Jane Bolin: Trailblazing America’s First Black Female Judge

Jane Matilda Bolin made history in 1939 when she was sworn in as the first Black woman judge in the United States. She was also the first Black woman to graduate from Yale Law School and to join the New York City Bar Association. Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1908, Bolin grew up the child of an interracial couple. She faced discrimination early on but excelled at Wellesley College and Yale Law School. Her father was the first Black graduate of Williams College and a pioneering lawyer in Dutchess County. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia appointed Bolin to New York City’s Domestic Relations Court during the 1939 World’s Fair. She served on the bench for 40 years, advocating for fair probation assignments and equal access to childcare agencies. She also advised civil rights organizations and fought segregation in education. After retiring in 1979, Bolin volunteered as a reading instructor and served on the New York State Board of Regents. Her legacy lives on in a courthouse mural, a school district building bearing her name, and proposals to honor her in public landmarks.

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