Attorney Singleton McAllister was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 25, 1952. Her mother, Ann Hughes, was a teacher, and her father, James, an attorney. McAllister attended the University of Maryland, where she earned her B.A. in government and politics in 1975. In 1980 she attended Howard University as a graduate student in political science with focuses in international relations and public administration. McAllister then attended the Howard University School of Law, earning her J.D. degree in 1984.
In 1975, McAllister began her professional career as a legislative assistant to U.S. Representative Parren J. Mitchell of Maryland. She left Mitchell’s offices in 1978 to become assistant director of the lobbying group, TransAfrica. The following year, she returned to Congress as the...