In 1959, Alfred Rathblott, LPBA’s first president, had the creative impulse to organize an association of flying lawyers. The nine lawyer-pilots who signed the Articles of Incorporation were Merrill Armour, William G. Freemen, Howard G. Law. Jr., Alfred R. Pierce, David C. Quinn, Albert Rathblott, Frank Kingston Smith, Stuart M. Speiser, and Alfred L. Wolf. They were insightful lawyers and aviators who perceived the need for an association wherein lawyer pilots might find the expressions of their aspirations in an atmosphere of aviation fellowship. LPBA’s original name was the Legal Eagles Association. Two months after being incorporated, twenty-one flying lawyers attended the first meeting of the corporation at Monticello, New York, on October 25, 1959.
The organization’s name was later changed to the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association. "Legal Eagles" was retained as a nickname and memorialized in the name of our LPBA’s Journal which for several years was called "Legal Eagle News."
In 1965, by amendment to the Articles of Incorporation, we became a bar association, the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association, and later the "News" became the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association Journal.
In the years since, the organization has enjoyed a large, recurring membership populated by many well-known aviation attorneys and industry experts. Several members are second and third-generation LPBA. We hope our future members will help us build on this extensive history in the aviation industry. As such, our membership has opened over the years to include a broader range of individuals, each of whom contributes greatly to our organization's missions.
Clearly, there are non-pilot lawyers and others who shared our common interest and purpose and who were willing and able to make a significant contribution to the improvement of LPBA.
A hearty "welcoming aboard" is now given to all of our non-voting members, including lawyers who are not pilots, students currently attending law school, and any persons who have an interest in aviation safety or aviation law.
In 1965, the purposes of the corporation were rewritten as follows: (a) to encourage the knowledge and understanding of aviation law; to promote a spirit of fellowship within those of the legal profession who have the interests of both lawyer and a pilot in the science or administration of aviation law; (b) to promote cooperation with governmental and other organizations so as to enhance general aviation safety and to offer to both governmental and civil agencies, the special knowledge and skill of its members so as to assist such agencies in the performance of their functions in the development of aviation law.
There are three more, unwritten but equally important, purposes of the Association. They are: the continuing legal education of our lawyer members, the pursuit of good times, and the fellowship we have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy together.
To achieve the Association's educational purposes, semi-annual national meetings are held, winter and summer, at which well-known men and women come to speak on subjects that are topical at the moment. The speakers come from diversified backgrounds: the bench and bar, industry, education, state and federal administrative bodies, and our own talented membership. The professional programs are prepared to gain CLE credit in aviation and non aviation fields of law. The national conventions have produced a host of speakers who have given stirring and informative talks.
Our semi-annual conventions always provide a great opportunity to get together with friends and colleagues from across the nation (and beyond!). Our conventions offer top-notch educational opportunities, both formal (CLE presentations) and informal (conversations, gatherings, meals, networking, etc.).
LPBA conventions are fun, and they always involve the camaraderie of a terrific group of people. Unlike most other professional associations, we encourage our members to bring their entire families to our conventions. If you haven’t attended an LPBA convention, please try to make it happen in the near future. You and your family will have an enjoyable time and meet some very interesting people who love aviation from around the globe. If you’ve attended in the past, but haven’t been to one recently, c’mon back. 
The well-written, informative articles published quarterly in the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association Journal provide members with topical developments in aviation and the law. Year-after-year, one of the most tangible rewards for your LPBA membership is your subscription to the outstanding LPBA Journal. The Journal is always filled with timely, interesting and informative articles.
One of our primary missions is to promote aviation safety. As digital information and systems are making aviation safer, we must strive to recognize and manage the new risks on the horizon. For instance, the rapid proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Systems (“UAS”; also known as drones or unmanned aerial vehicles) is creating a plethora of new risks and aviation safety challenges. As LPBA members, we have a unique opportunity and obligation to do all we can to make the dream of aviation — especially safe aviation — available to future generations. Our members play a crucial role in the many legal and/or privileges and responsibilities of flight. There is much work to be done, and it is inevitable that the members of the LPBA will play key roles in the future of aviation.
The LPBA continues to be successful because of its members. This is a very unique bar association with an incredibly diverse membership held together by our love of aviation.