The Negro in Our Law

It is a high compliment to have been asked to give the William H. Leary Lecture. Dean Leary was a notable figure in a great generation of law teachers. He left an enduring monument in the quiet strength of this College of Law, and in the affectionate recollection in which he is held by his students, his colleagues and his fellow citizens. I am pleased to be allowed to help celebrate his work. I hope, in our turn, that we in this generation build half as well. It is a compliment, too, to have been included among my predecessors. I know, admire, and respect all four of the Leary Lecturers who have been here before, and I am honored to be listed with them. And finally, most important of all, to my mind, I am delighted that your distinguished Dean and his lively colleagues thought to invite me. As I told Dean Thurman when we made the arrangements for this evening, I have been trying to complete a book about the status of the Negro in our law, and in this paper, with his permission and approval, I shall try to summarize some of the findings of that study