Thurgood Marshall: His Leadership and Legacy

Belmont University College of Law

David L. Hudson, Jr., is Assistant Professor of Law at Belmont University College of Law, where he teaches Legal Information and Communication. A leading expert on the U.S. Constitution and landmark Supreme Court cases, he has worked on First Amendment issues for much of his career. The author, co-author, or co-editor of more than 40 books, Professor Hudson serves as a Justice Robert H. Jackson Legal Fellow for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and a First Amendment Fellow for the Freedom Forum Institute. He previously taught at Vanderbilt Law School and the Nashville School of Law, where he was awarded their Distinguished Faculty Award. Hudson also is a licensed boxing judge and has judged a dozen world title bouts.

 

Overview

Justice Elena Kagan has called him “the most important lawyer of the 20th century.” Justice William Brennan wrote that his friend and colleague was “the central figure in this nation’s struggle to eliminate institutional racism.” Known as “Mr. Civil Rights” for his advocacy on behalf of racial justice, Thurgood Marshall argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education, arguably the most important Supreme Court decision in history. He later became the first African American to serve as U.S. Solicitor and as a Supreme Court Justice.

In this powerful lecture from award-winning law professor David L. Hudson Jr., you’ll follow the trajectory that led Marshall to become a transformational counsel for the NAACP and, in 1967, the first African American Supreme Court Justice. Marshall sat on the Court for 24 years, leaving an indelible impact in many areas of law. This talk will highlight Marshall’s groundbreaking accomplishments and leave you with a deeper appreciation of one of America’s racial pioneers and true heroes.

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cvbrown

Thurgood Marshall

David Hudson did such an excellent work in this presentation. He brought Thurgood Marshall to light as such a humane, intelligent, caring and professional person in our history. I learned ever so much. Sincere thanks to him and to ODU.

1 year ago
Marc Tanenbaum

A Life Well Lived

Assistant Professor Hudson presents a most interesting talk about the life of Justice Marshall as well as the highlights of many of his cases. His life could be the substance of high school civics classes if civics were taught in school anymore. Great presentation, Prof. Hudson. I wish you had time to comment on the movie “Marshall” with Chadwick Bosman.

1 year ago
barbara ann.fields

Honest Assessment

Thank you for the honest assesment of Justice Marshall’s career. I have learned some previously unknown, to me, facts about his life. It would be interesting to know what he would have thought about the Supreme Court today.

Thank you for your honest assessment of the career and life of Justice Marshall. I learned somethings I did not know about his life previously. It is good to know what shaped a person and set them on their !life’s path to get a clear understanding why they took the road they traveled.

1 year ago
Maggie Olmstead

Great historical lesson

Thanks for a through review of justice Thurgood Marshall’s life and career. The comparison between Justice Marshall’s beliefs and those prevalent during his time (and ours) were illuminating. I didn’t know exactly how much we miss him until now.

10 months ago
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