National Bar Association swears in its 78th president

The National Bar Association (NBA) swore in Tricia “CK” Hoffler as its 78th President on July 29, 2020.  As the nation’s oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges, the NBA represents the interests of approximately 65,000 lawyers, judges, law professors, and law students.  The president is elected by the membership to be the voice of the collective concerns of the African American legal community and spearheads initiatives reflective of the collective conscience of the organization. “I am so honored to take on this position and to lead this magnificent organization at this tumultuous time in our country. I know the power of NBA members across America and around the world.   We have already hit the ground running; as our lawyers are ready, willing and able to elevate their leadership in addressing the pandemics that plague our communities,” said President Hoffler, the CEO of the Atlanta-based The CK Hoffler Firm. She is a seasoned trial lawyer known for civil rights activism and litigation magnetism. “Kneeling for justice and standing up for rights, the NBA has might! I ask all National Bar members and Black lawyers to uproot the inequities in our social, health and economic systems.” 

During the annual convention, held virtually due to national health safety restrictions due to COVID-19, Hoffler charted a vision to fight three pandemics plaguing communities of Black and Brown people and America’s justice system: COVID-19, Police Brutality and Election Suppression.

“These three pandemics have wreaked havoc on American families and America’s way of life.  The NBA must continue to challenge threats to justice.  Today, I am calling on the 65,000 African American lawyers and jurists to kneel for justice but stand up to fight these pandemics and to join our coordinated nationwide effort,” said President Hoffler.  The NBA has partnered with other coalition groups to fight these three pandemics including the National Medical Association, the Transformative Justice Coalition, the NAACP, the Lawyers’ Committee on Civil Rights, Rainbow Push Coalition, to name a few.
Hoffler has been a member of the NBA since she was a law student at Georgetown University and noted the important role of young lawyers in meeting the NBA’s mission.  Also, President Hoffler said the
issues lawyers confront today are global and she intends to build closer alliances with affinity lawyer and social justice organizations. “Today the struggle is global. A luta continua, vitória é certa. The struggle continues, victory is certain.”

President Hoffler’s vast experience in social justice includes serving as the Chair of the Board for Rainbow PUSH, legal representative to civil rights legend Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. and his family for nearly 30 years, and advocating for global human rights through social justice and lawyer organizations.