Austin L. Fickling facts for kids

Austin LeCount Fickling (May 11, 1914 – March 6, 1977) was a very important judge. He made history as the first African-American judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. This court is the highest court for Washington, D.C..

Austin L. Fickling: Early Life and Education

Austin Fickling was born and grew up in Washington, D.C.. He went to Dunbar High School, which was a well-known school. After high school, he studied at Miner Teachers College. Later, he earned his law degree from Terrell Law School.

Fighting for Fairness

Mr. Fickling was a member of the D.C. branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). This group works to make sure everyone has equal rights. In the 1940s, he worked on several legal cases to fight for fairness. For example, he tried to change how juries were chosen in some property cases in D.C. Even though the court knew that no African-American person or white woman had ever been on these juries, they said there was no illegal discrimination. This shows how hard he worked to challenge unfair rules.

A Pioneer in the Courts

In 1954, Austin Fickling became an Assistant United States Attorney in Washington, D.C. This meant he worked for the government to handle legal cases.

Becoming a Judge

• In 1956, President Eisenhower chose him to be a judge on the D.C. Municipal Court. This court was an early version of today's Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
• Later, in 1967, President Johnson nominated him to the appeals court. This was a big moment because Mr. Fickling was the first African-American person ever nominated to an appeals court in D.C.
• The court was growing from three judges to six, and he became one of its new members.
• He served on this important court until he passed away in 1977. He was one of the longest-serving judges on that court.

Austin L. Fickling's work helped open doors for many others in the legal world.