Distinguished Arizona Attorneys

Hayzel B. Daniels was the first African-American to pass the Arizona bar exam. She led the fight to end segregation in the Phoenix public schools. The Arizona case decided in 1953, was taken into account when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of nationwide desegregation in Brown v. Topeka Board of Education the following year.

Coles Bashford (1816-1878) was an American lawyer and politician who became the first Republican governor of Wisconsin. His one term as governor ended in a bribery scandal that forced him to leave the state, but he was later instrumental in the government of the newly-formed Arizona Territory.

We are working to compile our unofficial list of the fifty most famous/distinguished attorneys in Arizona history. We have listed several above who clearly qualify, but our list is incomplete. Can you help? If you are familiar with Arizona legal history, please give us your thoughts on the list and tell us which other attorneys should be included on this list. Give us a brief description of what made or makes the attorneys unique and noteworthy and in which cases they have distinguished themselves. If you are familiar with the work of those attorneys listed above, give us your recollections concerning their work. This is a work in progress, so we will publish results as we proceed.

For a consultation with the Law Offices of William D. Black, call 602.910.6144 or 1.800.354.6500 or contact us online.