It is a profound honor to serve as CABL’s 50th President. I am grateful to stand on the shoulders of the 49 presidents before me — and especially to Immediate Past President Tamara Michael, whose leadership positioned this organization beautifully for this milestone year.

You may know that another Stephen King built a celebrated career writing about ordinary people facing extraordinary darkness — and finding the courage to stand firm anyway. That is CABL’s story too. Except the darkness we confront is not fiction. It lives in courtrooms where justice is denied, in communities where votes are suppressed, and in a system that too often fails the people it was built to serve. For 49 years, CABL has been rewriting that story. This year, we press on.

Our theme — Standing Firm As We Press On — is not decorative. It is a directive. It is personal to me. Forty-six years ago, my grand uncle, President William R. Tolbert Jr. of Liberia, was assassinated during a military coup. Knowing the end was near, he put on his inaugural suit and met his fate with dignity. He did not run. He stood firm. On April 12, 2026 — 46 years to the day — I assumed this presidency. His sacrifice is my purpose.

Three pillars will guide our work this year:

• Voting Rights — The franchise remains under siege. CABL will challenge voter suppression in the courts, in the legislature, and in our communities.
• Civil Rights — The struggle evolved; it did not end. We will fight for criminal justice reform, police accountability, equitable education, fair housing, and economic opportunity — and name systemic racism wherever it operates.
• Continuing CABL’s Legacy — Fifty years of transforming the California judiciary. Fifty years of producing leaders who shaped the law at the highest levels. We honor that legacy by doubling down on mentorship, judicial diversity, and coalition building — and ensuring CABL is not just in the conversation on justice in California, but leading it.

Thurgood Marshall said a lawyer is either a social engineer or a parasite on society. At CABL, that choice has never been in doubt. The work continues. The struggle persists. And CABL will lead.

Stand Firm As We Press On.

Stephen A. King, Esq.
50th President, California Association of Black Lawyers | 2026–2027