Judith Nelson Dilday facts for kids

Judith Nelson Dilday (born in 1943) is an American lawyer and judge. She made history as the first person of color to be appointed as a judge in the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court. This court handles important family matters like adoptions and wills.

Early Life and Education

Judith Dilday grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her grandparents moved from Alabama to the North during a time called the Great Migration. This was when many African Americans moved from the southern states to the northern states looking for better opportunities and lives.

Judith Dilday studied French at the University of Pittsburgh and graduated in 1966. She also took more classes in French at Millersville State College. After college, she taught French in public schools in Pittsburgh for four years. Then, she moved to Boston. She decided to study law and attended the Boston University School of Law, graduating in 1972. While studying law, she met her husband, James Dilday, and they later had children.

A Trailblazing Legal Career

Judith Dilday started her career working as a lawyer for private companies and for the government. She became the first Black president of the Women's Bar Association from 1990 to 1991. She also worked at a law firm called Stern and Shapiro and for the Department of the Interior.

A big achievement for Dilday was helping to start Burnham, Hines & Dilday. This was the first law firm in New England owned by African American women. She was also the first Black woman to work in the Suffolk County District Attorney's office, which is where lawyers work for the government to bring cases against people accused of crimes.

Becoming a Judge

In 1993, Judith Dilday was appointed as a judge to the Probate and Family Court. At that time, she was one of only four Black women serving as judges in Massachusetts. In 1998, she was appointed as a senior judge in the Middlesex Probate and Family Court. Judge Dilday retired from her role in June 2009.

Beyond the Courtroom

After her retirement, Judith Dilday continued to share her knowledge. She has helped Chinese law students by running practice trials for them. She also taught English in Qiqihar, China.

See also

• List of first women lawyers and judges in Massachusetts