who was the first african american woman lawyer

by Prof. Felicita Schmidt DVM 4 min read

Charlotte E. Ray

When did the first black woman become a lawyer?

orn in New York on 13 January 1850, Charlotte E. Ray was a teacher at Howard University who eventually became the first black woman to acquire a Law degree in the United States.

Who is the first black female lawyer?

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.

Who was the first black African-American lawyer?

Macon Bolling AllenMacon Bolling AllenResting placeCharleston, South CarolinaOther namesAllen Macon BollingOccupationLawyer, judgeKnown forFirst African-American lawyer and Justice of the Peace4 more rows

Who was the first woman lawyer?

While women in Britain were campaigning for the right to vote, Cornelia Sorabji became the first woman to practise law in India. After she received a first class degree from Bombay University in 1888, British supporters helped to send her to Oxford University.

Who is the most famous black lawyer?

Johnnie Cochran Perhaps the best known African-American lawyer in the modern era is Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Cochran was a Los Angeles-based attorney who was widely renowned for his long list of high-profile and A-list celebrity clients, including Sean “P.

Who was the first black woman lawyer in the US and the first woman admitted to the District of Columbia Bar 1872 )?

Charlotte RayCharlotte 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, making her the first black female attorney in the United States.

Who was the first Black woman to argue before Supreme Court?

While Ray achieved countless “firsts,” it was Lucy Terry Prince who became the first African-American woman to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Who was the first Black man to become a lawyer in 1854?

John Mercer LangstonJohn Mercer Langston was born on December 14, 1829, in Louisa County, Virginia. In 1854, Langston became the first African-American lawyer in Ohio.

Who is the most famous lawyer in history?

#1 Abraham Lincoln Lincoln represented clients in both civil and criminal matters. In all, Lincoln and his partners handled over 5,000 cases.

What do you call a female lawyer?

Lady lawyer - definition of Lady lawyer by The Free Dictionary.

Who was the first female judge ever?

Georgia BullockGeorgia Bullock, (born 1874 or 1878, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.—died 1957, Los Angeles, California), first female Superior Court judge in the state of California.

Who was the first female lawyer who worked for equal rights and suffrage?

Belva Ann LockwoodBelva Ann Lockwood, née Belva Ann Bennett, (born Oct. 24, 1830, Royalton, N.Y., U.S.—died May 19, 1917, Washington, D.C.), American feminist and lawyer who was the first woman admitted to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Who was the first black woman lawyer?

Charlotte E. Ray (January 13, 1850 – January 4, 1911) was an American lawyer. She was the first black American female lawyer in the United States. Ray graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1872. She was also the first female admitted to the District of Columbia Bar, and the first woman admitted to practice before the Supreme Court ...

Who was the first black judge?

Thurgood Marshall was the first black Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. George Lewis Ruffin was both the first black man to earn a degree from Harvard Law School and become Massachusetts first African American judge. List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States.

Who was the first woman to graduate from Howard University?

While teaching at Howard, she registered in the Law Department, as C. E. Ray. Charlotte Ray graduated on February 27, 1872, completing a three-year program, as the first woman to graduate from the Howard University School of Law. Sources claim she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, but Howard University did not receive its Phi Beta Kappa chapter until 1953.

Who was the first black woman assistant district attorney in New York?

Eunice Hunton in 1921. Carter soon established a career in both law and international politics. In 1935 Carter became the first black woman assistant district attorney in the state of New York. As assistant DA, she determined that Mafia boss Lucky Luciano must be involved in prostitution.

Who was the mother of the Black woman who was born in Atlanta?

Carter was born in Atlanta in 1899, the daughter of William Alphaeus Hunton Sr. (founder of the black division of the Y.M.C.A.) and Addie Waites Hunton (a social worker); both were college educated. Her paternal grandfather Stanton Hunton purchased his freedom from slavery before the American Civil War. Her brother, W. Alphaeus Hunton Jr., was an author, academic and activist noted for his involvement with the Council on African Affairs and promotion of Pan-African identity. The family moved from Atlanta to Brooklyn, New York, after the 1906 Atlanta race riot. They attended local schools. Their mother, Addie Hunton, was active with the NAACP and the YMCA, achieving national status. She was selected as one of two women to go to France during World War I to check on the condition of United States black servicemen.

Who was Addie Waites Hunton?

W. Alphaeus Hunton Jr. (brother) Stephen L. Carter (grandson) Notes. Eunice Roberta Hunton Carter (July 16, 1899 – January 25, 1970) was an American lawyer. She was one of New York 's first female African-American lawyers, and one of the first prosecutors of color in the United States.

Who was Eunice Carter?

Eunice Carter. Eunice Roberta Hunton Carter (July 16, 1899 – January 25, 1970) was an American lawyer. She was one of New York 's first female African-American lawyers, and one of the first prosecutors of color in the United States. She was active in the Pan-African Congress and in United Nations committees to advance the status ...

What was the significance of the Dewey case?

The case generated national fame for Dewey, which he rode to election as the governor of New York. He also made two unsuccessful runs for the White House, one against President Harry S. Truman. Dewey benefited from Carter's prosecutor skills, and had genuine respect for her.

Who was the first black woman to be admitted to the bar?

Charlotte 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, making her the first black female attorney in the United States. She was also admitted as the first black female to practice in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia on April 23, 1872.

Who was the first female attorney?

