top of page
LOREN MILLER
BAR ASSOCIATION
Discover LMBA
The Loren Miller Bar Association (LMBA) is a Washington statewide organization and the local affiliate of the National Bar Association (NBA), which is the oldest minority bar and the largest organization of African-American attorneys in the United States.
For 50 years, the LMBA has thrived in its efforts to advance the social and economic well-being of our membership, while improving relations between the legal profession and community at large.
The Loren Miller Bar Association seeks to continue to provide leadership, networking opportunities and an outlet to address complex issues in our community.
Your contribution to the LMBA helps further our mission. Thank you!
Please note that donations to the Association are not tax-deductible.
LMBA’s programs are facilitated through our Committees and SubCommittees. Volunteers are welcomed to help support us in this important work.
We offer memberships for students, solo practitioners/small firms public/government/academia, judges, and large firms.
LMBA Congratulates Justice Jackson On Her Historic Confirmation
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
The Loren Miller Bar Association celebrates the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. An incredible milestone for our community and progress for our country has been accomplished by this extraordinary Black woman and leader. Our justice system is better for her victory. As Justice Jackson herself said "We've made it, all of us." See her full remarks here: https://bit.ly/38wB1Bf
The Hon. Charles V. Johnson (Ret.), 1928-2020
The Loren Miller Bar Association sadly announces the passing of its Founder, Judge Charles V. Johnson (retired), who died on December 28, 2020. From President James F. Johnson:
Judge Johnson was a tireless and extremely effective advocate for the improvement of the judiciary and the judicial system. He graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in 1954 and the University of Washington’s School of Law in 1957. He practiced law in Seattle from 1958 to 1969. He served as Judge in the Seattle Municipal Court from 1969 to 1980 and served three terms as its Presiding Judge. In 1981, he was appointed to the King County Superior where he served as Presiding Judge from 1990 to 1993.
Through his service on numerous local and national boards and committees, Judge Johnson demonstrated the highest principals of selfless devotion. As a member of the NAACP National Board of Directors, he served for more than ten years as Chair of the NAACP’s National Legal Committee and Vice Chair of the Committee on Branches. He was also past President of the Seattle Branch NAACP and the Northwest Area Conference of NAACP. He gave over twenty years of service to the YMCA’s National Council and was the first African-American to Chair the Seattle Metropolitan YMCA. In the 1960’s, he was one of the organizers of the Seattle Model Cities Program and Chair of it Citizens Advisory Council.
He was a recipient of the Outstanding Judge of the Year Awards from the WSBA (1994), WSTLA (1997), Seattle-King County Bar Association (1991), and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UW School of Law. He was also a past President of the American Judge’s Association, an organization of some 1,600 judges.
Rest in Power Judge Johnson.
Honoring Judge Johnson
The NAACP of Seattle presented a livestreamed memorial honoring Judge Johnson on Friday, January 15, 2021. That video can be found here.
Read Judge Johnson's obituary in The Medium here.
The Seattle Times obituary is available here.
Mayor Jenny Durkan issued a statement you can read here.
In lieu of flowers, Judge Johnson's family suggests donations to the Loren Miller Bar Foundation, which offers scholarships for diverse law school students. Donations can be made here; please put "Donation for Judge Johnson" in the note line. To make a donation by check, please send check payable to the Loren Miller Bar Foundation to P.O. Box 1873, Seattle, WA 98111, with "Donation for Judge Johnson" in the memo line.
LMBA Blog
LMBA 50th Anniversary Film
The redesign and maintenance of this website were funded by the generous donations in memory of LMBA Founder The Hon. Donald D. Haley. The donations also support a legal scholarship in Judge Haley's name. Find more information on our Scholarships Page.
Fireside Chat with Hon. Richard A. Jones
bottom of page