NBA NEWS BRIEF National Bar Association, 1225 11th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 Contact: Marthea Davis 202-842-3900 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CORPORATE COUNSEL ELECTED PRESIDENT-ELECT OF NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION Washington, DC (September 5, 2006) …Vanita Banks, Counsel, Allstate Insurance Company, Northbrook, Illinois, was sworn in as President-Elect of the National Bar Association (NBA) on August 11, 2006. Banks is only the second female attorney from corporate America to be elected as NBA President since the organization was founded in 1925. Banks, an experienced corporate counsel and dedicated community advocate, was elected to the position of President-Elect of the National Bar Association during it's 81st Annual Convention, held August 5-12, 2006, at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, MI. She will assume the position of the 65th President at the National Bar Association's Annual Convention to be held July 28 - August 4, 2007 in Atlanta, GA. "It is very rewarding and humbling to realize that so many people whose opinions I so highly regard, see the same path as I do in the NBA's future," said Banks. "Civic groups, professional and fraternal organizations comprised of people of color have never been so powerful, and at the same time, so needed. The National Bar Association is the natural nexus for cooperative efforts among organizations committed to the uplift of our communities." Banks has a long-standing record of tireless dedication to increasing diversity in the legal profession. As a founding member of the Allstate Law & Regulation Department Diversity Committee, her accomplishments include a summer internship program that provides learning and employment opportunities for minority law school students, and a collaborative effort with Allstate's Premier Law Firms that includes working with minority high school students to promote legal career opportunities, mentoring college and law school students, participating in minority job fairs, and providing scholarships. Banks said she plans to support current NBA President Linnes Finney's goals of leading by example. "Leaders show their commitment through their works, and Linnes' commitment to serve this organization and our community shows up in results." Previous to this position, she held the position of NBA Vice President for membership and served several terms as Chair of the NBA Corporate Law Section. Banks earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Purdue University and her Juris Doctor from The Valparaiso University School of Law. She also received an L.L.M. in Taxation from DePaul. Banks was recently designated a Purdue University Old Master and is a member of the American Bar Association, Cook County Bar Association, Black Women Lawyers of Chicago and North Shore Labor Counsel. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and The Links, Incorporated. Vanita Banks resides in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois with her husband, businessman James Bly, also a graduate of Purdue University.   The National Bar Association is the oldest and largest organization of attorneys and judges of color in the world. The NBA was founded in 1925, and today represents over 20,000 lawyers, judges, legal scholars and law students internationally.
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