Story Archive

A pioneering civil rights lawyer with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund who argued 10 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, Motley was the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge.

His pathbreaking career was nearly crushed by McCarthy-era ostracism, but Paul Robeson’s voice, in song and speech, continues to be heard in support of Black freedom.

Explore a selection of original stories and podcasts featuring members of the Black community at Columbia Law.

Long before intersectionality became a watchword, Florynce Kennedy ’51 identified the confluence of race and gender discrimination, bringing to second-wave feminism a Black voice that was impossible not to hear. But first, she took on Columbia Law School.

Hillary Maduka ’21 LL.M. was recognized by the global law firm as an accomplished advocate for disadvantaged populations.

The first Black woman to graduate from Columbia Law School was a pathbreaking litigator and jurist.

After risking his life to desegregate Ole Miss in 1962, Meredith continued his activism at Columbia Law School.

A litigation partner at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer and a self-described person of faith, Boston is the first woman of color to be elected president of the New York City Bar Association. Her priorities include encouraging diversity and inclusion in the profession, navigating the repercussions of COVID-19, and safeguarding the rule of law.

The first out gay professor at Columbia Law School and the second African-American member of the faculty, Thomas has brought a pioneering spirit and a critical perspective to his work over nearly four decades as a teacher, scholar, activist, and artist.

Empowered and honored by her role leading the 119-year-old journal, Asebiomo says her mission is to publish scholarship that raises diverse voices and ideas.