Lucile Alexandra Watts (1920 – June 23, 2018) was an American judge. After 20 years as a private practice lawyer, Watts was elected a Wayne County Circuit Court judge in 1980. She was the first black woman to be elected as a circuit court judge in Michigan. In 2019, she was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.[1]
Early life
Watts was born in Homeville, Virginia, in 1920.[2] She grew up in Alliance, Ohio, where she attended Alliance High School followed by the University of Detroit for her bachelor's degree.[3] While earning her LLB from Detroit College of Law in 1962, she was one of very few woman law students in the legal daytime program.[4] Upon graduating, she started her own practice after being unable to find work due to her gender.[5]
Career
As a private practice lawyer, Watts was recruited by Great Lakes Mutual Insurance Company to assist with the release of black men arrested during the 1967 Detroit riot.[5] She joined other African-American lawyers in the community to organize and coordinate in defending the men and seeking their release.[6]
After 20 years as a private practice lawyer, Watts was elected a Wayne County Circuit Court judge in 1980. She was the first black woman to be elected as a circuit court judge in Michigan.[3] Prior to her death in 2018, Watts served as a board member at Focus: HOPE for 20 years, Woodward Academy, the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, Black Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, a lifetime member of the NAACP, and a National Honorary Member of Distinction of the Gamma Phi Delta Sorority.[1] Watts died in her sleep on June 23, 2018, in her Detroit home.[6]