Table of Contents
- The WBA 2023-2024 Board of Directors Thank You for Your Continued Support!
- Membership Dues
- Thanks for your support
- WBA Upcoming Events
- Celebration of Life Details for the Honorable Judge Arthur L. Burnett, Sr
- Additional Events & Opportunities
- Job and Mentorship Program Opportunities
- DC Refers
- Thank you to our sponsors!
Thanks for your Support!
WBA Upcoming Events

In Honor of Women’s History Month
The WBA presents Presidential Fireside Chat with the Chief Judges: Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby and Honorable Anita Josey-Herring
When: March 13, 2024 (6pm-8pm)
Where: Goodwin Procter, LLP
(1900 N Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036)
In honor of Women’s History Month, please join us for an insightful program featuring two dynamic women at the helm of their respective Courts – the Honorable Anna Blackburne-Rigsby and the Honorable Anita Josey-Herring. They will share their unique journeys, challenges, and triumphs.
RSVP Below
The Washington Bar Association, Inc. is partnering with the DC Bar Pro Bono Center’s Advice & Referral Clinic
Volunteer to assist with providing free legal advice on D.C. and federal civil matters.
Saturday, March 23, 2024
Bread for the City
700 Marion Barry Avenue SE, Washington, D.C. 20020
10:00AM – 12:00PM
The only requirement is that the lawyer be licensed and in good standing in at least 1 U.S. jurisdiction.
Save the Date!
2024 Annual Law Day Dinner
Saturday, May 4, 2024
6:30PM – 10:00PM
Salamander Washington D.C.
Please join the Washington Bar Association, Inc. (WBA) and the Washington Bar Association Educational Foundation, Inc. (WBAEF) for our signature black-tie event – the Annual Law Day Dinner – on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at the Salamander Washington D.C., located at 1330 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024, beginning at 6:30 in the evening.
The highlight of the Annual Law Day Dinner is the conferral of the highly coveted Charles Hamilton Houston Medallion of Merit – the Washington Bar Association, Inc.’s highest honor – on the prestigious honorees of the evening, who, through their life’s work, have consistently demonstrated a commitment to Houstonian principles.
Our 2024 recipients of the prestigious Charles Hamilton Houston Medallion of Merit are Valerie Jarrett, former Senior Advisor to United States President Barack H. Obama, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of the Barack Obama Foundation, Board Chair of Civic Nation, and Co-Chair of the United States of Women, and another surprise history-making honoree. These remarkable trailblazers have distinguished careers that have exemplified stellar leadership, a firm commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession, and dedication to our organization’s mission of “Equal Justice Under Law.”
The 2024 Law Day Dinner promises to be an incredible evening of legal excellence that you will not want to miss. The event will begin with a VIP cocktail reception for sponsors, dignitaries, and other distinguished guests. The program and a formal dinner will follow, and the event will conclude with our much-anticipated dessert reception and live entertainment.
Sponsorships and individual tickets may be purchased at the link below or the WBA’s website (www.washingtonbar.org). If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the 2024 Law Day Dinner Chair, Henry E. Floyd, Jr., at HFloydEsq@gmail.com.
Thank you for your support of the Washington Bar Association, Inc. and the Washington Bar Association Educational Foundation, Inc. We look forward to seeing you at the Salamander on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at 6:30 p.m.
2024 Annual Conference

Celebration of Life Details for the
Honorable Judge Arthur L. Burnett, Sr.

Judge Arthur L. Burnett, Sr. (Retired) was a tireless advocate for civil rights and equality, and was a trailblazer in the legal community. Amongst his many accomplishments, Judge Burnett, Sr. was appointed as the First African American United States Magistrate Judge in the United States on June 26, 1969. His countless and extraordinary contributions stretch from his work as a Legal Advisor for the United States Civil Service System, a legal advisor to the President of the United States on all civil service and personnel laws, as one of the President’s chief representatives in dealing with all bills pending before Congress, and as a United States Magistrate Judge and Associate Judge in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Judge Burnett, Sr. was an active and contributing member of The Washington Bar Association, Inc. (WBA) and recipient of one of the highest awards and honors bestowed by the WBA – the Ollie May Cooper Award – and was a prominent member of the WBA Hall of Fame.
Below are the details for Judge Arthur L. Burnett, Sr.’s Celebration of Life
Wake: Friday, March 15, 2024 (1:00pm – 4:00pm) at St John’s Church, Lafayette Square, 1525 H St NW Washington, DC 20005
Funeral Mass: Saturday, March 16th, 2024 (11:00am – 12:00pm) at Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament Church, 5949 Western Ave NW Washington, DC 20015
Service and Repast: Saturday, March 16th, 2024 (1:00pm – 3:00pm) at Howard University School of Divinity, 2900 Van Ness Street NW, Washington, DC
Additional Opportunities

Broadening Your Social Interest To Benefit Your Professional Networking
Saturday, March 30th – 7:00pm – 11:00pm
The Hierarchy is an organization that aims to enhance diverse male professionals through networking and fellowship. This year, the organization is hosting an event to enhance the knowledge of diverse male professionals in various social networking areas throughout the Washington, D.C. area.
The event will feature the following stations:
- Strengthening your wine tasting skills
- Enhancing the knowledge of selecting and cutting a cigar
- Styling the male suit w/ Mr. Miguel Wilson
- Learning the game of chess and how it relates to life
- Elevating your poker skills

DC Refers
DC Refers was created to increase access to justice for people of modest means in the District of Columbia. Many people in the District of Columbia earn too much to qualify for free legal services from pro bono lawyers or nonprofit legal aid providers, but do not earn enough to afford the rates that most lawyers charge for their services. People whose income falls between 200-400% of the federal poverty guidelines often have limited or no option to obtain legal assistance. We seek to fill that justice gap.
DC Refers invites lawyers with at least two years of experience in their practice area to apply to join our online directory of reduced fee lawyers. Attorneys who join our directory are not required to accept any particular client referral. But if they do accept a client who qualifies for a reduced rate, the lawyer may not charge the client more than $150 per hour. Of course, clients who do not qualify for a reduced rate may be charged the attorney’s normal rate.
If you know someone who would benefit from our services, please share our fliers in English or Spanish.
To learn more about DC Refers or join our directory visit our website https://dcrefers.org/ or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin,
MAKE A DIFFERENCE. DONATE NOW!
Every donation – no matter the amount – is extremely valuable to the Washington Bar Association. Your contribution will help the WBA support professional development and address the related needs of Black lawyers in the District of Columbia, while furthering our commitment to social justice and advocacy efforts on behalf of the Black community.