Timeline of women lawyers in the United States

Last updated January 22, 2025

This is a short timeline of women lawyers in the United States. Much more information on the subject can be found at: List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States

1869 - Lemma Barkaloo became the first woman in America admitted to law school at Washington University in St. Louis.
1869 – Arabella Mansfield became the first female lawyer in the United States when she was admitted to the Iowa bar.^[1]
1870 – Ada Kepley became the first woman to graduate from law school in the United States; she graduated from Chicago University Law School, predecessor to Union College of Law, later known as Northwestern University School of Law.^[2]
1872 – Charlotte E. Ray became the first African-American female lawyer in the United States.^[3]
1873 - Bradwell v. State of Illinois , 83 U.S. 130 (1873), was a United States Supreme Court case that solidified the narrow reading of the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and determined that the right to practice a profession was not among these privileges. The case is also notable for being an early 14th Amendment challenge to sex discrimination in the United States. In this case the United States Supreme Court held that Illinois constitutionally denied law licenses to women, because the right to practice law was not one of the privileges and immunities guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. The Illinois Supreme Court affirmed.
1877 - On March 22, 1877, the Wisconsin legislature enacted a law which prohibited courts from denying admission to the bar on the basis of sex. The bill had been drafted by Lavinia Goodell and she worked with Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly John B. Cassoday for it to pass.^[4]^[5]
1879: A law was enacted allowing qualified female attorneys to practice in any federal court in the United States.^[6]
1879 – Belva Lockwood became the first woman to argue before the United States Supreme Court.^[7]
1899 – The National Association of Women Lawyers, originally called the Women Lawyers' Club, was founded by a group of 18 women lawyers in New York City.^[3]
1918 – Judge Mary Belle Grossman and Mary Florence Lathrop became the first two female lawyers admitted to the American Bar Association.^[3]
1922 – Florence E. Allen became the first woman ever elected to a state supreme court (specifically, the Ohio Supreme Court).^[8]
1922 – Florence King became the first woman to argue a patent case before the U.S. Supreme Court.^[9]
1923 – Florence King became the first woman to win a case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1923 (Crown v. Nye).^[9]
1928 – Genevieve Cline won U.S. Senate confirmation on May 25, 1928, as a judge of the United States Customs Court (now known as the Court of International Trade), received her commission on May 26, 1928, and took her oath of office in the Cleveland Federal Building on June 5, 1928,^[10] thus becoming the first American woman ever appointed to the federal bench.^[11]
1929 - Olive H. Rabe became the first woman to argue a free speech case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1929 (United States v. Schwimmer).^[12]
1965 – Lorna E. Lockwood became the first woman chief justice of any state (specifically, she was chief justice of Arizona).^[13]
1970 – Doris Brin Walker became the first female president of the National Lawyers Guild.^[14]
1971 - Barring women from practicing law was prohibited in the U.S.^[15]
1981 – Sandra Day O'Connor became the first woman to serve as a justice of the United States Supreme Court.^[16]
1981 – Arnette Hubbard became the first female president of the National Bar Association.^[17]^[18]
1984 - In Hishon v. King & Spaulding (1984) the Supreme Court ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans discrimination by employers in the context of any contractual employer/employee relationship, including but not limited to law partnerships.^[19]
1988 – Juanita Kidd Stout was appointed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, thus becoming the first African-American woman to serve on a state's highest court.^[3]
1995 – Roberta Cooper Ramo became the first female president of the American Bar Association.^[20]
1998 – Regina Pisa of Goodwin Procter became the first woman to manage an Am Law 100 firm.^[21]
2001 – National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) formed.^[22]
2008 – Roberta Cooper Ramo became the first female president of the American Law Institute.^[20]
2016–present – women enrolled in U.S. law schools outnumber men.^[23]
2023 – Women comprised 50.3 percent of U.S. law firm associates, exceeding men in the profession for the first time in the United States, increased from 38 percent in 1991.^[24]
2023 – over half of JD students enrolled at ABA-accredited schools are women.^[24]

Related Research Articles

Shirley Ann Mount Hufstedler was an American attorney and judge who served as the first United States Secretary of Education from 1979 to 1981. She previously served as a U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals from 1968 to 1979.

