The International Academy of Trial Lawyers honors Juneteenth and the enduring promise of freedom, equality, and justice under the law.
On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved people were free. The law had spoken, but freedom still required enforcement.
That lesson remains urgent today.
Racism has no place in a just society. The mission of the Academy is to protect and promote the Rule of Law. It remains committed to ensuring that the law protects the rights and dignity of every person not only in promise, but also in practice.
About the Academy
The International Academy of Trial Lawyers (the Academy) is a fellowship of lawyers with a singular mission: to protect and promote the Rule of Law. Founded in 1954, the Academy is composed of distinguished trial lawyers recognized for skill, experience, ethics, and civility. It includes both plaintiff and defense counsel in civil litigation, as well as prosecutors and defense lawyers in criminal cases. The Academy includes trial lawyers from the United States, Canada, and more than 30 other countries. Fellowship is by invitation only. Nominees must have distinguished themselves through careers defined by exceptional trial skills, professionalism, and integrity. They become Fellows only after a rigorous vetting process that includes both peer and judicial review.