FEB 01, 2025
Bar Associations as Historical Champions of Civil Rights: A Legacy of Leadership
In light of a recent executive order from the Trump administration that specifically calls for federal agencies to identify “up to nine entities for possible civil compliance investigations, including large nonprofits and state and local bar associations”, it’s crucial to reflect on the historic role bar associations have played in advancing justice and equality.
Pioneering Civil Rights Cases
New York City Bar Association’s Leadership
- The New York City Bar came out in strong support of seminal civil rights legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was the first bar association in the country to host Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 21, 1965, Dr. King gave an address, “The Civil Rights Struggle in the United States Today,” at the House of the Association to a record crowd The Civil Rights Movement and the City Bar | New York City Bar Association.
- The New York City Bar Association Committee on Federal Legislation and Committee on the Bill of Rights took action by releasing a report urging prompt enactment of the Administration’s Voting Rights Bill with strengthening amendments.
National Bar Association’s Impact
- The National Bar Association’s members were instrumental in challenging racial discrimination through groundbreaking legal cases from the 1920s through the 1950s. R.D. Evans made history in 1919 by bringing the first case in Waco, Texas, challenging the Democratic Party’s exclusion of “colored people” from election primaries. Distinguished attorneys like the Honorable James A. Cobb, T. Gillis Nutter, and Ashbie Hawkins fought landmark segregation cases in Louisville and tackled discriminatory housing covenants in Washington, D.C. The NBA’s commitment to justice was further demonstrated when attorneys S.D. McGill, R.P. Crawford, and J.L. Lewis fought to stay executions in the notable “Four Pompano Boys” case in Florida HISTORY | National Bar Association.
Women’s Bar Association: Championing Gender Equality
The Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia (WBA) has been at the forefront of advancing women’s rights through various initiatives:
- Property Rights: The WBA led historic efforts to secure property rights for women
- Equal Rights Amendment: The organization has been a consistent champion of the ERA
- Education and Healthcare: WBA members advocated for compulsory education, reduction of child labor, and funding to reduce maternal mortality in D.C.
- Voting Rights: The organization fought for D.C. residents’ suffrage rights, recognizing that their members, despite winning the right to vote as women, remained disenfranchised as D.C. residents
- Although many activists left the women’s movement after the passage of woman suffrage, the WBA sponsored a bill for gender parity in inheritance laws introduced in Congress in the late 1920s.
- American Bar Association’s Endorsement of the Equal Rights Amendment: In October 2024, the ABA adopted a resolution endorsing the Equal Rights Amendment, aiming to ensure equality of rights under the law, regardless of sex.
- June 1, 2022 – The Bar Association of San Francisco and San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu announced the launch of the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights. The Alliance is a volunteer effort by law firms that intend to provide free legal services to those affected by Roe v. Wade, causing women in many states to lose their rights to reproductive justice. Currently, over 20 law firms have joined the Legal Alliance for Reproductive Rights.
Why This Matters Now
The urgency of defending civil rights through bar associations has never been more apparent. President Trump’s recent executive order specifically targets bar associations for investigation, characterizing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as “dangerous, demeaning and immoral race- and sex-based preferences.” This direct challenge to bar associations’ diversity efforts comes at a time when multiple ABA diversity programs are already under scrutiny, including its judicial clerkship program and CLE diversity policies.
Call to Action
As we face unprecedented challenges to diversity and inclusion initiatives, the legal community must draw inspiration from these historical examples of courage and persistence. The ongoing work of modern bar associations demonstrates the crucial role these organizations play in advancing civil rights. Here’s what you can do:
- Begin a committee at your local bar association to start a phone or writing drive to your local congresspeople.
- Support current bar association initiatives for equality and justice.
- Reach out to local non-profits and inquire about pro-bono opportunities.
I will leave you with a powerful quote from Dr. King’s speech at the New York City Bar Association in 1965. “You have many enthusiastic friends and admirers in this audience… your profession should be proud of its contributions. You should be aware, as indeed I am, that the road to freedom is now a highway because lawyers throughout the land, yesterday and today, have helped clear the obstructions, have helped eliminate roadblocks, by their selfless, courageous espousal of difficult and unpopular causes.”
Our law firm is committed to advancing civil liberties and human rights and offering resistance to any administration attempting to curtail or eliminate our constitutional freedoms. We invite our colleagues to join us in this ongoing commitment to justice, equality, and human dignity, following in the footsteps of those who, throughout history, have used their legal expertise to fight for positive change.
Please subscribe to this blog to receive email alerts when new posts go up.