Paul L. Brady

Paul Lawrence Brady (born September 28, 1927) is an American civil rights advocate, author and former federal administrative law judge, the first African-American to achieve this position in 1972. He retired in 1997.

Born in Flint, Michigan, he had previously served in the US Navy, been a private practice judge, a Social Security Administration hearing examiner and a trial attorney for the Federal Power Commission. He was a graduate of the University of Michigan, the University of Kansas and Washburn University.

Brady published A Certain Blindness chronicling his ancestors history on their arrival in the United States, and received many accolades from civil rights groups during his career. Brady was the great-nephew of Bass Reeves, who was among the first African Americans to receive a commission as a Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River, and the second husband of Xernona Clayton, a civil rights leader.