By Sylvia Walbolt and Andrew Manko

Tampa shareholder Sylvia Walbolt (Appellate Practice and Trial Support) and Andro Manko published "From Chattel To Justice" as part of the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society's African-American Experience Project. The article was presented at the annual Florida Bar Convention in Boca Raton. It traces the history of the Florida Supreme Court's treatment of African-Americans. When the Court was created, several of its justices were slave owners, and its decisions reflected that African-Americans were treated as chattel. Throughout the last century, the Court's decisions evolved on numerous issues, including voting and civil rights, and the struggle to allow African-Americans entry into the Florida Bar. Today, several African-American justices sit on the Court. The Court's ongoing evolution tells a remarkable story, and remains an important civil rights marker in the state.

Click here to read the entire article.

Sylvia Walbolt pictured in front of the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society African-American Experience Project display during The Florida Bar Convention in June 2010.