List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Nebraska

This is a list of the first minority male lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Nebraska. It includes the year in which the men were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are men who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.

Firsts in state history

Thomas L. Sloan: First Native American male (Omaha people) male lawyer to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court (1904)

Lawyers

• First African American: Silas Robbins (1889) ^[1]
• First Native American (Omaha people) male: Hiram Chase (1889) ^{[2] [3]}
• First Native American (Omaha people) male to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court: Thomas L. Sloan (1892) in 1904 ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}
• First Jewish American male: Simeon Bloom ^[8]

State judges

• First Native American male: Hiram Chase in 1893 ^[9]
• First African American male (district court): Marlon Polk in 2005 ^{[10] [11]}

Firsts in local history

• Marlon Polk: ^[10] First African American male to become a Judge of the Fourth Judicial District Court in Nebraska (2005) [Douglas County, Nebraska]

See also

• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in the United States

Other topics of interest

• List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States
• List of first women lawyers and judges in Nebraska

References

1. Smith, J. Clay Jr. (January 1, 1999). Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844-1944. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN   0812216857.
2. "Editorial: It's important to understand Native Americans' long struggle for voting rights | NCIA". indianaffairs.state.ne.us. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
3. "Omaha Tribal Historical Research Project, Inc. [OTHRP] Presents Omahas in History". www.jackalopearts.org. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
4. "Thomas Sloan". www.jackalopearts.org. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
5. Birchfield, D. L. (1997). The Encyclopedia of North American Indians: Ross, John - Trail of Broke Treaties. Marshall Cavendish. ISBN   9780761402367.
6. "Bishop, Thomas G. (1859-1923) and William Bishop Jr. (1861-1934): Native American Political Leaders - HistoryLink.org". www.historylink.org. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
7. Sloan and Chase formed the first Native American law firm in the United States.
8. Memories of the Jewish Midwest. Nebraska Jewish Historical Society. January 1, 1985.
9. "History of the Nebraska Judicial Branch | Nebraska Judicial Branch". supremecourt.nebraska.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2024.
10. "Heineman appoints state's first black district court judge". JournalStar.com. Associated Press. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
11. Upon Polk's appointment as a Judge of the Fourth Judicial District Court in Nebraska