Uncrowned Community Builders

In an historic vote on June 8, 2001, David L. Edmunds, Jr. became the first African American to be elected President of the Bar Association of Erie County in the 120-year history of the professional organization of more than 3,700 member lawyers and judges. This is the largest bar association in New York State outside the metropolitan New York area.

David Edmundsââ?¬â?¢ career is distinguished by a commitment to the advancement of minority attorneys in the legal profession. He served as President of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York for three terms. He is a two-time recipient of their Lawyer Service Award and the first recipient of their Trailblazer Award. He is a member of the Executive Committee, the Special Committee on the Civil Rights agenda and the House of Delegates of the New York State Bar Association. He previously served as Chair of the Associationââ?¬â?¢s Civil Rights Committee and Committee on Minorities in the Profession. He serves, by appointment, on the Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commission.

Attorney Edmunds is Special Counsel at Phillips Lytle LLP, Buffalo, New York. As part of the firmââ?¬â?¢s Trial/Litigation Group, he focuses his practice in the areas of ethics and professional responsibility, and civil litigation defense. He previously served as Chief Counsel to the Attorney Grievance Committees of the Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department where he was responsible for the investigation and prosecution of complaints of attorney professional misconduct.

Edmunds received his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester and earned his law degree from Case Western Reserve University, where he was vice-president of the law schoolââ?¬â?¢s alumni association and its board of governors. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and District Court of the New York State Supreme Court, Fourth Judicial Department.

Edmunds was a partner in the Buffalo law firm of Damon & Morey where his practice focused on personal injury, products, professional and municipal liability, and medical malpractice claims. He had previously served as a deputy Attorney General in charge of the Buffalo office of the state Department of Law. He began his legal career as a Reginald Heber Smith Community Law Fellow at Neighborhood Legal Services in Buffalo.

Active in the Buffalo community, Edmunds is noted for his dedication to the Buffalo community. He has served on the boards of numerous organizations including: City of Buffalo Human Relations Committee, Geneva B. Scruggs Health Center, Arts Council of Buffalo, Shiloh Housing Development Corporation, the National Conference, the Erie County College Citizens Advisory Council, Housing Opportunities Made Equal, and Gateway/Longview Youth Services. He is a member of Leadership Buffalo and is a life member of the NAACP. Business First and the Buffalo Law Journal have recognized him for his leadership in their annual listing of ââ?¬Å?Whoââ?¬â?¢s Who in the Law.ââ?¬ He is a former columnist on the law for the ââ?¬Å?Buffalo Challengerââ?¬. He is a Trustee of the Childrenââ?¬â?¢s Foundation and the First Shiloh Baptist Church and of Medaille College. He is a member of Alpha Kappa Boule and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity.