Vanita Banks is the 65th President of the National Bar Association (NBA), the oldest and largest national association of predominately African American lawyers and judges. Vanita will serve as the Chief Executive Officer and spokesperson for the NBA which is the voice of over 45,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students. She is only the second female attorney from corporate America to be elected as NBA President, and the 9th female since the organization was founded in 1925.

Vanita earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law in Valparaiso, Indiana, and L.L.M. in Taxation from DePaul College of Law in Chicago, Illinois.

Vanita began her professional career with the Chicago office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She subsequently accepted a faculty position with DePaul University School of Law, teaching first-year legal research and writing, appellate advocacy, and served on a committee that expanded the legal writing curriculum.

Vanita later joined Chicago-based CaldweIl & Hubbard, representing corporate and individual clients in state, federal and bankruptcy courts, and before the Internal Revenue Service. She also counseled corporate and individual clients regarding business law and tax matters.

Vanita is currently Counsel with Allstate Insurance Company where she specializes in complex insurance, employment and class action law and litigation. She has extensive experience in labor and employment law, including employee and independent contractor matters and development of corporate policy for electronic communications and commerce, and OSHA compliance.

Vanita is a founding member of the Allstate Law & Regulation Department Diversity Committee that launched a successful Minority Summer Law Internship program, now in its 7th year. She recently led the implementation of a high school pipeline initiative with Allstate's preferred outside counsel and Street Law, Inc. In managing outside counsel, Vanita has helped stimulate an increase in Allstate's use of minority firms and attorneys of color in majority firms. Vanita served as a member of the Law & Regulation Information Technology Team which received the Allstate Chairman's Quality Award, its highest employee recognition designation.

Vanita is a Fellow of the Life Management Institute, (FLMI) and is a graduate of Menttium, a national corporate mentoring and development program for high potential female professionals. She is a frequent participant on local and national professional panels regarding her practice areas and diversity.

Vanita has served in many capacities with the NBA, including as Vice President of Membership, and as Co-Chair of the NBA Hurricane Katrina Task Force, appointed by NBA Past President Reginald M. Turner, Jr. to provide pro bono legal assistance to Hurricane Katrina survivors. She is a past Chair of the NBA Corporate Law Section, and member of the NBA Executive Committee. Vanita served as Special Counsel to NBA Past President Kim Keenan and prior to that, the late Clyde E. Bailey, Sr. Vanita has served as a member of the Board of the National Bar Institute. She has served as Chair of the NBA Issues and Resolutions Committee, Finance and Fundraising Committee, and Strategic Planning Committee.

In 2006, Vanita was designated a Purdue University Old Master. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association, Black Women Lawyers of Chicago and North Shore Labor Counsel. Her civic and community involvement also include memberships in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, The Links, Incorporated, and Hawthorn Woods Women's Club. She serves on the Board of Directors of The Black Women's Agenda, and recently received the Women Making History Award from the National Council of Negro Women, Chicago-Midwest Chapter. Vanita is married to James R. Bly.

 

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