New Collaboration with the National Urban League and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law Advances Carter's Agenda of Civic Activism and Community Empowerment
WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / August 5, 2026 / Just days after being installed as the 84th President of the National Bar Association, James J. Carter has announced, with the strong support of NBA Past President Dominique Calhoun, the first major initiative of his administration: a national election protection partnership with the National Urban League and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and designed to mobilize attorneys, law students, and community volunteers to protect access to the ballot during the 2026 Midterm Elections.
The initiative directly advances Carter's presidential theme, "Meeting the Moment: A Continuing Legacy of Social Engineering and Empowerment," transforming one of his core priorities (Civic Activism by encouraging attorneys to serve as advocates and trusted community leaders) into immediate action.
"For more than a century, the National Bar Association has understood that the law is one of our nation's greatest instruments for justice," Carter said. "As lawyers, we are called not only to represent clients, but to strengthen the institutions that sustain our democracy. Election protection is one of the clearest ways we can put that responsibility into practice."
Founded in 1925, the National Bar Association has long stood at the forefront of civil rights advocacy and equal access to justice. As the Association enters its second century, Carter has challenged members to continue the legacy of Charles Hamilton Houston's vision of lawyers as social engineers committed to improving society through legal leadership and public service.
Through the partnership, the National Bar Association will work alongside the National Urban League and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to recruit attorneys, law students, and legal professionals to support the nonpartisan 866-OUR-VOTE Election Protection Hotline, deploy legal volunteers in communities across the country, strengthen voter confidence through education, provide legal observer and rapid response efforts to ensure unimpeded access to the ballot during the 2026 election cycle.
The collaboration was announced alongside Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, and Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, bringing together three of the nation's most respected civil rights and legal organizations around a shared commitment to protecting the fundamental right to vote.
In furtherance of the NBA's Election Protection advocacy efforts, the NBA will hold its 37th Annual Wiley A. Branton Issues Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia, October 15-17, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. The theme of the symposium is Vote! Your Life Depends On It!
"Throughout our history, the National Bar Association has answered the call when our communities needed legal leadership," Carter said. "That responsibility continues today. This partnership is only the beginning of the work we will undertake together as we build the NBA's next century of service, advocacy, and impact."
About the National Bar Association
Founded in 1925, the National Bar Association is the nation's oldest and largest network of predominantly Black attorneys, judges, law professors, law students, and legal professionals. For more than a century, the Association has advanced civil rights, professional excellence, judicial independence, and equal access to justice throughout the United States and abroad.
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SOURCE: National Bar Association
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/government/james-j.-carter-launches-first-national-initiative-as-national-bar-association-president-1201716
