Abstract
Abstract: Jack Nelson was a white Catholic lawyer involved in the struggle for African American civil rights in New Orleans. Drawing upon his faith's teachings, he advocated for racial justice in the courtroom and his community. As an officer of Save Our Schools, he fought to keep public schools open, and as a candidate for the Orleans Parish school board, he opposed those resisting integration. He defended young civil rights activists in a landmark Supreme Court case, and he filed the lawsuit that forced Tulane University to admit its first Black students. He facilitated the integration of New Orleans' Catholic schools. His civil rights advocacy brought social ostracism, hurt his legal practice, and doomed his efforts to win political office. Despite these setbacks, Nelson remained faithful to the principles of his religion and his profession. His victories are not widely known today because his desire to remain a solo practitioner precluded his involvement in cases lawyers argued for major civil rights organizations.
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