Constance “Connie” Rice was named one of California’s 10 most influential lawyers by the California Law Business about seven years ago and she is still one of the most prominent civil rights litigators in the state. She has often worked on high profiled cases tackling problems involving unfair public policy. She recently chaired the Blue Ribbon Rampart Review Panel, which delineated a number of suggestions to be taken in the constant struggle against street gangs and police misconduct.

Christopher Darden was one of the lead prosecutors in the Trial of the Century. Though he took over after the case had already started, he was very tireless in his efforts matching wits with the defense team. After the trial, Darden left the district attorney’s office and went into private practice. He has also written a book about the trial and sometimes lectures at one of the local law schools.

Maxcy Filer is a legend in the legal community—as well as a former city councilman of Compton and an activist—for his dogged persistence. He took the State Bar Examination 48 times over a three-decade period before he passed. He now shares the legal spotlight with some of his children who are also members of the Bar.

Willie Gary is known in legal circles as the giant killer who has represented clients against major corporations. He is the senior partner in his law firm and the chairman of the Major Broadcasting Cable Network. He has won over 150 cases valued in excess of $1 million each and as much as $240 million from Disney and $139 million from Anheuser-Busch.

JUDGES and LAW PROFESSORS are an integral part of the legal community even though their roles are not as publicly profiles as the aforementioned attorneys.

Jane Brolin was the first Black woman to graduate from Yale Law School and the first in the United States to be appointed a lower court judge in 1939.

Earl C. Broady Sr. was the first African American police officer from the LAPD to be appointed a Superior Court Judge. His son, Earl C. Broady Jr., has followed his footsteps and is presently a practicing attorney.

Bernard Jefferson was one of the first African Americans to be appointed to the state appellate court and author of the California Evidence Benchbook.

Edwin Jefferson, brother of Bernard Jefferson and the first Black to sit on the Municipal Court in the Western United States.

Wiley Manuel was the first Black to be appointed the California Supreme Court.

A. Leon Higginbottam was a federal judge and a U.S. Court of Appeals judge wrote a public letter denouncing some of the decisions by Justice Clarence Thomas.

Vaino Spencer is the presiding justice of Division One of the California Second Appellate Court and well in her 80s, she shows no sign of retiring for she sees her role as a protector and defender of the rights of the downtrodden, the forgotten and the voiceless.

Candace Cooper is the presiding justice of Division Eight of the California Second Appellate Court and has also served as a judge in the Los Angeles Municipal and Superior Courts.

Damon J. Keith is the longest serving African American on the federal bench and remembered for the “Keith Decision” where he ruled against the President that led to the creation of the “FISA” court.

Charles Ogletree a Harvard Law School professor who is actively involved in a wide range of issues involving injustices in the Black community throughout the country. He was legal counsel to another professor, Anita Hill during her congressional appearance.

Constance Motley was the first Black woman to be appointed as a federal judge.

William H, Hastie was the nation’s first Black federal magistrate, he was appointed in 1937 to the District Court in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

LANDMARK DECISIONS that affected the quality of life experienced by Black Americans played a major role in advancement of society as a whole.
Dred Scott vs Sandford—Blacks had no rights.
Plessy vs Ferguson—Introduced separate-but-equal as the law
Brown vs Board of Education—Overturned separate-but-equal
Shelley vs Kraemer—Denied racially restrictive covenants in housing
Loving vs Virginia—Ruled interracial marriage was unconstitutional
Regents of the University of California vs Bakke—Affirmative Action was unfair.

Though Thomas Bradley is forever remembered as the first Black mayor of Los Angeles—who served five consecutive terms—and changed the landscape of the city, he was a practicing attorney who enhanced his legal skills as a legislator (city councilman) and then as mayor.

After graduating from law school, Julian Dixon served six years in the California State Assembly becoming chairman of the Assembly Democratic Caucus. He then represented California’s 32nd District for over ten terms in the U. S. Congress.

Supervisor Yvonne Burke scored a lifetime of firsts beginning with being one of the first Black women to graduate from the USC School of Law, the first Black woman in the California State Assembly, the first Black woman from California elected to the U.S. Congress and the first Black woman to be appointed and then elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Willie L. Brown Jr. graduated from Hastings College of Law and while practicing law, he went on to serve 31 years in the California State Assembly, 15 as the longest serving Speaker. He then became the first African American mayor of San Francisco.

Some of the other African American mayors, legislators and executives who are/were also lawyers:

MAYORS
Maynard Jackson—Atlanta, Georgia
Harold Washington—Chicago, Illinois
Davis Dinkins—New York, N.Y.
Kenneth Gibson—Newark, New Jersey
Richard Hatcher—Gary, Indiana
Roosevelt Dorn—Inglewood, California
Eric Perrodin—Compton, California

LEGISLATORS & EXECUTIVES
Randall Robinson—founder of Transafrica
Carol Moseley Braun—former U. S. Senator
Edward W. Brooke—former U. S. Senator

Black lawyers all over the world have engaged the legal systems of their respective countries to attain some of the basic rights guaranteed to all human beings, but were being denied to a segment of the people, and to gain freedom from tyranny, as did Mohandas K. Gandhi, the Mahatma in India, and Nelson R. Mandela in South Africa.

Last update: 04-02-2008 10:33

Published in : News, Special Feature

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