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

LDF alum Constance Baker Motley was elected Manhattan Borough President on this day in 1965, becoming the first Black woman and person in the role. In celebrating and reflecting on her life, it is clear how powerfully Motley and her boundary-breaking work live on. | The Legal Defense Fund

Black History Month | Legal Trailblazer ⚖️✊🏾 Constance Baker Motley was a civil rights attorney whose work helped shape the legal fight for equality in the United States. She played a key role in landmark desegregation cases alongside the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and later became the first Black woman appointed as a federal judge. Her legacy is a reminder of how the law can be used as a powerful tool to challenge injustice and create lasting change. | Moore & Associates

🚨 BLACK HISTORY SPOTLIGHT: CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY – THE WOMAN WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS IN THE COURTS & WON! ⚖️Before Ketanji Brown Jackson. Before Kamala Harris. There was Constance Baker Motley—the first Black woman to argue before the Supreme Court and the first Black woman to become a federal judge. She wasn’t just breaking barriers—she was making change for US!🔥 She fought to end segregation in schools, parks, and housing🔥 She defended Martin Luther King Jr. & the Freedom Riders in court

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