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This 1989 photo provided by Southwestern Law School shows Vaino Spencer, the first female black judge in California and one of the longest-serving jurists in state history. Spencer died of natural causes on Oct. 25, 2016, at the age of 96, her family said. Spencer's niece, Fatimah Gilliam, describes Spencer as "a trailblazer and a self-made woman in an era when there were few opportunities for women and people of color." (Southwestern Law School via AP)

This 1989 photo provided by Southwestern Law School shows Vaino Spencer, the first female black judge in California and one of the longest-serving jurists in state history. Spencer died of natural causes on Oct. 25, 2016, at the age of 96, her family said. Spencer's niece, Fatimah Gilliam, describes Spencer as "a trailblazer and a self-made woman in an era when there were few opportunities for women and people of color." (Southwestern Law School via AP)

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