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When Rubber Meets the Road
In 1889, a quiet, unassuming man — a Black man — walked out of the halls of Washington University with a law degree, right here in Missouri. That man's name was Walter Moran Farmer. He would lead a life of firsts and blaze a trail for all lawyers to follow. Because of the unfair times, he would never be treated equal to his white peers. He would have to work harder, smarter, and against much prejudice. And he did. Four years after graduating from law school, Walter M. Farmer would argue a case in front of the Missouri Supreme Court — the first Black lawyer to do so. One year later, he argued that case to the U.S. Supreme Court and became one of the first Black lawyers to argue a case to this country's highest court. That case was Duncan v. Missouri , a murder trial that ended in a death penalty conviction. Farmer pointed out that there were irregularities in how the case had been tried, especially at the state level, and took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court for a hearing. Never afraid to push for justice, Walter M. Farmer would soon find himself in court once more — on the other side of the bench. Give Yourself the Boost of Getting Outside 2 2 3 3 4 Walter Moran Farmer Your Devices Deserve Clean Screens Who Is Responsible for Snow Removal? Easy One-Pot Lentil Soup The Man of Many Firsts THE MAN OF MANY FIRSTS
That's right: In the early 1900s, Farmer was appointed to a special judgeship in the St. Louis municipal court. This made him not only Missouri's first Black lawyer but also its first Black justice of the peace. Little is known about Farmer's late life; he kept his personal life private for obvious reasons. Odds are good he still has family in Missouri, proudly admiring his life and legacy as we do today.
Practicing in Missouri and Illinois
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