L.E Thomas Attorneys office is a historic site in Overtown. It. stands as the first black welcoming attorneys office in Miami.

Lawson E. Thomas was an outstanding civil

rights activist who worked tirelessly to make a pronounced change in Miami’s social and political environment, and who did so utilizing the law as his tool. He moved to Miami and opened his law practice in 1935.

His first major victory on behalf of a group of clients was gained in the late 1940s when he represented black parents in Broward County who successfully sued the School Board over unequal treatment of their children.

At the time, the school year for black children was three months shorter than for white children, so that black children would be available to work in the bean fields. Thomas’s skillful advocacy resulted in many other noteworthy legal victories on behalf of his clients. He helped lead the fight to equalize salaries for black and white teachers, which eventually gained a favorable decision before the U.S. Supreme Court. After demonstrators organized a beach “Wade-in” to protest the lack of a black beach in Dade County, Thomas became instrumental in fashioning a compromise between the protesters and the county. He also successfully fought for the right of blacks to serve on local juries, thus enhancing the U.S. Constitution’s promise that all defendants are entitled to be tried by their peers.