Orzell Billingsley
Orzell Billingsley | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 24, 1924 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | December 14, 2001 (aged 77) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | One of the first ten blacks to be admitted to the Alabama State Bar |
Orzell Billingsley (October 24, 1924 – December 14, 2001) was one of the first ten African-Americans admitted to the Alabama Bar; he was also known for his work in civil rights litigation, and he was one of the lead lawyers for Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott.
Co-founder of the Alabama Democratic Conference and its first president, Billingsley helped develop this first statewide African-American political organization in Alabama. He was well known for his 15-year defense of Caliph Washington of Bessemer, Alabama, who was falsely accused and convicted of killing a white police officer; it was this case that helped to end all-white juries in Alabama.