Constance Baker Motley, the first Black woman to become a federal judge. Before that, she fought landmark civil rights cases and helped dismantle segregation in America. | Free Man and Woman

Happy birthday to LDF alum Constance Baker Motley. LDF’s first female attorney, she was the first Black woman to argue before the Supreme Court and went on to win nine out of ten cases. Motley was the first Black woman to serve in the NY State Senate and Manhattan's first woman Borough President. Serving the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, she was also the first Black woman to sit as a federal judge. Today we celebrate her and her lasting legacy as a breaker of boundar

In LDF's recent event, Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Harvard Law and history professor, shared: “Constance Baker Motley was the one who reminds you of your worth and your values…to keep your composure and above all else—strive for excellence.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smzFzS0XPqY | The Legal Defense Fund