Photo courtesy of freerangephotos.com
Since our country’s inception, black women have been instrumental in shaping the law of the land. They overcame racial and gender barriers to become lawyers and judges, while using their influence to enact laws for the greater good of society. One legal eagle – a former slave – never went to law school, but possessed the innate ability to present oral arguments before the Supreme Court. These trailblazers reshaped the legal landscape in their pursuit of liberty and justice for all.
Charlotte Ray
Charlotte Ray has the distinction of being the first black female lawyer in the United States. In 1869, she applied for admission to Howard University’s Law School under the name “C.E. Ray” since the university discouraged women from applying to law school. When Ray graduated from Howard in 1872 with a degree in commercial law, she was the first black woman – and only the third female in the United States – to receive a law degree. That same year, she also became the first woman admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia.
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Born in 1908, Jane Matilda Bolin accomplished many firsts in her lifetime. In 1924, at the age of 16, she became one of two black women admitted to Wellesley College. After graduation, she applied to and was accepted by Yale Law School. When she graduated in 1931, she was the first black woman to graduate from Yale’s School of Law. In 1937, she became the first black female hired as Assistant Corporate Counsel for the City of New York. In 1939, New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia swore Bolin in as the first black female judge in the United States.
Photo courtesy of James Logan Courier
Lucy Terry Prince
Lucy Terry Prince is remembered by many historians as the first black woman to compose a poem. However, her contributions extend far beyond poetry. Kidnapped from her native Africa, Prince was sold into slavery in the United States, and in 1756, she married a wealthy free man who purchased her freedom. In 1785, when neighboring whites threatened her family, Prince successfully petitioned the Vermont governor and state court for protection. On another occasion, when a neighbor tried to steal the family’s land, she argued before the Supreme Court against two of the state’s prominent lawyers – one of whom would later become the state’s chief justice – and won the case. This marked the first time that a black woman had ever presented oral arguments before the Supreme Court.
Photo courtesy of the Robinson Library
Lutie Lytle
In 1897, Lutie Lytle was admitted to the Criminal Court in Memphis, Tennessee, making her the first black woman licensed to practice law in the state, and only the third black female lawyer in the United States. Within the month, she moved to Kansas and became the first black female admitted to the Kansas bar. At the time, the previous two black female lawyers were both deceased, making Lytle the only black female practicing law in the United States. In 1898, she joined the faculty at Central Tennessee College, becoming the only female law instructor in the world.
Photo courtesy of BlackPast.org
Elaine R Jones
In 1967, after spending two years in the Peace Corps teaching English in Turkey, Elaine Jones applied to the University of Virginia’s Law School. She was one of seven females and two blacks accepted that year. Jones was the first black woman to graduate with a law degree from the school, and in 1970, she went to work for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF). In 1972, Jones was counsel in Furman v. Georgia, a landmark Supreme Court decision that abolished the death penalty in 37 states. In 1993, Jones became the first female director-counsel and president of the LDF, a position once held by Thurgood Marshall. She was also the first black person to serve on the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association.
Photo courtesy of New York Daily News
Constance Baker Motley
Constance Baker Motley broke many legal and political barriers throughout her lifetime. After graduating from Columbia University Law School in 1946, she worked as a lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF), where she was the only female on the team that successfully argued against school segregation in Brown vs. Board of Education. Motley was also the lead counsel in James Meredith’s fight to integrate the University of Mississippi. She went on to win 9 of the 10 cases she argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1964, Motley was the first black female elected to the New York State senate, and in 1965, she was the first black female to become president of the Manhattan borough. In 1966, Motley was appointed to a judgeship for the Southern District of New York, making her the first black female judge on the federal bench. In 1982, she became the first black woman to serve as chief judge.
Photo courtesy of Oberlin University
Jewel Lafontant
In 1936, Jewel Lafontant became the first black woman to earn a law degree from the University of Chicago, and enjoyed an illustrious legal and political career. Under President Dwight Eisenhower, she became the first black woman to service as Assistant U.S. Attorney. During President Nixon’s administration, Lafontant was the first black female Deputy Solicitor General in the Justice Department, where she presented cases before the Supreme Court. In President George H.W. Bush’s administration, Lafontant worked in the State Department as both ambassador at large and coordinator for refugee affairs. She died in 1997 at the age of 75.
