Everett J. Waring: First Black Attorney in Maryland History

Everett J. Waring is recognized by the Federal Bar Association Maryland Chapter during Black History Month as a pioneering figure in the legal history of the state. In 1885, he became the first Black attorney admitted to practice law in Maryland, breaking a significant racial barrier and laying the foundation for generations of African American legal professionals. His remarkable legacy spans courtroom advocacy, constitutional litigation, and a historic appearance before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Waring’s career was defined by his commitment to justice for the voiceless. He used his legal training to challenge segregation, expose systemic discrimination, and fight for civil liberties long before the civil rights movement of the 20th century. From Baltimore’s early civil rights struggles to the halls of the Supreme Court, Waring’s contributions to legal advocacy remain profound and far-reaching.

As Black History Month draws to a close, the FBA Maryland Chapter proudly honors Everett J. Waring, whose trailblazing work continues to inspire the legal profession and advance the cause of justice in Maryland and across the nation.

Legal Education and Breaking Barriers in Maryland

Everett J. Waring was born in Springfield, Ohio, in 1859. After working as a teacher, he relocated to Washington, D.C., in 1882, where he attended Howard University School of Law while working for the U.S. Department of the Interior. He earned his law degree in 1885 and was first admitted to the D.C. bar. Later that same year, Waring made history as the first Black attorney admitted to practice before Baltimore’s Supreme Bench, becoming the first Black lawyer licensed in Maryland.

In 1886, Waring moved to Baltimore to open his law practice. His arrival in the city marked a turning point for Black legal advocacy in the region. Waring’s early legal work targeted discriminatory laws that affected the rights of Black Marylanders. His first case challenged the constitutionality of a child support statute that only extended benefits to children of single white women. Though the case was dismissed, it sparked public outcry and led to legislative reform. Within two years, Maryland removed the racial language from the statute—a testament to Waring’s legal insight and advocacy.

Waring’s practice gave voice to African Americans confronting discriminatory policies, and his admission to the bar signaled a new era in the legal profession—one where Black attorneys began to gain institutional footholds in a previously exclusionary system.

Litigating Civil Rights and Arguing Before the Supreme Court

The legal career of Everett J. Waring was distinguished by a series of high-impact civil rights cases. He regularly represented clients in lawsuits challenging segregation and unequal treatment across public and private institutions. Among his notable legal efforts was a case opposing segregation on steamships and another targeting discriminatory practices at the University of Maryland School of Law, decades before the institution was officially integrated.

But perhaps his most historically significant case was Jones v. United States, 137 U.S. 202 (1890), which made Waring the first Black lawyer to argue before the United States Supreme Court. In that case, he defended Henry Jones, a Black laborer accused—along with seventeen others—of murdering white officers during a labor uprising on an American-occupied Caribbean island. Waring argued that the federal court in Maryland lacked jurisdiction over the alleged crime because it occurred outside U.S. territorial bounds.

Although the Supreme Court upheld the trial court’s jurisdiction, Waring’s arguments drew national attention to the inhumane conditions faced by Black laborers abroad. The case ultimately reached President Benjamin Harrison, who commuted the death sentences of three defendants, including Jones. In his 1891 State of the Union Address, Harrison cited the “bad treatment of the men” and their lack of legal protections as reasons for the commutations—vindicating Waring’s advocacy at the highest levels of government.

Legacy of Advocacy and Generational Impact

Following more than a decade of legal service in Baltimore, Everett J. Waring left the city in 1897 and later passed away in Pennsylvania in 1925. But his legacy did not end with his death. His work helped shape the trajectory of civil rights law in Maryland, and his example served as inspiration for the generations of Black lawyers who followed. His fearless advocacy opened courtrooms that had previously been closed to African Americans and set legal precedents that helped erode institutional racism.

Waring’s family also carried his legacy forward. His great-nephew, the Hon. Michael Waring Lee, became the first Black Chief Judge of the Orphans’ Court for Baltimore City and the first Black Chief Judge in Maryland’s history—continuing the trailblazing path Waring had begun decades earlier.

Waring’s original civil rights advocacy continues to echo today through organizations, courts, and legal professionals that embody his values of justice, equity, and perseverance. His early battles against segregation and discrimination were part of a larger historical arc that would later include major legal victories of the civil rights era—proof that foundational change often begins with a single courageous voice.

Honoring Everett J. Waring During Black History Month

Everett J. Waring remains a towering figure in the legal history of Maryland and a national pioneer in civil rights advocacy. As the first Black lawyer admitted to practice in the state and the first to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court, he shattered barriers that had long excluded African Americans from full participation in the legal system.

His work challenging unjust laws, defending marginalized clients, and shaping public discourse laid the groundwork for future civil rights victories. Waring’s influence is not only historic—it is enduring, embedded in Maryland’s legal fabric and reflected in the careers of those who follow in his footsteps.

The Federal Bar Association Maryland Chapter proudly recognizes Everett J. Waring as part of its Black History Month spotlight. To learn more about events honoring legal trailblazers like Waring and how you can support equity in the profession, visit the Federal Bar Association Maryland Chapter events page.