The Bar Association of the District of Columbia Issues Apology to African-American Lawyers

Washington malpractice lawyer and President of the Olender Foundation, Jack Olender (r), hosted nearly 100 members of the Washington Bar Association at the Bar Association of the District of Columbia’s (BADC) annual luncheon meeting held at the Mayflower Hotel in June. The Washington Bar Association membership consists in the large part, of African-American lawyers. The BADC issued an apology to Washington area African-American lawyers for the associations barring of lawyers of color from membership and use of its law library located in the U.S. District Court Building until the 1950's. Clinton Chapman (l), who is presently Chairman of the Board of the Industrial Bank was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar before the desegregation had ended and made the response on behalf of the African-American lawyers. The apology was presented by BADC President William Atkins (not pictured). Messrs Chapman and Olender are both long-time members of both bar associations.