March 26 - 29, 2026 in San Diego, CA
46th Gertrude E. Rush Conference and Awards Gala and Spring General Counsel Invitational
Program Agenda
Thursday, March 26, 2026
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM – Welcome to San Diego
Registration + Membership Lounge
12:00 PM - 3:30 PM – NBA Board of Governors Meeting
Gathering of the NBA’s leadership to set vision and direction for the year ahead.
5:15 PM – 6:45 PM - Town Hall
7:30 PM – 9:30 PM - Welcome Reception
10:00 PM – Late
Sisterhood & Brotherhood Hospitality Suites
Friday, March 27, 2026
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
A New Constitutional Moment — Black Lawyers, Democracy & State Power
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
The New Constitutional Battlefield: Voting Rights, Gender Justice, State Power & the Small Business
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Face Recognition, AI Hiring, Predictive Policing & the New Jim "Code"
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
The Law of Black Women Living and Dying: Maternal Mortality, Hospitals, Medicaid and Medical Neglect
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Mastering Our Trials: Scenario-based Strategy & Storytelling in Today's Courtroom
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Power, Money & Risk: Black General Counsel Leading Through Crisis
12:00 PM – 1:45 PM
Heman Sweatt Awards Luncheon
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
Own The Paperwork: Image Rights, NIL, Streaming, Film Deals & Music Royalties for Black Creators
2:15 PM – 3:15 PM
Executive Crisis Simulation (Scenario-Based)
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Black Mothers of the Movement — Body, Grief, Memory, and Leadership
5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
GC + Partners Leadership Reception
7:00 PM – Late
Live Band + DJ
Saturday, March 28, 2026
9:00 AM – 10:15 AM
Presidential Showcase: Black Women, Power & the Constitution
10:30 AM – 11:45 AM
Keynote: Patricia Russell-McCloud
We Heal Forward: Sisterhood, Mentorship, Preparation & Forgiveness
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM - Sisterhood & Legacy Luncheon
Ritual + Mentorship Matching
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM
President-Elect James Carter's Planning Meeting
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
From the Court to the Courtroom — Youth & Pipeline Cultural Showcase
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
VIP Red Carpet + Reception
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
The 46th Gertrude E. Rush Awards Gala
10:30 PM – Late
Afterglow Scholarship Fundraiser Party