She was a law clerk to Thurgood Marshall, aiding him in the case Brown v. Board of Education. Motley was also the first African-American woman appointed to the federal judiciary, serving as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
From 1945 to 1964, Judge Motley worked on all of the major school segregation cases supported by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. She wrote the legal brief for the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case and helped strategize on other important legal precedents.
When she was 18, Motley made a speech at local African-American social center that was heard by Clarence W. Blakeslee, a white businessman and philanthropist who sponsored the center. He was impressed and offered to finance her education.
New Haven, ConnecticutMotley was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1921. The ninth of 12 children of West Indian parents who had migrated to the United States from the Caribbean island of Nevis, she grew up among a small, close-knit community of immigrants on the outskirts of the Yale University campus.
Thurgood MarshallDue to his untiring dedication and skillful court presentations, he became known as the "little man's lawyer." In 1936 Thurgood Marshall became a staff lawyer under Houston for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Charlotte E. RayRay, married name Charlotte E. Fraim, (born January 13, 1850, New York, New York, U.S.—died January 4, 1911, Woodside, New York), American teacher and the first black female lawyer in the United States.
Jane Matilda BolinShe became the first black woman to serve as a judge in the United States when she was sworn into the bench of the New York City Domestic Relations Court in 1939....Jane Bolin.Jane Matilda BolinYears active1939–1978Known forFirst black woman judge in the United StatesPolitical partyRepublican5 more rows
twelve brothers and sistersConstance Juanita Baker was born on September 14, 1921 in New Haven, Conn. She was the ninth of twelve brothers and sisters born to West Indian immigrants. From a very young age, she learned the importance of discipline.
Sandra Day O'ConnorSandra Day O'Connor was the first woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice. During the 1980 presidential campaign, Ronald Reagan promised to nominate the first woman to the U.S. Supreme Court. He made good on that promise in 1981, when he announced Sandra Day O'Connor's nomination.