Florence Ellinwood Allen was a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She was the first woman to serve on a state supreme court and one of the first two women to serve as a United States federal judge. In 2005, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Shirley Schlanger Abrahamson was the 25th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. An American lawyer and jurist, she was appointed to the court in 1976 by Governor Patrick Lucey, becoming the first female justice to serve on Wisconsin's highest court. She became the court's first female chief justice on August 1, 1996, and served in that capacity until April 29, 2015. In all, she served on the court for 43 years (1976–2019), making her the longest-serving justice in the history of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Susie Marshall Sharp was an American jurist who served as the first female chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. She was not the first woman to head the highest court in a U.S. state, but is believed to be the first woman elected to such a post in a state, like North Carolina, in which the position is elected by the people separately from that of Associate Justice. In 1965, Lorna E. Lockwood became the first female chief justice of a state supreme court, but in Arizona, the Supreme Court justices elect their chief justice.

The number of women in the United States judiciary has increased as more women have entered law school, but women still face significant barriers in pursuing legal careers.

Myra Colby Bradwell was an American publisher and political activist. She attempted in 1869 to become the first woman to be admitted to the Illinois bar to practice law, but was denied admission by the Illinois Supreme Court in 1870 and the United States Supreme Court in 1873, in rulings upholding a separate women's sphere. Bradwell had founded and published Chicago Legal News from 1868, reporting on the law and continued that work. Meanwhile, influenced by her case, in 1872 the Illinois legislature passed a state law prohibiting gender discrimination in admission to any occupation or profession.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erwin Griswold</span> American lawyer (1904–1994)

Erwin Nathaniel Griswold was an American appellate attorney and legal scholar who argued many cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Griswold served as Solicitor General of the United States (1967–1973) under Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard M. Nixon. He also served as the dean of Harvard Law School for 21 years. Several times he was considered for appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. During a career that spanned more than six decades, he served as member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and as president of the American Bar Foundation.

Howard University School of Law is the law school of Howard University, a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and the oldest historically black law school in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan P. Graber</span> American attorney and jurist (born 1949)

Susan Pia Graber is an American attorney and jurist. She is a senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. A native of Oklahoma, she was the 90th justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1990 to 1998. She served on the Oregon Court of Appeals from 1988 to 1990.

Rhoda Lavinia Goodell was the first woman licensed to practice law in Wisconsin and the first woman admitted to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. In 1880, she also became the first to litigate an appeal to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. She was a strong proponent of women's suffrage, abolition, temperance, and prison reform. She was also the first woman to run for city attorney.

This is a short timeline of women lawyers. Much more information on the subject can be found at: List of first women lawyers and judges by nationality.

Women in law describes the role played by women in the legal profession and related occupations, which includes lawyers, paralegals, prosecutors, judges, legal scholars, law professors and law school deans.

Jean Dubofsky is the first woman to become a Colorado Supreme Court Justice and a former Deputy Attorney General for Colorado. She was the lead attorney in Romer v. Evans, the case that overturned Colorado Amendment 2 at the US Supreme Court, resulting in a landmark ruling for LGBT rights in the United States.

Mary Florence Lathrop (1865–1951) was an American lawyer. She was the first woman to open a law practice in Denver, Colorado, and one of the first two female members of the American Bar Association. She was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1987.

The history of the American legal profession covers the work, training, and professional activities of lawyers from the colonial era to the present. Lawyers grew increasingly powerful in the colonial era as experts in the English common law, which was adopted by the colonies. By the 21st century, over one million practitioners in the United States held law degrees, and many others served the legal system as justices of the peace, paralegals, marshals, and other aides.

