Everett J. Waring (May 22, 1859 – September 2, 1914)[a] was the first African-American person admitted to the Maryland State Bar Association in 1885[4][5] and the Supreme Court Bench of Baltimore on October 10, 1885.

[1][9] First admitted to the bar in Washington, D.C., in 1885,[9] Waring began practicing law in D.C.[7] He moved to Baltimore in 1886 at the encouragement of Rev.

Harvey Johnson to become the first black lawyer in the state and to represent the Brotherhood of Liberty[9] to fight for rights of colored people.

[12] He and fellow Howard alumni Joseph S. Davis represented three African American men, including Henry Jones, of the Navassa Island riot of 1889.

The riot, by guano miners who worked for the Quaker Company on the uninhabited Navassa Island, resulted in the death of five officers.

[12][11] The riot ensued after African American men were lured to the island to mine guano deposits and then were subject to mistreatment and low pay.

[11] The laborers, many from Baltimore, were wooed by a phosphate company to the island of Navassa to mine guano, seabird waste used as fertilizer.

Equity cases were taken out in Baltimore City Circuit Court against Waring when his bank failed and mortgages for his houses had outstanding balances.

[9] The same year he returned to Columbus and established a law practice and later also accepted the position of acting police judge.

[17][18] Also called Mamie, Toomer attended an orphan asylum and school in Baltimore for African American children following the death of her mother and remarriage of her father.

[18] The purpose was to give Toomer, born in 1879, the means to run away from the school to be married to Charles Dickson, her step-brother.

[9] It was determined that Waring had used his personal money to try to save the bank, but he was unable to prevent the financial institution from failing.

Had he been content to remain in the field of advocacy instead of trying to achieve wealth in real estate, for which he was illy fitted, he might have made a great career for himself, and saved his professional brethren, and his race several serious embarrassments.

"[23] The Everett J. Waring / Juanita Jackson Mitchell Law Society of Howard County ("WMLS") was chartered in Maryland on April 23, 1985, for judges, lawyers, and elected community leaders.

It was named for Waring and Juanita Jackson Mitchell, both "outstanding African American attorneys of historical significance".

It is affiliated with the state and national bar associations and is involved in community, legal, mentoring, judicial nominations and other key initiatives.