hugo lafayette black was an american lawyer, politician, and jurist who served as a u.s. senator from alabama from 1927 to 1937 and as an associate justice of the u.s. supreme court from 1937 to 1971. born on february 27, 1886, in harlan, clay county, alabama, black was a member of the democratic party and a devoted new dealer. early life and career black attended ashland college and later enrolled at the university of alabama school of law, where he graduated with an ll.b. degree in 1906. he began his practice in ashland and later moved to birmingham, where he built a successful practice spe…