On Sept. 14, 1921, Constance Baker Motley was born. Motley was the first African American appointed federal judge. “When I went to law school, nobody heard of civil rights.” She is known for her impact on ending racial discrimination as a jurist with more than fifty years of experience.
While a law student at Columbia, Motley met Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP’s legal director, who offered her a job as a law clerk in the organization’s New York office. After receiving her law degree in 1946, Motley became a full-fledged member of the NAACP’s legal staff.
As the NAACP Legal Defense Fund’s associate counsel, she participated in writing the briefs for Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kan., et.al., the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case that ended school segregation.
In 2001, President Bill Clinton awarded Motley the Presidential Citizens’ Medal in recognition of her achievements and service to the nation.
In February 2004, Motley came back to Columbia Law School for an event marking the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.
