According to the American Bar Association’s 2022 National Lawyer Population Survey, Black people make up only 4.5% of attorneys in the United States. This number has remained near constant for nearly a decade. The Thurgood Marshall Bar Association (TMBA) is committed to changing this narrative by supporting Black students and attorneys in the Orange County legal community. TMBA emphasizes excellence and integrity in the practice of law, increased diversity, multi-culturalism, and community service.
The namesake of TMBA, Thurgood Marshall, was the 96th Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was also the first Black Justice on the United States Supreme Court. Even before his appointment to the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall made lasting contributions to civil rights jurisprudence through his advocacy. He is probably most well known for being the lead attorney in Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark decision that abolished the archaic standard of “separate but equal” by holding that that laws requiring racial separation are inherently unequal.
Kahana Feld Partner, Cinnamon J. Carr has served on the Board for TMBA for two years. At this year’s Installation Dinner and Gala on March 14, 2024, she will be installed as Parliamentarian. Ms. Carr believes that promoting and supporting Black attorneys is paramount. When she started her legal practice in California in 2013, she was often the only Black attorney in the room. “It can feel a bit daunting to be the only person who looks like you when you walk into the courtroom or boardroom. But TMBA is a place where attorneys who share a common thread can meet, socialize, and support each other.” This year’s theme for TMBA is “Black Excellence,” which will celebrate and honor Black attorneys, past, present, and future.
Cinnamon J. Carr, Esq. is an experienced litigator, with a focus on insurance defense catastrophic injury and wrongful death matters. Ms. Carr has represented a variety of clients in State and Federal Court. Ms. Carr has also conducted pre-litigation investigations on behalf on many clients. Ms. Carr has experience handling general liability matters, medical malpractice, professional liability, and appellate matters.
In her free time, Ms. Carr enjoys cooking and spending time with her pugs, Vivvy and Meri.