This study traces the legal career, activities, and views of Thurgood Marshall before and after his ascendancy to the Supreme Court of the United States. Its aim is to demonstrate that Marshall utilized the established legal institutions of the United States to obtain equality under the law for his fellow African Americans. Further, it shows that by adhering to this relatively conservative strategy, he not only assisted in ameliorating the political and social condition of blacks but contributed greatly to the enhancement of the civil rights of all Americans. Reprinted from the 1973 edition by Kennikat Press.