Thomas Jefferson: Good guy lawyer

Thomas Jefferson worked as a lawyer in Virginia from 1767 to 1774. During these years, he took on seven cases representing a total of seven slaves who were suing for their freedom. He did this pro bono work for free, choosing to represent these clients without charging any money.

In April 1770, Jefferson took the pro bono case of a man named Samuel Howell. Howell was being held as a slave because of colonial laws regarding his family heritage. Virginia law at the time forced children of free mothers to work as servants or slaves until they turned 31. Jefferson argued that this rule should not apply to Howell, stating in court that under the law of nature, all men are born free. The judge stopped Jefferson in the middle of his speech and ruled against him. Even though Jefferson lost, he gave Howell money out of his own pocket! Howell used that money to escape from his master a few months later.

Two years later, in 1772, Jefferson took on another pro bono freedom case for a man named George Manly. Manly was the son of a free woman, but his master had kept him as a slave for three years past his legally required time. Jefferson won this case and secured Manly his freedom. Starting in May 1773, Manly went to work at Jefferson's estate, Monticello. Because he was now a free man, he did not work as a slave. Jefferson hired him as a regular laborer and paid him ten to twelve pounds annually plus board, which was a standard and fair wage for a general laborer at that time.

These cases show a largely unknown chapter in Jefferson's early career as a lawyer, where he did pro bono work to challenge the laws of colonial Virginia and assist individual slaves in their search for freedom.

Bet you didn't learn this in your American history class. Thank you, Mr. Jefferson, for being who you are.