She was also Missouri's first African American female lawyer to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Before settling in Kansas City, Missouri, she attended the Henderson Business College in Memphis, Tennessee.
In 1962, she became the first African American female from Missouri admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Additionally, Thurman served as the President of the Southwest Bar Association.
[1][2] Thuman married her first husband, James D. Pouncey, in 1937, and pursued a legal career after his death.