The Washington Bar Association, one of the first African American Bar associations in the country, was formed in 1925 by such legal luminaries as Charles Hamilton Houston, George E.C. Hayes, Ulysses Simpson Garnes, Isaiah Lisemby, Louis Rothchild Mehlinger, Charles E. Robinson, and J. Franklin Wilson. The WBA was created simultaneously with the National Bar Association and is an affiliate chapter of that organization. Like the NBA, the WBA is concerned with the advancement of jurisprudence, self benefit, group enhancement in a racially exclusive society and judicial system, and group protection.
The WBA hosts numerous events, partners with other organizations, and encourages its members to maintain a high standard of excellence in the community. All of these efforts are dedicated to ensuring that the WBA is successful in carrying on the mission of its founders.