List of African American jurists facts for kids

Many brave and brilliant African Americans have made huge contributions to the world of law in the United States. These individuals worked as lawyers, professors, and judges. They helped shape our country's legal system and fought for fairness and equality for everyone. This list highlights some of these amazing people who dedicated their lives to justice.

Trailblazing Lawyers and Legal Experts

This section introduces some of the most important African American lawyers and legal scholars. They broke barriers and achieved great things in their careers.

• Violette Neatley Anderson (1882–1937): She made history as the first African American woman to argue a case before the highest court in the country, the United States Supreme Court, on January 29, 1926.
• Johnnie Cochran (1937–2005): A very well-known defense attorney, he was famous for his powerful arguments in court.
• Marian Wright Edelman (b. 1939): She is the founder of the Children's Defense Fund, an organization that works to protect children and ensure they have a good start in life.
• Lani Guinier (1950–2022): A brilliant scholar who studied voting rights, she was the first African American woman to become a tenured professor at Harvard Law School.
• William Henry Harrison Hart (1857–1934): This attorney bravely fought against unfair Jim Crow laws, which enforced segregation and discrimination.
• Barbara Jordan (1936–1996): She was the first African American Congresswoman from a southern state. She played a very important role in government decisions during her time in the United States House of Representatives.
• Wade H. McCree (1920–1987): He was the second African American to serve as the United States Solicitor General, a top lawyer who represents the U.S. government in Supreme Court cases.
• Barack Obama (b. 1961): Before becoming the 44th President of the United States of America, he was a law professor at the University of Chicago and a United States Senator. He was also the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review.
• Charlotte E. Ray (1850–1911): She holds the distinction of being the first Black American female lawyer in the United States.
• William F. Yardley (1844–1924): He was a strong advocate against segregation and was the first African American to run for governor of Tennessee in 1876.
• Eric Holder (b. 1951): He served as the 82nd United States Attorney General, the chief law enforcement officer and chief lawyer of the U.S. government.
• Loretta Lynch (b. 1959): She was the 83rd United States Attorney General, following in the footsteps of Eric Holder.

Influential Judges and Court Leaders

This section highlights African Americans who have served as judges, from local courts to the highest court in the land. They have made sure laws are applied fairly.

• Macon Bolling Allen (1816–1906): He was the very first African American judge in the United States, appointed as a Justice of the Peace in Massachusetts in 1848.
• Jane Bolin (1908–2007): She became the first African American woman judge in the United States, serving in the New York City Domestic Relations Court starting in 1939.
• William H. Hastie (1904–1976): He was the first African American to become a federal judge, serving on the U.S. District Court of the Virgin Islands and later on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
• Constance Baker Motley (1921–2005): She was the first African American woman to become a federal judge, appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1966.
• Jonathan Jasper Wright (1840–1885): He was the first African American to serve on a state Supreme Court, joining the South Carolina Supreme Court in 1870.
• Thurgood Marshall (1908–1993): A true giant in legal history, he was the first African American to become a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States, serving from 1967 to 1991.
• Clarence Thomas (b. 1948): He is the second African American to serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States, appointed in 1991 and still active today.
• Ketanji Brown Jackson (b. 1970): She made history as the first African American woman to become a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States, joining in 2022.
• Allyson Kay Duncan (b. 1951): She was the first African American woman to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
• Eric L. Clay (b. 1948): He was the first African American to serve as Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
• Roger Gregory (b. 1953): He was the first African American to serve as Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
• Tiffany P. Cunningham (b. 1976): She is the first African American woman to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
• Dana Douglas (b. 1975): She is the first African American woman to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
• Arianna J. Freeman (b. 1979): She is the first African American woman to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
• Tamika Montgomery–Reeves (b. 1980): She was the first African American to serve on the Delaware Supreme Court and later joined the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
• Ojetta Rogeriee Thompson (b. 1951): She is the first African American woman to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
• J. Michelle Childs (b. 1966): She is an active judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, a very important federal court.
• Leondra Kruger (b. 1976): She is an active Justice on the Supreme Court of California, one of the most important state courts.

Images for kids

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  Christopher Darden, a prosecutor.

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  Deval Patrick, a lawyer and politician.

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  Mel Watt, a lawyer and politician.

See also

• List of African American federal judges
• List of Asian American jurists
• List of Hispanic and Latino American jurists
• List of Jewish American jurists
• List of LGBT jurists in the United States
• List of Native American jurists
• List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States
• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in the United States