More than a century ago on January 13, 1900, Edward J. McDermott gathered a group of lawyers and elected James S. Pirtle as their chairman. A committee chaired by McDermott prepared the group's constitution and bylaws, and Pirtle was eventually elected to serve as the association's first president. There were 178 charter members.
Today the association remains strong and vibrant with more than 2,200 members making it among the 40 largest local bars in the country.
A board of directors, elected annually, governs the Louisville Bar Association. The Association moved into its current headquarters at 600 W. Main St., Ste. 110 in 1998.
