Founded on July 5, 1984, the Metropolitan Black Bar Association (MBBA) was created upon the merger of two of the nation's oldest Black bar organizations, the Harlem Lawyers Association and the Bedford Stuyvesant Lawyers Association. For over sixty years, the Harlem Lawyers Association (founded 1921) and the Bedford Stuyvesant Lawyers Association (founded 1933) provided a voice for Black legal professionals and their communities. The MBBA proudly continues the rich legacy of these constituent organizations.

Today, the MBBA is comprised of Black attorneys in both the public and private sectors, as well as judges and other public officials. The MBBA is an affiliate of the National Bar Association and is governed by a twenty-two member Board of Directors. Its daily operations are managed by its President and six additional elected officers. The purpose of the MBBA is to aid the progress of attorneys of color, and to assist the progress of the legal profession generally. The MBBA serves all of the counties of the Greater New York metropolitan area.

The MBBA sponsors lectures and seminars on Tax Amnesty, Haywood Burns Memorial, Affirmative Action, Immigration Law, Attorney Disciplinary Procedures, Criminal Justice, Jury Selection, Entertainment Law, Guardian/Receivership Training, Surrogate Court Practice and Procedure, Labor Law, Estate Planning and other matters. Members may also qualify for scholarships for continuing legal education courses.

Other activities include programs geared to potential and current law students and mentoring high school students. The Metropolitan Black Bar Association Scholarship Fund, Inc., an independent non-profit corporation, raises funds and grants scholarships to minority law students.