Notable Alumni
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Gwendolyn S. Cherry
Former Staff Attorney
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry was born in Miami, Florida in 1923. Gwendolyn was a member of the first group of staff attorneys who initially served at Legal Services of Greater Miami in 1966. She was the first Black woman to pass the Florida Bar exam. A true trailblazer, Gwendolyn was Miami-Dade County's first Black female attorney and the first African American woman elected to the Florida House of Representatives. She served four terms advocating for and introducing legislation on behalf of women and minorities before her untimely death in 1979.
Today the Gwen S. Cherry Black Women Lawyers Association continues to honor her legacy at Legal Services by providing an annual scholarship to a deserving law student who strives to achieve her commitment and dedication to “champion for the rights of all people”.[1}
[1] Former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham eulogized Gwen Cherry “ a champion for the rights of all people and a voice of reason and concern.”