Harvard Law Dean's Office: Professor Tomiko Brown-Nagin's Chair Lecture, “On Being First: Judge Constance Baker Motley & Social Activism in the American Century”

Professor Brown-Nagin will discuss the life and times of Constance Baker Motley, a protégée of Thurgood Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court litigator, and the first black woman, and only the fifth woman, appointed to the federal bench. To observers, Motley’s rise to power looked seamless; she embodied the opening of the modern American workplace to women and minorities. Behind the scenes, Motley faced setbacks. Professor Brown-Nagin will examine how gender shaped Motley’s career as a lawyer and judge.