February is Black History Month, which celebrates the contributions of Black Americans to the United States of America.  It is celebrated in February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, the leader of the abolitionist movement, and Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Emancipation Proclamation that took effect on January 1, 1863.  In honor of Black History Month, I wish to celebrate the contributions of several African Americans to the law.

Macon Bolling Allen is believed to be the first African American to become a lawyer, argue before a jury, and hold a judicial position in the United States.  Mr. Allen passed the bar exam in Maine in 1844.  He became the first African American to hold a judicial position when he became a Massachusetts Justice of the Peace in 1847, despite the fact he was not considered a U.S. citizen under the Constitution at the time.  Mr. Allen was elected as a judge in South Carolina in 1873 and reelected in 1876.

Charlotte Ray was the first black female attorney in the United States.  Ms. Ray graduated from the Howard University School of Law on February 27, 1872, and was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar on March 2, 1872.  Ms. Ray opened the door to women seeking admission to other state bars.  While her legal career did not last due to racial and gender prejudices, Ms. Ray was involved in the women’s suffrage movement and joined the National Association of Colored Women.

Jane Bolin was the first African American female judge in the United States when she was appointed to serve on New York’s family court in 1939.  Ms. Bolin was also the first African American woman to earn a law degree from Yale University when she graduated in 1931.  In addition to her contributions from the bench, Ms. Bolin was an activist for children’s rights and education.  She also sought to combat racial discrimination from religious groups.

Charles H. Houston served as the Dean of Howard University and NAACP first special counsel.  During his tenure at Howard University School of Law, he mentored dozens of African American attorneys including Thurgood Marshall.  During his career, Mr. Houston earned the title “The Man Who Killed Jim Crow” for his work at dismantling Jim Crow laws.  He worked to end restrictive housing covenants and laid the groundwork for the approach in Brown v. Board of Education.

Thurgood Marshall was the first African American ever appointed to the United States Supreme Court.  Prior to his appointment, Justice Marshall argued 32 cases before the Supreme Court, winning 29 of them.  Justice Marshall served as the chief attorney for the Plaintiffs in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which established that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.

Haben Girma is a human rights lawyer and activist.  She is the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School.  She works to advance disability justice.  She authored the arguments that provided the pathway for the ruling that held that the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to online businesses and not just businesses with physical locations.

These individuals brought immense change and progress to the legal field, which ensures that the legal field is more inclusive and diverse.  Their accomplishments should be celebrated and the challenges they faced and overcame should be remembered.

Authored by Allison M. Subacz, Esq., an associate in Cipriani & Werner’s Charleston, West Virginia office and a member of the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee