and educational courses in financial literacy and other things.
[For aspiring lawyers], the Pro Bono Collaborative at Roger Williams University is an organization that offers legal services and pairs law students and attorneys with community organizations, completely free of charge.
And there are other institutions that are doing great work like the Rhode Island Foundation.
