Constance Baker Motley
Federal Judge and Civil Rights Lawyer
1921 - 2005
Won nine of ten cases argued before the Supreme Court, including the desegregation of the University of Mississippi, and became the first Black woman appointed to the federal bench.
Biography
Constance Baker Motley was one of the most successful civil rights litigators in American history. As the lead trial attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund from the 1940s through the 1960s, she argued ten cases before the Supreme Court and won nine, including cases that desegregated schools, universities, lunch counters, and public transportation across the South.
Motley's litigation was personally dangerous. She traveled throughout the Deep South during the most violent years of the civil rights movement, arguing cases in hostile courtrooms before openly prejudiced judges. She represented James Meredith in his fight to integrate the University of Mississippi in 1962, a case that required federal marshals and soldiers to enforce the court's order.
In 1966, President Johnson appointed Motley to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, making her the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge. She served on the bench for nearly forty years, eventually becoming Chief Judge. Her career represented a remarkable arc from civil rights pioneer to respected federal jurist.
Major Accomplishments
- 1Won nine of ten cases argued before the United States Supreme Court
- 2First Black woman appointed to the federal bench
- 3Lead trial attorney in the desegregation of the University of Mississippi
- 4First Black woman elected to the New York State Senate
- 5Served as Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
Notable Opinions & Cases
Meredith v. Fair (as counsel)
1962
Desegregated the University of Mississippi, requiring federal enforcement against state resistance
Hamilton v. Alabama (as counsel)
1964
Supreme Court case addressing racial discrimination in courtroom proceedings
Swain v. Alabama (as counsel)
1965
Challenged racial discrimination in jury selection
Lucy v. Adams (as counsel)
1955
Won the case to desegregate the University of Alabama
Legacy
Motley's record of civil rights litigation is unmatched in its breadth and personal courage. She transformed the legal landscape of the American South through case-by-case demolition of segregation. As a federal judge, she brought her deep understanding of civil rights to the bench, influencing decades of jurisprudence on discrimination and equal protection.
Famous Quotes
“Something which we think is impossible now is not impossible in another decade.”
“I was the only woman in my class at Columbia Law School, and the only Black.”
“The experience of the Negro in America is unlike that of any other group. We were not immigrants.”
“Courage is the most important attribute of a lawyer. It is a quality that is so necessary and so difficult to acquire.”