About Us

BLAC is a bar association, which has been dedicated to promoting equity in the legal profession and the justice system for over four decades.

Our goals are:

To improve the administration of civil and criminal justice.
To work with national, state, and local bar associations in solving problems which are peculiar to African American lawyers.
To see that all lawyers and law students in the Greater Cincinnati area, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin or gender are given the opportunity to share equally in the benefits of the legal profession.
To do all things necessary and incidental to the fulfillment of the purposes of this Association, in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Section 1702.01 et seq.

Message from the President

Thank you for visiting our website! The Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati is a bar association dedicated to addressing issues particular to African American attorneys and to ensuring equity in the legal profession. In addition, we strive to positively impact our community through, for example, supporting youth programs, partnering with other bar associations and community organizations to achieve common goals, and providing free legal clinics and educational forums.

Our membership is diverse in experience and expertise. Our members work in both the private and public sectors and practice in a variety of areas including criminal law, labor and employment, personal injury, civil rights, intellectual property, advertising law, insurance, and environmental law - to name a few.

I invite you to search our directory for an attorney. Likewise, please visit our calendar and upcoming events pages for events of interest to you.

Eric C. Cook

President

Reginald L. Staples, Jr.

Vice President

Adreanne Stuckey

Treasurer

Jada M. Colon

Recording Secretary

Jordan A. McSayles

Communications Officer

Brandon Craig

Parliamentarian

Jabari Shaw

Membership Chair

Danyel P. Rickman

Law Student Committee Chair

Angela White

Community Action Committee Chair

A Brief History of BLAC

Late in 1973, a group of concerned Black attorneys discussed the need for a viable legal organization for the purpose of improving the quality of service, economics, and influence of Black attorneys in the Hamilton County area. The steering committee, composed of George W. Bunyan, Jr., Dwight Tillery, Leslie I. Gaines, and Clifford R. Fennell, convened a series of meetings to decide whether to start a new organization or to revive the A. Lee Beatty Lawyers Club. These meetings culminated in the founding of the Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati (BLAC). The first officers were elected on October 12, 1974.

Past Presidents

George W. Bunyan, Jr. (1974-1976)

Clifford R. Fennell, Jr. (1976-1978)

Ruth McCalla Edwards (1978-1980)

Caleb Brown, Jr. (1980-1981)

Constance A. Hill (1981-1985)

Inyeai Ororokuma (1985-1989)

Sharon J. Zealey (1989-1991)

Ernest F. McAdams, Jr. (1991-1995)

John J. Williams (1995-1999)

Bernice L. Walker (1999-2001)

Fanon A. Rucker (2001-2003)