As Black History Month draws to a close and we reflect on African-American legal pioneers in the Philadelphia legal community, we often think back to the inspiring legacies of great names such as Judge Raymond Pace Alexander, Sadie T. Alexander, Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, Cecil B. Moore and J. Austin Norris to name a few. In honoring the past, we must not forget to celebrate the historical milestones created today.
For the first time in history, the chief judge of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and chief magistrate judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania are all African-American. On Feb. 22, the Barristers’ Association of Philadelphia, along with 200 members of the legal community, gathered to honor this historic occurrence at the annual “Meet the Judges and Legislators” event at the James A. Byrne Federal Courthouse in Philadelphia.
