For more than four decades, Franklin M. Lee, Esquire has helped shape and safeguard the legal and policy foundation of economic opportunity for minority-owned businesses in the United States. A true vanguard, visionary, and relentless warrior for justice, Franklin has stood at the epicenter of the nation’s most consequential legal battles affecting Minority Business Enterprise programs. His leadership in landmark appellate and U.S. Supreme Court cases, most notably Croson and Adarand, helped determine whether economic inclusion policies would withstand constitutional scrutiny, preserving the pathways through which minority businesses could participate in public contracting nationwide.
As former Chief Counsel to the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education Fund (MBELDEF), and later as a partner at Tydings, Franklin consistently chose principle over personal gain by advising governments, corporations, and entrepreneurs while defending and advancing policies that opened doors for thousands of minority- and women-owned firms.
Importantly, Franklin remains a warrior on the battlefield today, fully aware that the fight for equity is ongoing and that hard-won gains must be continually defended. His contributions will stand the test of time, not only for what he has achieved, but for his unwavering resolve to continue the struggle. During the 100th Anniversary of Black History Month, we proudly salute Franklin Lee, our Defender of Justice.