The Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA) has announced the start of the terms of its Jamaican-American president Carl Forbes, Jr. and its 2022-2023 officers and directors.
Officers: President – Carl Forbes Jr., Esq. ; President-elect – Nicole Lester Arrindell, Esq. ; Vice President, Finance – Eric A. Love, Esq. ; Vice President, Membership – Lauren Brown, Esq. ; Vice President, Programs – Evette C. Ennis, Esq. ; Treasurer – Anta Cissé-Green, Esq. ; and General Counsel – Jennifer V. Abelaj, Esq.
Directors: Hon. Inga O’Neale (Class of 2023); Mirlande Telfort, Esq. (Class of 2023); Camille Joseph Varlack, Esq. (Class of 2024); Monsurat M. Adebanjo, Esq. (Class of 2025); Tanya N. Blocker, Esq. (Class of 2025);Esther B. Cadjus, Esq. (Class of 2025); Jomaire Crawford, Esq. (Class of 2025); Luwick Francois, Esq. (Class of 2025); Phillip C. Hamilton, Esq. (Class of 2025); and Jennifer L. Taiwo, Esq. (Class of 2025).
Forbes, a Brooklyn resident, has been an MBBA member since 2011 and has served on the MBBA Board of Directors for five years.
Most recently, Forbes served as president-elect under outgoing president Anta Cissé-Green, in addition to serving as co-president of the Solo and Small Firm division, from July 2020 to June 2022.
Previously, Forbes served as a director from July 2017 to June 2020 under the terms of former presidents Paula T. Edgar and Jason M. Clark.
Forbes is the founder and principal attorney of Carl Forbes Jr. Law Firm PLLC, a New York City boutique law firm focused on real estate, estate planning, estate and estate administration, and real estate litigation. . He is also an experienced real estate investor and licensed real estate broker.
Forbes is also Of Counsel to Hamilton Clarke, LLP, a litigation firm in New York.
Previously, he worked as an assistant professor of law at New York Law School, where he co-taught Pretrial Advocacy and Negotiating, Counseling & Interviewing, as a senior associate in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution department of the firm of international attorneys Proskauer Rose LLP, and as a Special Associate Corporate Counsel in the Office of Corporate Counsel, New York City Law Department, Brooklyn Tort and Manhattan Family Court Divisions.
“It is a tremendous honor and privilege to serve as President of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association, New York State’s largest predominantly black bar association,” Forbes said. “I welcome and congratulate our newly elected officers and trustees, with whom I and returning trustees look forward to working closely together to serve our members and the community.
“My administration looks forward to continuing the MBBA’s mission to advance equality and excellence in the pursuit of justice,” he added. “From Buffalo to Uvalde, and far too many places in between, hatred has been allowed to fester and cause horrific tragedies. It is time for that to change.
“Although the federal government has been slow to act, we cannot be discouraged and must continue to push for change,” Forbes continued. “Our roles as advocates and leaders demand that we stand up for social justice and an end to mass gun violence.
“We must continue the fight for the rule of law and the search for justice,” he said. “Our fight is fueled by the hope given to us every day when a monumental feat is accomplished: the historic confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States; the long-awaited passage of the Emmett Till anti-lynching law; recognition of June 19 as a federal holiday; the convictions of the three men who committed a racist hate crime when they murdered Ahmaud Arbery; the conviction of the police officer who murdered George Floyd; and the appearance of three black women justices, Associate Justice Wavny Toussaint, Associate Justice Chereé Antoinette Buggs, and Presiding Justice Michelle Weston, on a bench to hear cases together in the New York Supreme Court, appeal duration, second judicial department.
Even so, Forbes said black Americans face “a cruel reality rooted in systemic oppression: We remain the targets of unjust policing and incarceration, are subject to racial disparities in health care and have yet to achieve the economic equity promised by the American dream.
He said his theme for this Year of the Bar is “Expanding Our Reach,” which, he said, “we will achieve by improving the resources and education we provide to our members, expanding our advocacy in matters of legislative and public policy, deepening our service to the community, and protecting our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health.
“These goals can only be achieved through the collective support of our members and partners, as many hands do light work,” Forbes said. “If you are not already a member, I encourage you to join today.”
The MBBA, a unified, citywide association of black lawyers and other minority lawyers, is the largest predominantly black bar association in New York State whose goal is to advance equality and excellence in the pursuit of justice, to aid the progress of black people and other people of color in the profession. , solve legal problems affecting the community throughout the city and foster the study of law by encouraging the personal and professional development of young lawyers and law students.
For more information, including details on how to join MBBA or renew membership, visit its website at: https://www.mbbanyc.org.
