adams was initially a criminal lawyer and occasionally was involved in civil rights cases. in one case, he sued a restaurant who initially refused to serve him and his wife. when the police came and told the restaurant that the law required the restaurant to serve the adams', the restaurant proceeded to serve a hamburger with an "inedible" amount of salt. adams was initially told by the police that they didn't have civil rights complaint forms, and so he had to type up his own. eventually the case went to court and judge lester palmer found the restaurant guilty and ordered a fine of $40. the complaint was and the fine rescinded when the restaurant agreed to change its policy. in another incident, adams was arrested for refusing to move to the jim crow section in the balcony of a movie theater. when he arrived at the station, the police chief (robert samardick) released adams and reprimanded the officer. adams was also active in the national association for the advancement of colored people. later in life, he worked as a real estate lawyer. adams was the first second-generation black lawyer in nebraska and less than two years out of law school saw a case before the nebraska supreme court.