Brethren and Sisters of the Bar

One of the largest county bar associations in the country, the New York County Lawyers' Association has also been one of the most influential since its founding in 1908. This book chronicles its first century. It presents the internal history of the Association and its role in the legal and political life of the City.

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One of the largest county bar associations in the country, the New York County Lawyers’ Association has also been one of the most influential since its founding in 1908. Today, representing more than 10,000 members, the Association is a major force for professional ethics and integrity and a powerful voice in such issues as racial, gender, and ethnic inclusion, and legal assistance to the poor.

In this detailed chronicle of the Association’s first century, Edwin David Robertson draws on a rich array of primary sources that bring to life both the internal history of the Association and its role in the legal and political life of the City. Here are stories of the legions of lawyers who, in the Association, successfully faced the challenges of their profession and created a powerful community of shared interests and commitments.

Filled with accounts of key cases and many of the backroom “bar stories” that have become local legal legends, this book is also a unique look at the inner life of the law played out during Manhattan’s most dynamic era.