Greetings:
This is a very important year for African-Americans. There are many issues that confront our community and it seems to me that the black lawyer should be playing a more visible and meaningful role in our struggle. Whether its judicial nominations, the 2004 election or legal education, we simply have got to do more.

A. Phillip Randolph probably said it best when he wrote:

Indeed, we have to become better organized and much more focused. In this spirit, in year 2000 I introduced and cosponsored (with attorneys Karen Gibbs, Larry Coleman, and Mark Dickson a resolution titled the Empowerment Through Law and Justice Agenda (ETLJA) at the National Bar Association Convention. It passed nearly unanimously. With this affirmation and the already existing commitment and consciousness of black lawyers across the country, I along with several others am hoping to materialize this vision.

Please read the resolution below and share your most constructive comments. In my experience, there are many good thinking and acting attorneys, law students and others who care about the issues articulated in this resolution. But we remain fragmented and decentralized on the major battles that we fight. The law of physics must be put into place: force multiplied and commonly directed equals greater power. If ever we needed to have meaningful power we need to do it now. We have got to develop a model and a strategy which allows us to contribute by way of time, money, information, and energy to the empowerment of our communities.

On April 1-3, The NBA will be hosting its annual Gertrude Rush weekend here in Washington, D.C. Karen Gibbs and I have been leading the effort to implement the year 2000 resolution. Last year our energies were directed toward the University of Michigan case. This year we intend to move this concept into fruition. During this weekend we will be hosting a retreat-summit on ETLJA and how black attorneys can assist in the 2004 elections. You may recall that Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. This is an excellent opportunity to rededicate yourself to make some meaningful contribution to sustaining the contributions of his and others who made countless sacrifices on our behalf.

In closing, this proposal does not reflect all of the answers, or anywhere near all of the answers. We do have an idea and a construct that can make a difference and move those black lawyers who give a damn back into the forefront of the struggle (yes one still exists). What we need more than ever is a group of bright, dynamic, engaging lawyers and law students to move us beyond the rhetoric to a pragmatic consensus as strategy and approach.

We can do this. I will use your comments to put teeth into the retreat program. Thoughts please.

The time is now!

Donald Temple
The ETLJA Resolution