National LGBTQ+ Bar Association

The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, formerly the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association and the National LGBT Bar Association, is a national association of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals, law students, activists, and affiliated lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender legal organizations. It was formally founded in 1989 and became an official affiliate of the American Bar Association in 1992. The association is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and its current executive director is D’Arcy Kemnitz.

National LGBTQ+ Bar Association
Founded1989
Location
Area served
United States
Websitehttp://lgbtqbar.org/
Formerly called
National Lesbian and Gay Law Association, the National LGBT Bar Association

History

The idea of creating a national lesbian and gay bar association was introduced at the 1987 march on Washington, D.C., for lesbian and gay rights.[1] In 1989, at the American Bar Association (ABA) midyear meeting, bylaws for the association were presented and a nonprofit board of directors was formalized.

By the time the second board meeting was held in 1989 in Boston, the LGBTQ+ Bar had 293 paid members.[1] At the meeting, the association initiated a campaign to ask the ABA to include protection based upon sexual orientation to its revision of the Model Code of Judicial Conduct for Judges, which has now been accepted by several states.

In 1992, the LGBTQ+ Bar became an official affiliate of the American Bar Association and now works closely with the ABA's Section on Individual Rights and Responsibilities and its Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.[1]

In January 1995, the LGBTQ+ Bar became the first national organization to unanimously pass a board resolution calling for transgender inclusion in Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

In August 2021, the LGBTQ+ Bar rebranded from the National LGBT Bar Association to the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association. This name change reflects the LGBTQ+ Bar's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and was meant to be inclusive of those in the community who do not identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.[2]

Awards presented by the association

The Dan Bradley Award

The Dan Bradley Award is the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association's highest honor. It recognizes the efforts of a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer legal community whose work, like Attorney Dan Bradley's, has led the way in our struggle for equality under the law. Dan Bradley was the first chair of the American Bar Association Section of Individual Rights and Responsibility's Committee on the Rights of Gay People, now known as the Committee for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.[3] Bradley saw the law as a powerful instrument of social justice, and he believed that lawyers had an obligation to use their skills as advocates in the service of the least powerful in society.

Previous Award Winners

2020 David Lat, Legal Recruiter – Managing Director, Lateral Link[3]
2019 Chai Feldblum, Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP[3]
2018 Justice Rosalyn H. Richter, Associate Justice, New York State Appellate Division First Department[3]
2017 Douglas Hallward-Dreimeir and the Pro Bono team at Ropes & Gray LLP[3]
2016 Kevin Cathcart, former Executive Director of Lambda Legal[3]
2015 Mary Bonauto, Director, Civil Rights Project, GLAD[3]
2014 Evan Wofson, Founder and President, Freedom to Marry[3]
2013 James Esseks, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & AIDS Project Director, American Civil Liberties Union[3]
2012 Jennifer Levi, Transgender Rights Project Director, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders[3]
2011 Nancy Polikoff, Professor of Law, American University Washington College of Law[3]
2010 Jon Davidson, Legal Director, Lambda Legal[3]
2009 Dr. Frank Kameny, one of the nation's first gay activists[3]
2008 Shannon Minter, Legal Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights[3]

Therese Stewart, Chief Deputy City Attorney, City of San Francisco[3]

2007 Patricia M. Logue, Associate Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County[3]
2006 Urvashi Vaid, Executive Director, Arcus Foundation[3]
2005 Arthur S. Leonard, Professor of Law at New York Law School and author of Law Notes[3]
2004 Ruth E. Harlow, former Legal Director of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund; Lead Counsel in the landmark case Lawrence v. Texas[3]
2003 Matthew Coles, Director, ACLU National Lesbian and Gay Rights Project[3]

Leslie Cooper, Staff Attorney, ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights Project[3]

2002 Kate Kendell, Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights, San Francisco, CA[3]
2001 Phyllis Randolph Frye, Transgender Activist and Civil Rights Leader, Houston, TX[3]
2000 Mark D. Agrast, Legislative Director & Counsel to Rep. William H. Delahunt, Former NLGLA Co-Chair[3]

Allies for Justice Award

Each year, the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association honors a legal professional who, in their position of leadership, has allied with the LGBTQ+ community and has made a noteworthy contribution to the struggle for civil rights and equality before the law.

