Each year, Black History Month recognizes the contributions, sacrifices, and legacy of Black Americans who have shaped the culture of the United States.
During February and throughout the year, the Commission celebrates the achievements and cultural heritage of Black lawyers and judges, and highlights the work of bar associations and other legal organizations that focus on issues and barriers facing the Black community.
I recently spoke to Nicholas Cummings, who serves as President of the Cook County Bar Association (CCBA). The CCBA is the nation’s oldest association of African-American lawyers and judges.
Below, I asked Cummings about the initiatives the CCBA is working on and how bar associations can encourage and empower the next generation of Black lawyers to take on leadership roles in the profession.
What is the theme of your bar year, and why did you select it?
The theme for my bar year is “Stronger, Together.” This theme was chosen for two reasons: to serve as a reminder of past success and to serve as a call to action. From the right to marry who you want to the right to vote, few societal advancements have been achieved by singular groups of people.
Allyship and collaboration have improved our society to make it more just and equal. Yet as we have gained advancements together, we become more isolated and even segmented across sex and gender, race, religion, political views and economic class. Given the success collective action has shown, the theme is a call to action for us to come together across these demographics, finding common ground to further improve our society.
What is one project your bar association is working on that you’re really excited about?
I’m really excited about the Platt-Wheeler Legal Education Symposium coming up on February 27, 2025, in collaboration with the Black Women Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago and the Black Men Lawyers Association. I thought it important to bring together the bar associations representing the interests of Black lawyers to culminate and celebrate Black History Month.
As a leader of a Black bar association, what strategies have you found successful in encouraging and empowering the next generation of Black lawyers to take on leadership roles in the profession?
There are two ways I try to encourage and empower the next generation of Black lawyers for leadership. The first is to include them in decision making. Understanding that my term is one year, it is imperative for those coming up next or who desire to lead to see and understand all that goes in to making decisions in bar leadership.
The second is to foster an environment where young lawyers are heard and not merely seen. As someone who has been involved in several older institutions, the voices of the younger generation are often snuffed out because their ideas are not considered. I work to ensure that is not true with the CCBA.
Please share a few sentences of reflection on a Black lawyer or judge who made a difference in your career?
The Black lawyer with the biggest influence on my career is former State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. Law is my second career and when I graduated law school, there were few opportunities for recent graduates. Ms. Foxx utilized her relationships within the office to help me get the opportunity to clerk while in law school as well as the opportunity to begin practicing law as an ASA after law school.
She did for me what I feel isn’t always repeated within our community: she took a chance on me. In return, I hope I’ve had a legal career that reflects a return on that investment.
More information about how to support the CCBA and the CCBA’s Platt-Wheeler Legal Education Symposium event can be found at https://www.cookcountybar.org/events-calendar.
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