List of African American jurists

This list includes individuals self-identified as African Americans who have made prominent contributions to the field of law in the United States, especially as eminent judges or legal scholars.

Individuals who may have obtained law degrees or practiced law, but whose reasons for notability are not closely related to that profession, are generally not listed here.

If known, it will be listed if a judge has served on multiple courts.

Sacramento County Superior Court (Commissioner: 2020– ) Federal Immigration Judge (2021–) Tennessee Salem Superior Court (2023–) Smith, John Clay Jr. (1999).

Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844–1944.