William C. Thompson Sr. ’58 (1926–2018)
Thompson, who earned his LL.B. from Brooklyn Law School in 1958, was a pioneering jurist and public servant remembered as the first African American state senat..
more »William C. Thompson Sr. ’58 (1926–2018)
Thompson, who earned his LL.B. from Brooklyn Law School in 1958, was a pioneering jurist and public servant remembered as the first African American state senator from Brooklyn and later the first Black justice elected to the New York State Supreme Court from Kings County. A decorated World War II veteran, he entered politics as a reform Democrat during the 1960s, helping dismantle barriers for Black candidates in Brooklyn. His judicial career, which included more than two decades on the Appellate Division, Second Department, was marked by fairness, mentorship, and a lifelong commitment to civil rights. Brooklyn Law School’s Black History Month profile calls him “a leader whose life reflected the values of justice, integrity, and equality that define our institution.”
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