When we talk about justice, equity, and the rule of law, we must also talk about those who had to fight just to practice it.
Long before Thurgood Marshall stood before the Supreme Court, Black attorneys were already laying down a legal legacy—brick by brick.
Let’s explore the often-overlooked history and present reality of Black-owned law firms in the United States.
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The First Black Attorney in the U.S.
The journey begins with Macon Bolling Allen, born in Indiana in 1816. In 1844, he became the first African American licensed to practice law in the U.S. after passing the Maine bar exam [(1)].
In 1848, he was appointed as a judge in Massachusetts, making him the first Black judge in the United States [(2)].
Allen wasn’t just a footnote in history—he was a precedent-setter, entering a profession that barely acknowledged his humanity, much less his authority.
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The First All-Black Law Firms
In the 1880s, Allen partnered with Robert Morris Sr. and George Lewis Ruffin, forming one of the earliest known all-Black law firms in Boston, Massachusetts [(3)].
Another landmark came in 1929 with the founding of Houston & Gardner, established by Charles Hamilton Houston and Oliver Hill in Washington, D.C.—a firm that would play a major role in civil rights legal strategy [(4)].
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Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Thurgood Marshall joined the NAACP legal team in 1936, and by 1940, he founded the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) as a separate legal entity [(5)].
He led major victories:
• Smith v. Allwright (1944) – Ended whites-only primaries [(6)]
• Sweatt v. Painter (1950) – Cracked the façade of “separate but equal” in higher education [(7)]
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954) – Declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional [(8)]
Marshall led the LDF until 1961, when President John F. Kennedy appointed him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit [(9)].
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Black-Owned Law Firms Today
As of 2023, there are approximately 65,000 Black lawyers in the U.S., representing only about 5% of the profession, despite making up over 13% of the U.S. population [(10)].
There are now hundreds of Black-owned law firms, including:
• Ben Crump Law – Founded by civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump
• The Cochran Firm – Founded by the late Johnnie Cochran, known for the O.J. Simpson case
• Thomas Kennedy Sampson & Tompkins LLP – The oldest Black-owned law firm in Atlanta, established in 1971 [(11)]
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Why This History Still Matters
In a time when civil rights are under review and social progress is under pressure, we must remember: the fight for justice has always had a Black face behind the bar, behind the bench, and behind the brief.
Their legacies aren’t just legal—they’re spiritual, cultural, and prophetic.
Truth in every fact means honoring that legacy. Because you can’t build a just future without knowing who laid the first brick.
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Sources & Citations
1. Smith, John Clay. Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844–1944. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993.
2. Encyclopedia Britannica – “Macon Bolling Allen”
3. Harvard Law Review. Black Lawyers and Early Legal Partnerships in Boston, Vol. 112
4. NAACP Legal Defense Fund Archives – “History of Houston & Gardner”
5. NAACP Legal Defense Fund – https://www.naacpldf.org/about-us/history/
6. Smith v. Allwright, 321 U.S. 649 (1944)
7. Sweatt v. Painter, 339 U.S. 629 (1950)
8. Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954)
9. The U.S. Courts Biographical Directory – “Thurgood Marshall”
10. American Bar Association, ABA Profile of the Legal Profession – 2023 Report
11. Thomas Kennedy Sampson & Tompkins LLP – Firm History, https://tkslaw.com
