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JGO Launches National Jewish Bar Association

New initiative grows out of JGO’s 15 years of building Jewish community on grad campuses and aims to support Jewish legal professionals from law school through senior partnership

New York, NY | Aug. 17, 2026 | The Jewish Grad Organization (JGO), the movement for Jewish grad students, has launched the National Jewish Bar Association (NJBA): a new network designed to support, connect, and strengthen the Jewish legal community across North America for legal professionals at all stages of career, from law student to senior partner.

This initiative is the natural outgrowth of JGO’s 15 year history of supporting and building community and mentorship for Jewish law students at nearly 100 law schools across the country, and represents continued engagement for JGO’s constituency of thousands of law school alumni.

The NJBA will create opportunities for Jewish attorneys, law students, jurists, law professors, and other legal professionals to build meaningful relationships, strengthen their professional networks, engage with Jewish legal content, access mentorship and professional development, and better align their professional lives with their Jewish values.

“Our job doesn’t end when someone gets their J.D.,” said Rabbi Dave Sorani, CEO of JGO. “For 15 years, we’ve been building a home for Jewish law students at every stage of their journey. We’ve seen firsthand how meaningful that community can be, and we know that need doesn’t disappear when someone graduates. The NJBA is our way of continuing that work for the lawyers they become.”

The initiative comes at a particularly important moment for Jewish legal professionals. In recent years, Jewish attorneys and law students have faced new challenges related to antisemitism, Jewish identity, and professional life, while Jewish affinity groups and local bar associations across the country have taken on increasingly important roles within firms and communities.

The NJBA aims to strengthen that existing ecosystem rather than replace it.

“Our goal in building a national network is to supplement and support the Jewish affinity groups and bar associations already doing good work,” said Sorani. “We want to do it the JGO way: mostly behind the scenes, bringing the right people together, and constantly asking, ‘How can we help?’”

The NJBA will offer programming and opportunities for Jewish legal professionals and allies at every stage of their careers, including networking events, speaker series, mentorship and career development, support and resources for Jewish affinity groups in law firms, continuing legal education (CLE) programs, Judaic enrichment, and law school programs.

Sara Scheinbach, JGO’s National Director of Legal Engagement, is spearheading the NJBA and its programming.

“Jewish attorneys and law students should have a place where they can build relationships with others who share their Jewish identity, learn from exceptional professionals, and think together about what it means to bring Jewish values into their professional lives,” said Scheinbach. “The NJBA is about building those connections and making sure Jewish legal professionals know they have a community behind them.”

The NJBA is already rolling out programming including “A Rabbi Walks Into the Bar,” a monthly virtual lunch and learn series which explores the intersection of Jewish ideas and legal thought, led by Rabbi Matt Rosenberg, JD, NJBA’s Scholar in Residence and JGO’s Executive Vice President and Senior Rabbi. The first session takes place on September 17.

The NJBA invites all interested individuals to become founding members of the organization to support this initiative in its early stages. Learn more at gojgo.org/njba.

About the National Jewish Bar Association

The National Jewish Bar Association (NJBA) is a national network for Jewish attorneys, law students, and legal professionals across North America. An initiative of the Jewish Grad Organization (JGO), the NJBA provides opportunities for professional development, networking, Jewish community, leadership, mentorship, and engagement for Jewish legal professionals at every stage of their careers. The NJBA also seeks to support and strengthen the Jewish legal organizations and affinity groups already serving the community.

Learn more: www.gojgo.org/njba

About the Jewish Grad Organization

The Jewish Grad Organization is the national movement for Jewish graduate students and alumni. Our mission is to support the Jewish identity of graduate students on campus and develop Jewish leaders at a pivotal stage. Since 2011, JGO has built a network of Jewish affinity clubs at 170+ campuses across North America, run more than 950 programs a year, trained a generation of young Jewish leaders, and impacted the lives of more than 50,000 individuals.

Learn more: www.gojgo.org

Media Contact

Lyba Pinson
Jewish Grad Organization
lpinson@gojgo.org
718.930.7237
gojgo.org