Message from the President

Embracing the Legacy, Honoring the Commitment to Serve the Community. This is the Washington Bar Association's theme for the current bar year. It is meant to recognize the significant contributions made by our founders and their successors. At the same time, it is a reminder to our current members that as one of the premier voluntary bar associations in Washington, D.C. , we will continue to honor the organization's commitment of service to the community.

When the Washington Bar Association was founded in 1925, Black attorneys were denied admission to the voluntary white bar associations. As an organization, we have always been dedicated to the principle of "equal justice under law."  The WBA has consistently served as an advocate for African-American lawyers and for causes of interest to the African-American community. Over the years, our members have contributed significantly to the legal fabric and fiber of the Washington, D.C. community and to the diversification of the judiciary, academia, law firms, corporate organizations and government agencies.

The Washington Bar Association's embrace of the legacy left by our predecessors, includes annual events such as the Ollie May Cooper Award Program/Founders' Lecture Series (held in October) and the Law Day Banquet at which the Charles Hamilton Houston Medallion of Merit is awarded each year. The Washington Bar Association's commitment of service to community this year is evident in the programs we currently sponsor..  Those programs include, but are not limited to, the WBA Book Club, which has a reading program in a local elementary school; the annual Law Fair where WBA members with different legal expertise meet with members of the community to try to provide guidance with respect to a variety of legal issues and the annual Career Fair, which prepares law students to compete in our profession by providing them with resume and interview tips and internship opportunities. 

We invite your participation in our bar association. In addition to the general membership, the WBA has an active Judicial Council and Young Lawyers' Division, both of which are integral parts of our association. As you will see from their respective pages on this site, they sponsor and host a number of events throughout the year, all of which help to provide rich and rewarding experiences for our members and the community at large.

We welcome your participation in the WBA.  On this website, you will find a list of events and committees that provide wonderful opportunities to get involved.  Please consider becoming a member. We also hope you will attend our events throughout the year.

Ronald C. Jessamy, Sr.
President