NEWS RELEASE
February 25, 2019
Contact: Lauren Butz at (502) 583-5314 or lbutz@loubar.org
Louisville Bar to Recognize Senator Gerald A. Neal
LOUISVILLE: On Thursday, February 28, the Louisville Bar Association’s Diversity Committee will hold a reception to honor Sen. Gerald A. Neal for his contributions to the promotion of racial diversity and justice within the legal community and beyond.
Sen. Neal, who represents the 33rd district in the Kentucky Senate, will be presented with the Justice William E. McAnulty Jr. Trailblazer Award, named for the first African-American to serve on the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Sen. Neal, a graduate of the University of Louisville School of Law, was elected to the Kentucky Senate in 1989, becoming the first African American male to serve in that body. Returned to Frankfort at every subsequent election, he is now the longest serving African American member of the Kentucky General Assembly.
A strong advocate for senior citizens, youth, minorities and the disadvantaged and a staunch supporter of education, economic development, healthcare and penal code reform, he sponsored legislation amending the Kentucky Constitution to remove segregation by race, prohibit racial profiling by law enforcement and prevent the execution of a person when evidence shows racial bias in prosecution. He was recently chosen as parliamentarian of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.
During the program, Central High School Law & Government essay contest winners and the recipient of this year’s Legal Opportunity Scholarship will also be recognized.
The ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will take place on February 28 at 5:00 p.m. at the Louisville Bar Center (600 W. Main St., Ste.110) immediately following the LBA’s Black History Month program which begins at 3:00 p.m. and features a screening of the biopic Marshall about future U.S. Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall’s involvement in a racially-charged criminal case early in his career as an NAACP lawyer.
About the Louisville Bar Association
The Louisville Bar Association is Kentucky’s oldest continuously operating bar association and is among the 40 largest local bars in the country with over 3,000 members and subscribers. The association’s mission is to promote justice and professional excellence and respect for the law, improve public access to the judicial system, provide law-related services to the community, and serve its members.
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