Message from the President

As President of the Vanzetti Hamilton Bar Association (“VHBA”), I would like to welcome you to our webpage and to our organization.  VHBA is what is considered to be an affinity bar, i.e, we serve a smaller population of members of the larger State Bar of Michigan and it is my privilege to lead the organization that serves the African-American attorneys in Washtenaw County.  It is my intent to see that VHBA provides it members with both the resources and the support needed for them to meet the legal needs of the community, thus fulfilling the mission of VHBA.

The mission of the VHBA is service to the legal community and the public; we seek to make improvements in the justice system and to promote equal access, equal treatment and equal opportunity in the legal system regardless of race, gender, color, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry or religion. This shall be done through an exchange of ideas and studies that will help to improve the various business and technical aspects of the legal practice of the members who then pass that knowledge on to the local community.

Therefore, if you are not a member; please know that to accomplish our mission, we need you! But we hope to give back to you as well.  We seek to help you to become the best professional possible with as many windows of opportunity available to you as possible by providing the following:

• At least one training per year to assist with either a business or technical aspect of your practice catered to the needs of membership.
• An opportunity to give back to the community at large with at least two events catered to issues affecting the community at large.
• News and updates on job opportunities available in the legal community.
• A small but significant referral base of potential clients within the local and Greater Detroit community.
• A host of networking opportunities within Washtenaw County and the Greater Detroit Area based upon VHBA networking with other organization.
• A warm environment in which to voice your concerns and seek remedies to those concerns.
• A host of other opportunities that benefit new attorneys and seasoned attorneys alike.

If you are already a member, please consider becoming more active by attending our meetings which are generally held on the third Thursday of every month.  If you are not a member, please consider this your personal invitation to become of part of VHBA. I look forward to meeting you at one of our events this year and please contact me if you have any questions.

Erane Washington

VHBA President