Please join us on June 12, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., as the MCBA partners with the Birmingham Bar Association in our joint community service project at Children’s Village.  Children’s Village is located at 2001, 18th Street SW. 

Please contact Derrick Mills for more information.

Greetings:

It is indeed my absolute pleasure to serve as the president of the Magic City Bar Association in 2010.

The lawyers of the Magic City Bar have been an integral part of the minority community for over 25 years, and I am very optimistic about our future.  The founding lawyers of the Magic City Bar were called to leadership after recognizing the need for a Birmingham organization to address the legal issues in the minority community.   Among the Magic City Bar’s founding principles were:  (1) “to improve the administration of justice;” (2) “to protect the civil and political rights of the citizens and the residents of the several states of the United States;” (3) “to develop a system of networking relevant to law practice;” (4) “to provide a forum for the discussion of community issues and topics;” and (5) “to assist in promoting the legal profession as a career to minorities.”  Over the past 25 years, the lawyers of the Magic City Bar have held firm to the commitments made to the community, tirelessly working to assist those who need justice the most and promoting the legal profession to minorities.

Today, the Magic City Bar has grown in active membership, but we must now decide whether we will continue to champion the principles upon which our organization was founded.  There has never been a more exciting time in our history.  Our Magic City Bar members are the leaders in the Birmingham community and are among the best and brightest of the Birmingham Bar and the Alabama State Bar.  In the last several weeks, I have reviewed the list of minority lawyers in this community and am struck by the top-tier lawyers in Birmingham — in personal injury, securities litigation, corporate law, white collar crime, bankruptcy, family law, criminal law, etc.  Of course, we also have phenomenal judges.  I am also struck by how many outstanding young minority lawyers (and law students) we have in the area.  The Magic City Bar is uniquely situated to offer intimate mentoring, networking, training, and inspiration to our members, as well to continue to fight for justice in the community.

In 2010, the Magic City Bar intends to continue our efforts to (1) reach out to the minority community; (2) promote the interests of its members; (3) actively recruit the talent and resources of non-member minority lawyers; (4) inspire and educate minority law students; and (5) network with non-minority lawyers in Birmingham, the surrounding areas, and the State.   We need your help.

I invite and encourage you to email me at president@magiccitybar.org volunteer your service and to share your ideas for your Magic City Bar for 2010.

Derrick A. Mills
President of the Magic City Bar Association

MCBA’s International Month November 2009

International Affairs Chair – Judge Eugene R. Verin

Scholarship Benefit

Scholarship Benefit Chair – Shayana Davis

Board and Membership Meeting and Election of Officers, 11:30 A.M.

Note: Officers will be elected at 11:30 A.M. All members interested in running for office may contact Derrick Mills at dmills@mrblaw.com

Nominating Committee Chair – Derrick Mills

Continuing Legal Education, 8:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.

Chair – Lynneice O. Washington

LaVeeda Morgan Battle Chair

Greetings :

It is indeed my pleasure to serve as the president of the Magic City Bar Association during its 25th year anniversary.

Twenty five years ago, a small group of African American lawyers recognized the need for a Birmingham organization to address legal issues in the community, regardless of race, creed or color. Those same lawyers also had a desire to assist in the promotion of the legal profession as a career to minorities. As a result, the Magic City Bar Association was born.

During the last 25 years, this organization has played a prominent role in attending to a variety of issues in this community. I remember so vividly in the early years when the Magic City Bar partnered with the Alabama Lawyers Association and presented Laymen’s Law Seminars throughout the community. We went to churches, schools and other community based groups to give lectures and perform skits to teach laws of interest to everyone. During those seminars, citizens learned so much about how to keep their families safe, solvent and subjected to equal justice. Since others had not provided the same kind of seminars to the community, citizens were thrilled to have us satisfy a previously unfulfilled need.

The Magic City Bar Association has always recognized the importance of role models to minorities interested in the legal profession. Through the years, members of this organization have consistently mentored young African American lawyers. The mentoring has served as a catalyst in building stellar careers for many. For years, this organization’s Scholarship Benefit has provided academic scholarships to students attending Miles, Cumberland and the University of Alabama Law Schools.

For a quarter century, MCBA has certainly been a viable force in addressing issues pertaining to the Birmingham area. However, we now recognize that some of those same issues extend beyond our borders. Therefore, this year we have decided to broaden our focus to the world at large. In keeping with one of the original purposes and objectives of this organization which was “ to promote the professional and social intercourse of the American Bar and International Bar “, the Magic City Bar Association has adopted as its 25th Anniversary Theme “Addressing Local Issues From A Global Point of View’’. All the issues addressed this year will enlighten and benefit Birmingham as well as the world at large.

Please review the Calendar of Events planned for this year and become actively involved in this historic organization. I invite you to email me at ahverin@yahoo.com to volunteer your service to committees for those events. With your help, we will experience an exciting 25th year.
Annetta H. Verin
President of the Magic City Bar Association