46th Gertrude E. Rush Conference and Awards Gala
San Diego, CA | March 26-29, 2026
The Gertrude Rush Conference & Awards is one of the National Bar Association’s most inspiring traditions. It honors the legacy of Gertrude Elzora Durden Rush, the first African American woman admitted to the Iowa bar and the only woman among the NBA’s founders.
Each year, this signature event gathers visionaries, legal pioneers, and community leaders to celebrate those who carry forward Rush’s spirit of excellence, resilience, and unyielding commitment to justice. Through thought-provoking sessions, powerful keynotes, and the prestigious Gertrude Rush Awards Gala, the conference uplifts today’s champions of civil rights while preparing tomorrow’s leaders of the profession.
Set against the backdrop of San Diego, the 2025 Gertrude Rush Conference will not only honor history, it will make history. Join us as we celebrate trailblazers, confront today’s challenges, and chart a bold course for the future.
Full Board Meeting: Thursday, March 26, 2025, from 12:00 – 3:00 PM PST.
Special Guests
Sunny Hostin
Attorney, renowned multi-platform journalist, co-host of ABC’s The View and previously hosted The Truth About Murder with Sunny Hostin, five-time Emmy Award-winner, two-time New York Times best-selling author
Patricia Russell-McCloud
“Visual Speaking Experience”
Essence Top 10 Speakers in America
Former FCC Attorney, Author, and
11th President of The Links, Inc.
Raamla Mohamed
Emmy-nominated writer and co-executive producer of Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere; former Scandal writer, including iconic crossover
How to Get Away with Murder.
Spring General Counsel Invitational (Invite Only)
Beyond the Law: The GC as Enterprise Leader
San Diego, CA | March 27, 2026
Held alongside the NBA Mid-Year Meeting
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina
Convening the nation’s leading senior in-house counsel and Chief Legal Officers, this year’s Invitational is dedicated to candid dialogue on the pillars of modern leadership: institutional risk, capital strategy, and enduring legacy. This exclusive, curated forum and distinguished guest voices, explore how today’s General Counsel protects value, shapes narrative, and drives long-term impact.
The program agenda will be announced soon.
Law firm Sponsorships available for GCI
John Page
Chair, General Counsel Invitational
Chief Legal Officer, Golden State Foods
Agenda
46th Gertrude E. Rush Conference and Awards Gala
Thursday, March 26, 2026
| 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM | Registration + Membership Lounge |
| 12:00 PM – 3:30 PM | NBA Board of Governors Meeting |
| See San Diego! Member Site-Seeing Opportunity | |
| 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM | Poolside Welcome Reception |
| 10:00 PM – Until | Sisterhood & Brotherhood Hospitality Suites |
Friday, March 27, 2026
| 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Presidential Showcase (All Attend) Reframing the Narrative: Law, Race, and Who Gets to Tell the Story with Dr. Ekow Yankah |
| 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Closing the Gap: Legislative Strategies and Solutions for Black Maternal Health |
| 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM | The Lynching of Affirmative Action in America: A 360° Legal and Practical Analysis |
| 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Litigation Lab Mastering our Trials: Pathways, Mentorship, Wellness & Staying in the Profession |
| 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Artificial Intelligence and the Law: Who Owns it, Who Controls It, Who Pays For It – AI’s expanding role in sports and entertainment |
| 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | GC Invitational — Closed Door |
| 12:00 PM – 1:45 PM | Heman Sweatt Awards Luncheon featuring Sunny Hostin “Holding the Line: Law, Media, and the Responsibility to Tell the Truth” |
| 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM | From Pleadings to Proofs: Effective Settlement and Trial Preparation & Strategy in Family Law |
| 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM | Pillars of Hope: Why Every Lawyer Should Care About Expungement |
| 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM | Women in Mass Torts & Personal Branding |
| 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM | GC Invitational — Closed Door |
| 3:15 PM – 3:30 PM | Midday Mocktails & Mimosas |
| 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM | AI Ethics for the Solo Practitioner: Supervision, Sanctions, and Disclosures |
| 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM | Joint Reception sponsored by San Diego County Bar Association |
| 6:40 PM – Until | Take Me Out to the Ballgame: San Diego Padres v. Detroit Tigers Season Opener |
Saturday, March 28, 2026
| 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Breakfast |
| 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Leadership Development Institute |
| 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM | National Association of Women and Minority-Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) Expo |
| 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | Presidential Showcase: Where Are the 300,000? Black Women, Work, Power & the Disappearance That Rewrote America featuring Katica Roy |
| 10:10 AM – 11:10 AM | Keynote: Patricia Russell-McCloud — We Heal Forward: Sisterhood, Mentorship, Preparation & Unforgiveness |
| 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM | Lunch on Your Own (Ritual + Mentorship Matching) |
| 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Live from the Writer’s Room: From Reasonable Doubt to Cultural Truth Presidential Fireside Chat, All Attend —Raamla Mohamed + Shawn Holley (moderator) |
| 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Community Clinic: Powers of Attorney and Estate Planning Education |
| 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Expungement Clinic Criminal Law Section with the Pro Bono & Public Service Committee |
| 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM | Justice in Action: A Youth Extravaganza of Courage, Change and Legal Careers Gertrude Rush Planning Committee, Contact: Vickie Turner |
| 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | President-Elect James Carter’s Planning Meeting |
| 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | VIP Red Carpet + Reception |
| 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM | The 46th Gertrude E. Rush Awards Gala, location: Eve at Radd |
| 10:30 PM – Late | Afterglow Scholarship Fundraiser Party |
Don’t miss the NBA’s 101st Annual Convention!
Previous Sponsors
