ChapterTwo Challenging the Status Quo
On the Vanguard of Change Those Who Broke Barriers Are Now Legacies When Judge Glenda Hatchett 77L walked over to the table of admitted students at the Black Law Students Association reception, she sparked a celebrity moment. Prospective students gathered around her for selfies. But that moment was significant in a different way for Hatchett. She was truly happy to meet the bright and enthusiastic students. “It really gratifies me to come back and see such a diverse population at Emory,” she said. Hatchett doled out tough love and justice on her Emmynominated courtroom television show from 2000 to 2009. Today, she has a national law firm and a new television show. But in the mid-1970s, Hatchett was a regional representative of BLSA, striving to recruit black law students to Emory Law. She later became the first African American to serve as chief judge of the juvenile court in Fulton County, Georgia, still working to break barriers. Emory Law helps shape the future of the legal profession, she says. “It is important that we look like the world we seek to serve.” Judge Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore 71L was among the first African American women to enroll at the Law School. She recalls that some classmates initially did not want her as a study partner—but success was her vindication. She ultimately graduated with distinction and was a member of the Order of the Coif honor society. She went on to attain many more firsts: First woman to serve full-time as an Atlanta Municipal Court and City Court judge, first woman to serve as chief judge of the Superior Court of Fulton County, first African American woman to serve as a judge on the State Courts of Georgia, and first African American woman to serve as chief administrative judge in any Georgia judicial circuit. Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore 71L
“Be aware that people who have gone before have carved the path that you now travel,” she told the BLSA students in a keynote address. “Be grateful that the path has been carved for you.” Many of those trailblazers are now legacies—parents of Emory Law students or alumni. Hatchett’s son graduated in 2001. Judge Marvin Arrington Sr. 67L was one of the first African American students at Emory Law; his son Marvin Jr. 96L, niece Jill 95L, and nephew Joseph II 96L all are Emory Law alumni. “The legacy opportunity is new for people of color,” says Gwen Keyes Fleming. “They have had phenomenal careers, and they want that same opportunity for their children.” That legacy has enriched Emory Law. In 2016, the Emory Law BLSA was named national large chapter of the year. A slideshow at the reception highlighted the chapter’s energy and engagement, a year’s worth of activities that included charitable events, blood drives, voter registration, networking, and a lecture series. BLSA president Jewel Quintyne 16L urged prospective students in attendance to add to that trajectory. “I hope you come to experience this family that we have created here,” she said.