Brethren and Sisters of the Bar
A Centennial History of the New York County Lawyers' Association
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.
Brethren and Sisters of the Bar offers a fascinating window onto 100 years of legal, cultural, and social enterprise in New York City, along with the history of an inspired organization.---—Louise Mirrer, President and CEO, New York Historical Society
This is a fascinating tale of NYCLA's role in our profession's evolution over the past century. Now much better informed, we look to the past with gratitude and to the future with resolve, even enthusiasm, knowing that we stand on a firm foundation of achievement.---—Hon. Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge of the State of New York
Dave Robertson embraces the characters, principles, and issues at the heart of NYCLA's founding and proves how relevant they are to the vital work performed by the County Lawyers today.---—Kristina Fischer, Editor-in-Chief, New York Law Journal
There is no doubt that Edwin Robertson has skillfuly weaved two world wars, Prohibition, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, and international terrorism into NYCLA's history.---—The Federal Lawyer
This book pays tribute to thousands of lawyers—their good works and the magnificent 'Association for All' they built. It is scholarly and inspiring. It surely will become a legal classic. I am proud to be a member of the Association.---—John D. Feerick, Fordham Law School