Colorado ’s legal community recently observed a milestone, honoring a pioneering lawyer who broke through societal barriers. A man who used his talent and passion for the law to fight for equity and justice for all.
The late Irving P. Andrews has been described as a prolific and talented trial attorney in Denver. His career spanned some four decades. He served in the U.S. Navy before becoming the first African American graduate of both Colorado College and the University of Denver’s School of Law.
Andrews notably served on the legal team that ultimately won the landmark Brown V. Board of Education Supreme Court case that struck down racial segregation in American public schools. In 1963, he set up a law practice with fellow lawyer John Kane, who would become a lifelong friend and colleague. Andrews both lived in – and practiced law out of – his Denver home near 23rd Avenue and York Street from the 1970s until his retirement because many office buildings would not rent space to him due to the color of his skin.
Members of Colorado’s legal community recently came together to celebrate Andrews by naming a chapter of an association for members of the legal profession in his honor. The Irving P. Andrews Inn of Court will focus on family, juvenile and probate law. Chandra Thomas Whitfield emceed the event.
