National Lesbian and Gay Law Association (U.S.) records

The National Lesbian and Gay Law Association (NLGLA) is a national association of lawyers, judges and other legal professionals, law students, activists, and affiliated lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender legal organizations. NLGLA promotes justice in and through the legal profession for the LGBT community in all its diversity.

At the 1987 march on Washington, DC for lesbian and gay rights, the idea of creating a national lesbian and gay bar association was introduced. The first Lavender Law® conference was held in San Francisco, in November 1988. In 1989, at the American Bar Association Mid-Year meeting, by-laws were presented, and a nonprofit board of directors was formalized. By the time of the second board meeting in 1989 in Boston, the National Lesbian and Gay Law Association (NLGLA) had 293 paid members. NLGLA initiated a campaign to ask the American Bar Assocation (ABA) to include protection based upon on sexual orientation to its revision of the Model Code of Judicial Conduct for Judges, which has now been accepted by several states. In 1992, NLGLA became an official affiliate of the American Bar Association and it now works closely with the ABA's Section on Individual Rights and Responsibilities and its Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.