After graduating from high school, Davis attended Philander Smith College, where he earned a degree in business administration at the age of 20. With the desire to become a lawyer, he began his legal career in 1945 at Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. In the spring of 1946, he learned of Heman Marion Sweatt, a black man who had applied for admission to the University of Texas Law School but was rejected because of his race, even though he had the essential qualifications. This later became a landmark decision in Sweatt v. Painter, 399 U.S. 629 (1950), in which the Supreme Court held that the educational opportunities offered to white and black law students by the State of Texas were not substantially equal, and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment required that Sweatt be admitted to the University of Texas School of Law. It is with great pleasure and pride that I have the opportunity to chair this historically important organization, the L. Clifford Davis Legal Association. Judge L. Clifford Davis and 13 other African-American lawyers organized the Fort Worth Black Bar in 1977, now known as the L Clifford Davis Legal Association. Justice Davis, a legendary civil rights lawyer and later judge, dedicated 70+ years to the fight for equality and justice. Judge Davis is best known for his service to the African-American community, as he pioneered desegregation in many of Tarrant County`s public institutions, including Mansfield ISD and Fort Worth ISD.
I would not be here today if African-American lawyers like Justice Davis were not fighting for this right. Our work and struggle are far from over. I look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of Tarrant County and surrounding communities.” This year, we will expand our legal education series, continue to offer legal clinics to the community, offer the high school summer law camp, award law scholarships, and be a voice against the injustices that occur in our communities. We are determined to continue the work of our namesake. We hope you will join us and help us make our ongoing service a success. Sincerely, LCDLA President 2021-2022 In 1983, Governor Bill Clements appointed attorney Louis Sturns as a judge of Criminal District Court No. 2, becoming Tarrant County`s first black district judge. However, Governor Clements lost the election. Governor Mark White won and appointed attorney L. Clifford Davis as a judge in the same district court. He was confirmed by the Texas Senate. In 1984, he ran and won the contested election, becoming the first black judge to be elected in Tarrant County against his white opponent, attorney Pete Gilfeather.
Retired Judge Louis Sturns, 213th District Court, said: “To say that L. Clifford Davis is an iconic figure is an understatement. Justice Davis was a transformative figure in the city of Fort Worth and throughout North Texas, not only for his legal skills, but also for his civic engagement. A number of lawyers in the field have benefited from his wisdom and advice. He remembers handling a death penalty case in the Arkansas Supreme Court involving a black man convicted of raping a white woman. On appeal, the court overturned the verdict and ruled that the defendant was entitled to continuation because there was not enough time to prepare his defence. Maxwell v. Staat, 225 S.W. 2d 687 (Ark.
1950). The accused was retried and convicted. Judge Davis worked on the second appeal, and the Arkansas Supreme Court overturned the conviction and ordered a new trial alleging that the defendant`s request to overturn the original jury, made up of black jurors, should have been granted. Maxwell v. Staat, 232 S.W. 2d 982 (Ark. 1950). After these victories, his legal career developed as a well-known criminal defense attorney in Arkansas. When asked if he should slow down, Davis replied, “I`m going to go outside instead of rusting.” He planned to become a railroad engineer, a job that was not available to African Americans during the Depression. He eventually became a great social engineer for justice.
Justice L. Clifford Davis is a legendary civil rights lawyer who worked with the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and renowned civil rights lawyer W. Harold Flowers. He joined the law firm Johnson, Vaughn & Heiskell as Of Counsel after serving as a judge for over 20 years. Attorney Mike Heiskell eloquently stated, “When I first met Justice Davis, he exuded the class and confidence of a true professional. I was very impressed by his polite mannerism and ability to grasp and communicate complex issues. For these reasons, he became my mentor and hero for his courageous action in perfecting our civil rights. Watch NBC`s 5 Talk Street interview Who Is Judge L.
Clifford Davis Davis has received numerous awards, including the Blackstone Award (the Tarrant County Bar Association`s highest honor), the Silver Gavel Award, the NAACP William Robert Ming Advocacy Award, the Tarrant County Bar Foundation`s Lifetime Community Service Award, Tarrant County Commissioner Special Recognition Texas Lawyer Magazine`s Distinguished Lawyer Achievement Award, the Multicultural Alliance Award, and was inducted into the National Bar Association Hall of Fame. He has been recognized as a living legend by the Black Academy of Arts and Letters, Marion Brooks Living Legends of the Cowboys of Color and many other organizations. As a young man, he was inspired by civil rights lawyer Scipio Jones, who successfully led appeals by twelve black sharecroppers sentenced to death in 1919 for participating in a racial uprising in rural Elaine, Arkansas.