# When were Black Lawyers, Judges, and Jurors allowed in the U.S.?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-were-black-lawyers-judges-and-jurors-allowed-in-the-u-s/588062>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 6, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-were-black-lawyers-judges-and-jurors-allowed-in-the-u-s/588062 "2011-07-06T17:27:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Tetramydes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tetramydes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tetramydes)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-were-black-lawyers-judges-and-jurors-allowed-in-the-u-s/588062/21 "2011-07-07T18:55:00Z")

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I believe McPherson mentions John Rock, on page 841 of Battle Cry of Freedom, as the first black man admitted to practice before the Supreme Court. He also refers to Rock as a Boston lawyer, so I’d presume Rock had been active beforehand.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-were-black-lawyers-judges-and-jurors-allowed-in-the-u-s/588062/22 "2011-07-07T19:04:09Z")

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> [@Tetramydes](#):
>
> I believe McPherson mentions John Rock, on page 841 of Battle Cry of Freedom, as the first black man admitted to practice before the Supreme Court. He also refers to Rock as a Boston lawyer, so I’d presume Rock had been active beforehand.

Rock joined the bar in 1861. Interestingly enough, he was also one of the first African Americans to graduate from medical school, and the second to join the Massachusetts Medical Society.

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**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\
**Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-were-black-lawyers-judges-and-jurors-allowed-in-the-u-s/588062/23 "2011-07-07T20:24:03Z")

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> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> Who’s the black attorney on Night Court? I remember a black bailiff and a court clerk, but not a lawyer. Am I forgetting someone?

The role of the public defender for the first season was played by Paula Kelly. She was nominated for an Emmy, but dropped for season 2.

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**Author:** ![SouthernGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@SouthernGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SouthernGirl)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-were-black-lawyers-judges-and-jurors-allowed-in-the-u-s/588062/24 "2011-07-13T20:50:48Z")

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> [@anson2995](#):
>
> With respect, have you ever watched television? 🙂
> 
> Practically every ensemble lawyer/cop show of the last twenty years features at least one black female attorney: Law and Order (and its spinoffs, Criminal Intent, SVU, Los Angeles, and UK), Boston Legal, Ally McBeal, the Practice, NYPD Blue, Lie to Me, Raising the Bar, the Good Wife, The Defenders, Family Law, Damages, the Closer, Harry’s Law, Southland, Judging Amy, and of course Night Court.
> 
> And how could you forgot the great Claire Huxtable from the Cosby Show?

True! In fact, here’s a link to a photo database of more than one hundred black female lawyer characters from television and film:

> **[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.118313301549624.10235.117591408288480)**

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