Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Craig S. Strong was inducted into the National Bar Association’s Hall of Fame at its 90th Annual Convention in California last month.
“I look at the NBA as being a great organization and when you are a part of an organization that has such legacy and history it is humbling,” said Strong. “It is great and an honor to be mentioned in the same company as Damon Keith, Chris Brown, Anna Taylor and some other prominent Black pillars of law.”
The NBA was founded in 1924 and is the largest and oldest nationally recognized network of predominantly African-American law professionals. The association bolsters numbers unlike any comparable organizations.
“(NBA) It has 84 affiliate chapters throughout the United States and affiliations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Africa Morocco and the Caribbean,” according to the NBA website. “It represents a professional network of more than 20,000 lawyers, judges, educators and law students.”
Strong is a director of the Wolverine Bar Association and is a founding member of the Association of Black Judges of Michigan. He served as president of the Association of Black Judges of Michigan.
The judge’s work in the community beyond the bench was equally valued in his nomination to the NBA Hall of Fame. Strong is known for his classroom visits to local schools, guest speaking engagements and community activism.
“It also says the work you are doing in the community and for the youth has worth,” he said. “Our focus is on the number of kids enrolled in law school and making sure the graduation rates are higher than they have been.”
He has also served on the National Bar Association Board of Governors, and is former chair of the Judicial Council. Strong is a Michigan State University law school graduate.
“This award and honor is really encouraging,” he said. “It motivates me to do more.”
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