The National Bar Association (NBA) was founded in 1925 and is the nation's oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges. It represents the interests of approximately 67,000 lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students. The NBA is organized around 26 substantive law sections, 10 divisions, 12 regions, and numerous affiliate chapters throughout the United States and around the world. Centennial President Wiley Adams is the 82nd president to lead the organization. He will be followed by President-Elect Ashley L. Upkins.

Structure and activities

The National Bar Association (NBA) is governed by a Board of Governors, mostly elected from the membership but also including NBA's officers and representatives of groups such as the NBA's Divisions. The National Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, represents the new members of the legal profession, and membership is open to NBA members who have been admitted to practice for less than 10 years or are under 40 years old. The association has several affiliate chapters located throughout the United States, including The Cook County Bar Association, The Barristers' Association of Philadelphia, the California Association of Black Lawyers, the Washington Bar Association, the Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter National Bar Association, the Garden State Bar Association, the Black Women Lawyers Association of Northern California, and the Metropolitan Black Bar Association. The National Bar Institute (NBI) is the philanthropic arm of the NBA, founded in 1982. The association has established an annual award in honor of the late Louisiana State Representative Pinkie C. Wilkerson of Grambling—the "Pinkie C. Wilkerson Outstanding State Legislator of the Year Award". The NBA offers a job listing service as well as advertising in its magazine to assist employers seeking to conduct affirmative action outreach toward minority job applicants. The Women's Lawyers Division (WLD) of the National Bar Association (NBA) was established in 1972 as a dedicated group to address the unique issues and challenges faced by women in the legal profession. The division aims to support the professional development, mentorship, and networking of its members, primarily African-American women lawyers, judges, and law students. The WLD provides various programs, including the "We Empower Mentoring Program," which pairs mentees with experienced mentors to help guide them through their legal careers. This program also awards stipends to mentees for attending the NBA Annual Convention.

History

The National Bar Association was established in 1925 as the "Negro Bar Association" after Gertrude Rush, George H. Woodson, S. Joe Brown, James B. Morris, and Charles P. Howard Sr., were denied membership in the American Bar Association. The young Charles Hamilton Houston, future dean of Howard University Law School, also helped with the founding. Its first president was George H. Woodson of Des Moines, Iowa. Arnette Hubbard became the NBA's first female president in 1981. In 1940, the NBA attempted to establish "free legal clinics in all cities with a colored population of 5,000 or more." Its members supported litigation that achieved a US Supreme Court ruling that defendants had to be provided with legal counsel. In 2010, the NBA partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau to work toward a complete and accurate count of the nation's population through various outreach activities.

Affiliates

Alabama

Arkansas

California

District of Columbia

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Illinois

Indiana

Kentucky

Louisiana

Massachusetts

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Mississippi

New Jersey

New Mexico

Nevada

New York

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Tennessee

Texas

Virginia

Washington