After graduating from Columbia, Motley became the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s (LDF) first female attorney. Motley went on to become Associate Counsel to the LDF, making her a lead attorney in many significant civil rights cases. In 1950, Motley wrote the original complaint in the case of Brown v.

Who was the first black woman to be a judge?

On July 22, 1939, Mayor of New York City, Fiorello La Guardia, appointed Bolin as a judge of the Domestic Relations Court, making Bolin the first black woman to serve as a judge in the United States. Bolin proceeded to be the only black female judge in the country for twenty years. Bolin remained a judge of the court for 40 years ...

Who was Constance Baker Motley?

Baker was inspired to attend law school after hearing a speech by Yale Law School graduate George Crawford, a civil rights attorney for the New Haven Branch of the NAACP.

Who is the first African American woman to be elected as a vice president?

In 2020, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris successfully won their election as President and Vice President of the United States, making Harris the first woman, first African American, and first South Asian American Vice President in U.S. history.

Who was the first African American judge?

In 1966, Motley broke another glass ceiling by becoming the first African-American federal judge after her nomination to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Historic Firsts: First African-American woman appointed to the federal judiciary.

Who was the first black woman to speak at the Democratic National Convention?

In 1976, Jordan became the first black woman to deliver a keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Jordan was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in 1994. First Southern African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives.

Who was the first woman lawyer?

1847 - Marija Milutinović became the first female lawyer and attorney in Serbia, doing exclusively pro bono work for charity throughout her whole career. 1869 - Arabella Mansfield became the first female lawyer in the United States when she was admitted to the Iowa bar.

Who was the first woman to graduate from law school?

1870 - Ada Kepley became the first woman to graduate from law school in the United States; she graduated from Chicago University Law School, predecessor to Union College of Law, later known as Northwestern University School of Law.

Why was Illinois denied a women's law license?

In this case the United States Supreme Court held that Illinois constitutionally denied law licenses to women, because the right to practice law was not one of the privileges and immunities guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. The Illinois Supreme Court affirmed.

When did women lawyers become legal?

1879: A law was enacted allowing qualified female attorneys to practice in any federal court in the United States. 1879 - Belva Lockwood became the first woman to argue before the United States Supreme Court. 1897 - Clara Brett Martin became the first female lawyer in Canada and the British Empire.

Who was not a lawyer in 1912?

Wookey, 1912 AD 623, the Appellate Division found that the word "persons" used in the statute concerning admission of attorneys to the bar included only men, and thus Madeline Wookey could not be a lawyer.

Who was the first female president of the National Lawyers Guild?

1970 - Doris Brin Walker became the first female president of the (American) National Lawyers Guild. 1971 - Barring women from practicing law was prohibited in the U.S. 1976 - Pat O'Shane became the first Indigenous Australian barrister in NSW. She would go on to become a magistrate.

Who was the first woman to take silk in the British Isles?

1941 – Frances Moran became the first woman to take silk in the British Isles when she was called to the Irish Inner Bar. 1943 - Frances Wright was called to the bar, becoming the first female lawyer in Sierra Leone. 1956 - Elizabeth Evatt became the first woman appointed as a judge to the Family Court of Australia.

image

Overview

Charlotte E. Ray (January 13, 1850 – January 4, 1911) was an American lawyer. She was the first black American female lawyer in the United States. Ray graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1872. She was also the first female admitted to the District of Columbia Bar, and the first woman admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. Her admission …

Early life

Charlotte Ray was born in New York City to Charlotte Augusta Burroughs and Reverend Charles Bennett Ray. Reverend Ray was an important figure in the abolitionist movement and edited a newspaper called The Colored American. Charlotte had six siblings, including two sisters, Henrietta Cordelia and Florence. Education was important to her father, who made sure each of his girls went to college. Charlotte attended a school called the Institution for the Education of Colored Y…

Admission controversy

She was admitted to the Howard School of Law in the District of Columbia in 1872 because she applied under the name "C. E. Ray" and that Ray used an alternate name to disguise her gender so that her admission would not be instantly revoked. According to others, her use of initials is not proven, and it would not have been needed, because Howard University at this time had a clearly articulated policy of acceptance of both Black men and women.

Independent practice

Ray was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar on March 2, 1872, and admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia on April 23, 1872. Her appointment was noted in the Woman's Journal and gained her inclusion as one of the Women of the Century. Ray began her independent practice of commercial law in 1872, advertising in newspapers such as the New National Era and Citizen, owned by Frederick Douglass. Some sources suggest that she hoped t…

Personal life

Poet Henrietta Cordelia Ray was her sister. At one point all three sisters were teachers. Charlotte gave up teaching for a period to practice law, and Henrietta Cordelia gave up teaching to obtain her masters and write poetry.
Ray attended the National Woman Suffrage Association's New York convention in 1876. After 1895 Ray seems to have been active in the National Association of Colored Women.

Posthumous honors

In March 2006, the Northeastern University School of Law (Boston, MA) chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity International chose to honor Ray by naming their newly chartered chapter after her, in recognition of her place as the first female African-American attorney.

See also

• Macon Bolling Allen is believed to be both the first black man licensed to practice law and to hold a judicial position in the United States.
• Jane Bolin was both the first black woman to graduate from Yale Law School and serve as a judge in the United States.
• Thurgood Marshall was the first black Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

External links

• Catherine McHugh, "Who Was Charlotte E. Ray?", Biography.com, January 12, 2016.