John Swett Rock Becomes First Black Attorney Admitted to U.S. Supreme Court Bar

On February 1, 1865, John Swett Rock became the first Black attorney admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, introduced by Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner. Rock was a remarkable polymath — a dentist, physician, and lawyer — whose admission came just days after the House passed the 13th Amendment, marking a symbolic turning point in Black legal standing.