Diddy Adds Black Female Lawyer to His Team as Jury Selection Continues

Diddy has added a second Black attorney to his team of legal eagles ... because he just hired Nicole Westmoreland to work with his seven other lawyers to try to get him acquitted at his federal trial in NYC.

Westmoreland will work alongside another Black attorney, Xavier Robert Donaldson, and Diddy's leading trial lawyers Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, who are both white.

Having two African American lawyers on Diddy's legal team is an interesting move, considering that his camp pointed to race as a major factor in what they say is a federal takedown of a rich, successful Black man.

Diddy's other attorneys are Brian Steel, Alexandra Shapiro, Jason Driscoll and Anna Estevao. Heavy-hitter Mark Geragos is also set to play a major role in the rapper's legal case ... and he's already been a contentious background factor in the proceedings on day one of jury selection yesterday.

TMZ broke the news that Diddy’s legal team was on the hunt for a Black female attorney -- and Nicole's addition won't just be for optics, 'cause they were hunting for someone who could bring some real legal firepower to what's shaping up to be a seriously tough battle.

Nicole is joining the squad following the exit of Anthony Ricco, who bailed back in February. So, with the two stepping in, Diddy’s bringing some diversity back into the mix.

Speaking of diversity ... it's worth noting that the whole prosecution team is white -- unclear if feds will seek to change that before the trial gets into full swing.

Looks like Diddy and his team are doubling down on claims of racial bias -- with his attorney Mark straight-up saying it in our doc, "TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy: His Defense," streaming for free now on Tubi.

The doc also features a mock jury that deliberates and votes -- and some jurors point to race as a key factor, so catch it to hear their take on that front.