DES MOINES, Iowa (March 11, 2025) – The National Bar Association, the nation’s oldest and largest global network of predominantly Black American attorneys and judges, will host its 45th Annual Midyear Conference and Gertrude E. Rush Awards Gala at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown, March 20 – 23. The event is expected to draw attorneys and legal professionals from Greater Des Moines and the continental U.S.

Founded 100 years ago in Des Moines, the National Bar Association is celebrating its 100th year. This landmark celebration began with the Wiley Branton Issues Symposium in Washington D.C., continues with the Midyear Conference, and is capped off with the 100th Annual Convention and Exhibits, July 26 – August 1 in Chicago, IL.
 

“We are honored to welcome the National Bar Association back to Des Moines, where it was founded, to celebrate its centennial," said Catch Des Moines President and CEO Greg Edwards. "It’s a privilege to host such a distinguished group of legal professionals and to celebrate a century of progress and impact with the NBA in the city where it all began.”

Here are just a few of the highlights of this year’s conference:

Thursday, March 20
Board of Governors Meeting: Led by Centennial NBA President, Wiley S. Adams, the National Bar Association’s Board of Governors will host their board meeting at the historic Fort Des Moines Museum. NBA President Wiley S. Adams will deliver a message for future African American lawyers, culminating with a tour to the Monumental Journey Statue at 2nd and Grand Avenue. The NBA's message and materials will be placed in a time capsule by the monument and will be opened by African American lawyers in 2125.

 

Friday, March 21
Heman Sweatt Awards Luncheon: Honoring the pioneering efforts of Heman Sweatt, of Sweatt v. Painter, this annual awards luncheon recognizes the achievements of pioneering activists and Civil Rights leaders. Edna Griffin is receiving this award posthumously. Griffin was a plaintiff in the 1948 Iowa case about her denial of service at Katz Drug Store diner because of her race. The successful case recognized and stood for the principal that separate is unequal and was several years prior to the U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education. She is often referred to as Iowa's Rosa Parks. One of her attorneys in the case was NBA Founder Charles Howard. Edna Griffin's son, Stanley Griffin, is travelling to the conference to receive the award on her behalf.

 

Saturday, March 22
Gertrude E. Rush Awards Gala: Gertrude E. Rush was the sole female founder of the National Bar Association. The conference, reception, dinner, and awards ceremony are held annually to honor her legacy. Among this year’s honorees is Drake Law Dean, Roscoe Jones; Dean Jones will be receiving the Presidential Excellence Award. Dean Jones is the first African American Dean of any Drake college.

  • American Bar Association President, William Bey: Scheduled to attend and will be issuing a Centennial Resolution from the ABA to the NBA. The NBA was formed in Des Moines in 1925 after several Iowa attorneys were denied membership to the ABA because of their race.

 

The three-day conference includes continuing legal education (CLE) workshops led by noted authors and speakers, a community service project, Zumba class, and more.
 

“There is no better place for the National Bar Association to convene than Des Moines, Iowa for our 45th Annual Midyear Conference. Des Moines is deeply intertwined with our history and the legacy of our pioneering founders,” said National Bar Association President Wiley S. Adams. “This year’s gathering is exceptionally meaningful as we will not only engage in a powerful and dynamic program, but we will also correct a historic wrong by placing an appropriate marker on the unmarked grave of our only woman founder, Gertrude Rush.”

"We come together in the new Des Moines, a city that continues to evolve and grow, with a profound sense of purpose as we honor our past while preparing for our future," said Adams. 

To learn more about the National Bar Association, register for the conference, or purchase tickets to the Heman Sweatt Luncheon or Gertrude E. Rush Awards Gala, visit: nationalbar.org/events. 

About Catch Des Moines

The Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Des Moines Area Sports Commission, collectively known as Catch Des Moines, is the official destination marketing organization promoting and representing Greater Des Moines to leisure travelers and meeting/sports planners. Our focus is to increase visitors to the metro and elevate the visitor experience to drive economic success and enhance the quality of life in the 14 local Greater Des Moines communities we represent. For more information, visit catchdesmoines.com.