Lucile A. Watts

Lucile Alexandra Watts (1920 – June 23, 2018) was an American judge. After 20 years as a private practice lawyer, Watts was elected a Wayne County Circuit Court judge in 1980. She was the first black woman to be elected as a circuit court judge in Michigan. In 2019, she was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. She grew up in Alliance, Ohio, where she attended Alliance High School followed by the University of Detroit for her bachelor's degree. While earning her LLB from Detroit College of Law in 1962, she was one of very few woman law students in the legal daytime program. Upon graduating, she started her own practice after being unable to find work due to her gender.

Career As a private practice lawyer, Watts was recruited by Great Lakes Mutual Insurance Company to assist with the release of black men arrested during the 1967 Detroit riot.

After 20 years as a private practice lawyer, Watts was elected a Wayne County Circuit Court judge in 1980. She was the first black woman to be elected as a circuit court judge in Michigan. Watts died in her sleep on June 23, 2018, in her Detroit home.