Constance Baker Motley | |
|---|---|
 Motley in 1964 | |
| Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York | |
| In office September 30, 1986 – September 28, 2005 | |
| Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York | |
| In office May 31, 1982 – September 30, 1986 | |
| Preceded by | Lloyd Francis MacMahon |
| Succeeded by | Charles L. Brieant |
| Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York | |
| In office August 30, 1966 – September 30, 1986 | |
| Appointed by | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Archie Owen Dawson |
| Succeeded by | Kimba Wood |
| Borough President of Manhattan | |
| In office February 23, 1965 – August 30, 1966 | |
| Preceded by | Edward R. Dudley |
| Succeeded by | Percy Sutton |
| Member of the New York Senate from the 21st district | |
| In office February 4, 1964 – February 23, 1965 | |
| Preceded by | James Lopez Watson |
| Succeeded by | Jeremiah B. Bloom |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Constance Baker September 14, 1921 New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | September 28, 2005 (aged 84) New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Joel Motley Jr. (m. 1946) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | |
Constance Baker Motley (née Baker; September 14, 1921 – September 28, 2005) was an American jurist and politician who served as a Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
A key strategist of the civil rights movement, she was state senator, and Borough President of Manhattan in New York City before becoming a United States federal judge.[1][2] She obtained a role with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund as a staff attorney in 1946 after receiving her law degree, and continued her work with the organization for more than twenty years.[3]
She was the first Black woman to argue at the Supreme Court[4] and argued 10 landmark civil rights cases, winning nine. She was a law clerk to Thurgood Marshall, aiding him in the case Brown v. Board of Education.[5]
Motley was also the first African-American woman appointed to the federal judiciary, serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.[2]
In 1965, Motley was elected President of the Borough of Manhattan to fill a one-year vacancy. She was the first woman to hold the office.[6] As president, she authored a revitalization plan for Harlem and East Harlem, successfully fighting for $700,000 to improve these and other underserved areas of the city.[7]
- ^ MacLean, Nancy (July 1, 2002). "Using the Law for Social Change: Judge Constance Baker Motley". Journal of Women's History. 14 (2): 136–139. doi:10.1353/jowh.2002.0048. ISSN 1527-2036. S2CID 144084950.
- ^ a b "U.S. Courts: Constance Baker Motley – Judiciary's Unsung Rights Hero." Targeted News Service, February 21, 2020.
- ^ Roisman, Florence Wagman (April 25, 2016). "An Extraordinary Woman: The Honorable Constance Baker Motley". Indiana Law Review. 49 (3): 677. doi:10.18060/4806.0102. ISSN 2169-320X.
- ^ Hohmann, James (February 3, 2022). "The legacy of Constance Baker Motley". The Washington Post. p. A19. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ "Eyes on the Prize; Interview with Judge Constance Baker Motley". American Archive of Public Broadcasting. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
- ^ "B.P. Gale Brewer, C. Virginia Fields, And Ruth Messinger Honor Constance Baker Motley". harlemworldmagazine.com. June 18, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
- ^ "Constance Baker Motley". blackhistory.news.columbia.edu. Retrieved December 24, 2022.