Lawson E. Thomas was an outstanding civil rights activist who worked tirelessly to make a pronounced change in Miami’s social and political environment, and who did so utilizing the law as his tool. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Florida A&M College and the University of Michigan, respectively. He moved to Miami and opened his law practice in 1935.

Thomas argued cases throughout Florida, often filling the courtroom with blacks because it was rare for a black attorney in the south to try his own cases at that time. Soon after he arrived in Miami, a bailiff threatened to toss him out a sixth floor window in Miami municipal court because he dared to challenge the custom and represent his clients in court, rather than have a white attorney appear on his behalf. Thomas ultimately presented the case and won it.

His first major victory on behalf of a group of clients was gained in the late 1940s when he represented black parents in Broward County who successfully sued the School Board over unequal treatment of their children. At the time, the school year for black children was three months shorter than for white children, so that black children would be available to work in the bean fields.

Thomas’ skillful advocacy resulted in many other noteworthy legal victories on behalf of his clients. He helped lead the fight to equalize salaries for black and white teachers, which eventually gained a favorable decision before the U.S. Supreme Court. After demonstrators organized a beach “Wade-in” to protest the lack of a black beach in Dade County, Thomas became instrumental in fashioning a compromise between the protesters and the county. He also successfully fought for the right of blacks to serve on local juries, thus enhancing the U.S. Constitution’s promise that all defendants are entitled to be tried by their peers.

Following these and many other legal achievements, Thomas was appointed judge of Miami’s Negro Police Court in 1950. Thus, he became the first black person to hold public office in the South since Reconstruction. In this capacity, Judge Thomas made his courtroom his “classroom,” where thousands of citizens learned that the law would grant justice for all persons who appeared there. So effective was Judge Thomas until decreases in juvenile delinquency and general crime throughout the black community during his tenure were credited to his work on the bench.

Judge L. E. Thomas died in 1989 at 91, less than a year after closing his law office. He is remembered as a strict but fair judge who was deeply devoted to the progress of his race. He skillfully used the law as both “shield and sword” on his constituents’ behalf.

Sources:    “A Tribute to the Hon. Lawson E. Thomas,” Congressional Record - House, Feb. 22, 1988, H$$$. “Judge Thomas Devoted Life to the Fight for Civil Rights,” by Bea L. Hines, The Miami Herald, Neighbors, Oct. 8, 1989. “Black Archives Collection of Elected and Appointed Officials,” The Dade County Environmental Story, Aug., 1985, p. 56.