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Law students can find inspiration for their future careers by looking to the past for some of the greatest legal exploits in United States history. These legal professionals made a true difference in society and the justice system.

One of the most exciting times for a lawyer was to be part of the NAACP and the civil rights movement during the 1960′s. These professionals took on Jim Crow laws and racism in America’s courtrooms, all the way up to the Supreme court. This was often done at danger to their own lives, especially when they ventured into certain parts of the South. One of the greatest landmark cases was Brown versus the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas.

This case was grouped with a variety of other segregation cases that were trying to bring down the “separate but equal” policy that had been in place for generations. Segregating schools was one of the most controversial topics, and lawyers such as Thurgood Marshall and a host of others. These lawyers bravely argued the case before the Supreme Court and won out over the racism that had plagued public schooling and public accommodations for so long.

Thurgood Marshall continued to make his mark on civil rights litigation and the fight for equal rights, eventually making his way to the Supreme Court himself. He has been followed by a host of new generations of lawyers who work hard to defend the rights of others in court and act as a check within society.