New York State Bar to Admit Syracuse’s First Black Law Graduate

Paula Johnson, Professor in the College of Law and Co-Director of the Cold Case Justice Initiative, wrote a commentary called “NYS Bar to admit Syracuse’s first black law graduate, correcting century-old injustice.” The Syracuse.com article highlights the racial injustice faced by William Herbert Johnson, the first African-American graduate of the Syracuse University College of Law. After being denied admission to the New York State Bar in 1903, Johnson will be admitted on Friday, Oct. 18 at a special ceremony in the Onondaga County Courthouse.