After a rousing introduction by Stellar New Orleans Attorney James Williams and swearing in by the Legendary Judge Kern Reese, the National Bar Association on July 30, 2026 installed nationally accomplished Trial Attorney and Civic Leader James J. Carter as its 84th President. In addition to NBA Past Presidents, leaders, members, friends and family from around the world, the great international leader, President and CEO of the National Urban League, Marc H. Morial, was in attendance, who gave James his first significant leadership opportunity more than 30 years ago. James’s presidency begins a term shaped by the responsibility of leading the organization as it continues its fight for Equal Justice Under the Law. He will be only the second person in the NBA’s 101 Year History, after the late Justice Revius Ortique, to serve as President while residing in Louisiana. President Carter’s bar year theme is “Meeting the Moment: A Continuing Legacy of Social Engineering and Empowerment.”
“I accept this responsibility with a clear understanding of what the National Bar Association has represented for generations of Black Lawyers and for the communities we serve,” Carter said. “Our next century requires courage, discipline and practical action. We will strengthen civic activism, defend access to the ballot, advance financial independence, and address the conditions that affect the health and safety of our communities.”
Founded in 1925 after Black Attorneys were excluded from membership in the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association has spent a century advancing Civil Rights, professional excellence and equal access to justice. Carter assumed the presidency at a consequential point in that history, with a mandate to honor the institution’s legacy while preparing it for the demands of the next 100 years.
During his term, Carter will work with NBA members, affiliates, sections, divisions, law schools, corporate partners and community organizations to translate the Association’s national reach into measurable civic and economic impact.
“The National Bar Association begins its next 100 years with a strong foundation and a clear obligation,” Carter said. “We will protect what prior generations built, respond to the realities facing our communities now, and create the systems the next generation will need.”
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