Mr. Toomey’s arrival in Miami in 1912 heralded the beginning of the growth of an integral part of black Miami’s emerging professional community. Opening his practice in Miami in1913, at the invitation of the Miami Chamber of Commerce, this event not only signaled the first law practice opened by a black man in the city of Miami, but the first such practice in Southeast Florida.

Due to segregation and discrimination, Mr. Toomey was prohibited from making appearance in local courts to represent his clients. This function was reserved for white male lawyers. Mr. Toomey, nonetheless, excelled as a skilled writer of legal briefs. His legal scholarships and analytical skills were sought out by local white attorneys who successfully presented his cases, for which Toomey’s research and writing provided the legal foundation.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1861, Mr. Toomey attended Lincoln University, graduating in 1894. He obtained his law degree from Howard University. Between completing college and beginning law school, Mr. Toomey gave distinguished service to his country during the Spanish-American War of 1898. He became the first black soldier commissioned to be an officer during this conflict.

Mr. Toomey blazed the legal trail over which other pioneering black lawyers would travel. He died in 1948 at the age 87.