Hon. Constance Baker Motley Essay Competition- 3rd Place Winner

The Federal Bar Association’s Hon. Constance Baker Motley Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Young Member Essay Competition is created to celebrate the life of Hon. Constance Baker Motley (1921-2005) and promote her legacy by encouraging law students and younger federal practitioners to promote, achieve, and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.

The competition is named after Judge Baker Motley, the first African American woman appointed to the federal judiciary and the first woman judge in the Southern District of New York. She was a key leader of the African American civil rights movement, a lawyer, judge, state senator, and Borough president of Manhattan, New York City.

Ebony Love, Third Place Winner of the Hon. Constance Baker Motley Essay Competition

“I would tell them to persevere.”
On June 30, 2022, the Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson made history by becoming an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. During her confirmation hearings, Senator Alex Padilla asked Justice Brown Jackson what she would say to young people, of any demographic background, who doubt their ability to achieve the same or similar accomplishments that define Justice Brown Jackson’s career. Justice Brown Jackson explained that, while attending Harvard, there was a moment when she felt like she did not belong. In that moment, when she felt lonely, Justice Brown Jackson recalls a nameless Black woman who saw her in that moment and told Justice Brown Jackson to persevere.

Justice Brown Jackson’s experience is not unique. There have been times where I, too, felt like I do not belong within the profession. However, just as the nameless Black woman encouraged her, Justice Brown Jackson encourages me.

Highlighting the life stories of jurists will help empower the next generation of lawyers who have not seen themselves reflected in certain positions. One way to do this is through oral history projects. While in law school, I realized I could not explain the history of desegregation at my university because a comprehensive historical record did not exist. Through research, I and a group of law students were able to identify alumni who were “firsts”: the first Black person to attend the university, the first Black woman to earn her law degree, and the first Black district court judge for the Northern District of Florida.

By talking with these alumni, we learned that their experiences were our experiences. The student researchers were first-generation law students, just like those alumni we interviewed. We all overcame the same hurdles to joining the legal profession. We each had a moment of self-doubt, and we each were able to overcome those moments. But, the student researchers would not have been able to identify these patterns but for the conversations and relationships we developed through the oral history interviews.

A popular saying advises: “You can’t teach what you don’t know. You can’t lead where you won’t go.” By collecting these oral histories, we can promote, achieve, and sustain diversity, equity, and inclusion in federal practice. We will be able to identify those jurists who have developed groundbreaking precedent because they brought a fresh perspective to the profession. By having these open and honest conversations, we can shed light on areas within our practice that have historically excluded certain demographics, whether intentionally or unintentionally. By creating these historical archives, we can inspire the next generation by showing them that someone who looks like them, who is also a first-generation jurist, who grew up poor like them accomplished feats once unimaginable. By sharing these stories, we can encourage the next generation so that the “firsts” are not the “last.” We will be creating opportunities to show the next generation the fruits of perseverance, just as Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has imagined.

About the Author

Ebony Love is a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Brian J. Davis, District Court Judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Prior to joining chambers, Love graduated with honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. In law school, she served as the President of the Justice Campbell Thornall Moot Court Board and as the Southern Regional Chair of the National Black Law Students Association. She also interned with the Honorable Patricia D. Barksdale, Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Following her clerkship, Love will serve the United States Navy as a JAG Officer. She aspires to uplift communities by encouraging conversations between neighbors, and creating opportunities for young people to be exposed to different opportunities and mentors.

About the FBA

Founded in 1920, the Federal Bar Association is dedicated to the advancement of the science of jurisprudence and to promoting the welfare, interests, education, and professional development of all attorneys involved in federal law. Our more than 14,000 members run the gamut of federal practice: attorneys practicing in small to large legal firms, attorneys in corporations and federal agencies, and members of the judiciary. The FBA is the catalyst for communication between the bar and the bench, as well as the private and public sectors. Visit us at fedbar.org to learn more.