Blanche E. Braxton was the first African American female lawyer in Massachusetts.[1]
Braxton was graduated from Portia Law School in 1921.[2] She lived in Roxbury, Massachusetts.[3]
On March 16, 1923, Braxton became the first African American woman to be admitted to the bar in Massachusetts.[1] Ten years later, on March 21, 1933, she became the first African American woman admitted to practice before the United States District Court in Massachusetts.[1][4] Braxton was in private practice[1] with an office at 412 Massachusetts Avenue.[5][a]
The Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys Foundation provides a scholarship each year named in home of Braxton.[6] It is "awarded to law students of color who have demonstrated outstanding academic excellence, a commitment to public service, and a dedication to the advancement of minoritized people through the legal process."[7]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ As of 2020[update], 412 Massachusetts Ave is the home of Youth Enrichment Services.
References
edit- ^ a b c d Smith, Jr., J. Clay (1999). Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844-1944. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 111. ISBN 0-8122-1685-7. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- ^ Farmer, Robin. "Courage Can Be Contagious: 6 Black Women Legal Trailblazers You Need to Know". New England Law. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
- ^ "Real Estate Transactions". The Boston Globe. July 22, 1919. p. 19. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- ^ "U.S. Court Admits 100 Lawyers to Practice". The Boston Globe. March 22, 1933. p. 20. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- ^ "Blanche Braxton and Dorothy Crockett". New England Law. 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- ^ "THE BLANCHE E. BRAXTON BAR SCHOLARSHIP". Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
- ^ "Courtney M. M. Person". Morrison Mahoney. Retrieved April 9, 2020.