Past Allies for Justice Awardees

2014 Alderman Fiona Woolf, partner at CMS Camerona McKenna

Martha Coakley, Attorney General of Mass. James Silkenat, President, American Bar Association Judith Sperling-Newton, Director, AAARTA Laurence Tribe, Professor, Harvard Law School

2013 Todd Solomon, partner at McDermott Will & Emery

Rosie Hidalgo, Director of Public Policy, Casa de Esperanza

2012 Laurie Hasencamp, Interim Executive Director, Equality California
2011 Frederick J. Krebs, former president of the Association of Corporate Counsel

Robert J. Grey, Jr., partner at Hunton & Williams LLP in Richmond, Virginia, and the executive director at the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

2010 Wayne Watts, Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel, AT&T

Llewelyn G. Pritchard, Partner, Helsell Fetterman

2009 Gary Kennedy, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, American Airlines
2008 Veta T. Richardson, Executive Director, Minority Corporate Counsel Association

Hon. Deval Patrick, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

2007 Gavin Newsom, Mayor of San Francisco

William H. Neukom, President, American Bar Association

2006 Honorable Steven H. Levinson, Associate Justice, Hawai'i Supreme Court
2005 Harold Hongju Koh, Dean, Yale Law School
2004 Hon. John Lewis, Congress member, Georgia
2003 Chris Zawisza, ACLU Attorney
2002 Hon. Charles Robb, Senator, Virginia
2001 James Rogers, Boston College Law School
2000 Hon. Parris N. Glendening, Governor, Maryland

Out & Proud Corporate Counsel Award

The award is given to legal professionals who promote LGBTQ+ equality through words and actions to create more secure and welcoming workplaces. The award receptions give LGBTQ+ legal professionals and their straight allies the opportunity to honor distinguished colleagues who have worked hard to increase LGBTQ+ diversity awareness in the corporate office and in the community.

Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40

The LGBTQ+ Bar established this award in 2010 to recognize lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer legal professionals under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves in their field and demonstrated a profound commitment to LGBTQ+ equality.

Michael Greenberg Student Writing Competition

Each year, the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association hosts a writing competition challenging students enrolled in an ABA-accredited law school to submit papers on a cutting edge legal issue affecting the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and/or Intersex community.

Prizes

First Place: $1,000 scholarship, Publication in the Journal of Law and Sexuality at Tulane University Law School, Registration, airfare & lodging for Lavender Law Career Fair and Conference
First Runner-up: Registration for Lavender Law Career Fair and Conference

The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association's Student Leadership Awards

The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association's Student Leadership Awards are presented to graduating or recently graduated law students who have demonstrated a unique level of commitment to serving the LGBTQ+ community throughout their law school careers.

Awardees

2020 Winner – Ian Falefuafua Tapu, University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law

First Runner Up – AK Shee, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law

2019 Winner – Chan Tov McNamarah, Cornell Law School

Winner – Candelario Saldana, University of Miami School of Law

2018 Winners – Nicole Schladt and Faris Mohammed, Emory University School of Law

First Runner Up – Ashley Fasano, University of San Diego School of Law

2017 Winner – Christopher “Tripp” Zanetis, Stanford Law School

First Runner-up – Andy Blevins, Willamette University

Second Runner-up – Beck Zucker, The George Washington University Law School

2016 Winner – Joshua Treybig, Seattle University School of Law

Winner – Kathleen Cullum, Indiana University Maurer School of Law

2015 Winner – Adam Grogan, Albany Law School

Winner –Paul Sautter-Walker, Albany Law School

2014 Winner - Deborah Lolai, Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center

Runner-up – Brenna Ragghianti, Elon University School of Law

2013 Winner - Mieko Failey, Loyola Law School

Runner-up – Elizabeth Dooley, Stanford University Law School

2012 Winner - Michelle Garcia, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

Runner-up – Adam Chang, University of Hawaii, Manoa

2011 Winner - Jason C. Beekman, Cornell Law School

Runner-up – Ashland Johnson, University of Georgia School of Law

2010 Winner - C. Hays Burchfield, University of Mississippi

Runner-up - Danielle Hawkes, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law

See also

References
  1. "About Us". The LGBTQ+ Bar. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  2. Kemnitz, D'Arcy (April 30, 2021). "The National LGBT Bar Association to Become The LGBTQ+ Bar Association". The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  3. "Dan Bradley Award". The LGBTQ+ Bar. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
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