References

↑ Martha C. Nussbaum (2012). Philosophical Interventions: Book Reviews 1986-2011. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 400. ISBN 9780199777853. LCCN 2011012606.
↑ "Northwestern Law Alumni Profiles". Pritzker School of Law . Northwestern University. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
1 2 3 4 "NAWL History". National Association of Women Lawyers . Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
↑ "John B. Cassoday and the Yankee Element in Wisconsin". WisBar. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
↑ Norgren, Jill (2013-04-15). Rebels at the Bar. NYU Press. doi:10.18574/nyu/9780814758625.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-8147-5862-5.
↑ Brian Burns (2017). Gilded Age Richmond: Gaiety, Greed & Lost Cause Mania. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 108–. ISBN 978-1-62585-851-1.
↑ "Milestones in Women's Leadership in American History". Women's Leadership in American History. City University of New York. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
↑ Feather, Carl E. (25 July 2014). "Judge Florence Allen: First Female Justice of a State Supreme Court". Star Beacon . Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
1 2 "King, Florence Embry". Women's Legal History Biography Project. Stanford University. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
↑ William Ganson Rose. (1990) Cleveland: the Making of a City. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press. p. 854. ISBN 0873384288. LCCN 90-4853.
↑ Jo Freeman. (2002). A Room at a Time: How Women Entered Party Politics. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 216. ISBN 0847698041. LCCN 99-30542.
↑ Ronald K. L. Collins (July 26, 2023). "42 women who argued First Amendment free expression cases before the Supreme Court — First Amendment News 388". Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
↑ Smith, Zachary A., ed. (2002). Politics and Public Policy in Arizona. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger. p. 129. ISBN 9780275971182. LCCN 2002025318.
↑ Wark, Colin; Galliher, John F. (2015). Progressive Lawyers under Siege: Moral Panic during the McCarthy Years. Lanham: Lexington Books. p. 31. ISBN 9780739195611. LCCN 2015002893.
↑ "Nettie and Florence Cronise, Ohio's first female lawyers, honored in Tiffin". Associated Press. 10 November 2013. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013.
↑ "Sandra Day O'Connor Biography". Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. 1930-03-26. Archived from the original on 8 July 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
↑ "First Woman President of National Bar Association Installed". African American Registry. 31 July 1981. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
↑ Gray, Fred D. (2002). Bus Ride to Justice: Changing the System by the System : the Life and Works of Fred D. Gray, Preacher, Attorney, Politician. Montgomery, AL: NewSouth Books. p. 308. ISBN 1881320235. LCCN 94041805.
↑ "Hishon v. King & Spaulding". Casebriefs. 1984-05-22. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
1 2 "Law School Commencement". Featured Events. Lewis & Clark College. 29 May 2010. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
↑ "Regina Pisa of Goodwin Proctor Honored at Harvard Law" American Law Institute, May 13, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
↑ "Hilgers Graben Earns NAMWOLF Certification as Woman-Owned Law Firm" Yahoo Finance, May 21, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
↑ "17 of the Top 20 Law Schools Have More Women Enrolled Law.com, February 2, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
1 2 Sloan, Karen "Most US law firm associates were women in 2023, survey shows" Reuters, January 9, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Nussbaum2012-1] Martha C. Nussbaum (2012). Philosophical Interventions: Book Reviews 1986-2011. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 400. ISBN 9780199777853. LCCN 2011012606.

[2] "Northwestern Law Alumni Profiles". Pritzker School of Law . Northwestern University. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.

[autogenerated1923-3] 1 2 3 4 "NAWL History". National Association of Women Lawyers . Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2015.

[4] "John B. Cassoday and the Yankee Element in Wisconsin". WisBar. Retrieved 2021-04-01.

[:Goodell1-5] Norgren, Jill (2013-04-15). Rebels at the Bar. NYU Press. doi:10.18574/nyu/9780814758625.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-8147-5862-5.

[Burns2017-6] Brian Burns (2017). Gilded Age Richmond: Gaiety, Greed & Lost Cause Mania. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 108–. ISBN 978-1-62585-851-1.

[7] "Milestones in Women's Leadership in American History". Women's Leadership in American History. City University of New York. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2015.

[8] Feather, Carl E. (25 July 2014). "Judge Florence Allen: First Female Justice of a State Supreme Court". Star Beacon . Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2015.

[stanford1-9] 1 2 "King, Florence Embry". Women's Legal History Biography Project. Stanford University. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2015.

[10] William Ganson Rose. (1990) Cleveland: the Making of a City. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press. p. 854. ISBN 0873384288. LCCN 90-4853.

[11] Jo Freeman. (2002). A Room at a Time: How Women Entered Party Politics. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 216. ISBN 0847698041. LCCN 99-30542.

[12] Ronald K. L. Collins (July 26, 2023). "42 women who argued First Amendment free expression cases before the Supreme Court — First Amendment News 388". Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Retrieved October 15, 2024.

[Smith2002-13] Smith, Zachary A., ed. (2002). Politics and Public Policy in Arizona. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger. p. 129. ISBN 9780275971182. LCCN 2002025318.

[WarkGalliher2015-14] Wark, Colin; Galliher, John F. (2015). Progressive Lawyers under Siege: Moral Panic during the McCarthy Years. Lanham: Lexington Books. p. 31. ISBN 9780739195611. LCCN 2015002893.

[15] "Nettie and Florence Cronise, Ohio's first female lawyers, honored in Tiffin". Associated Press. 10 November 2013. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013.

[16] "Sandra Day O'Connor Biography". Sandra Day O'Connor Institute. 1930-03-26. Archived from the original on 8 July 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2015.

[17] "First Woman President of National Bar Association Installed". African American Registry. 31 July 1981. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2015.

[Gray2002-18] Gray, Fred D. (2002). Bus Ride to Justice: Changing the System by the System : the Life and Works of Fred D. Gray, Preacher, Attorney, Politician. Montgomery, AL: NewSouth Books. p. 308. ISBN 1881320235. LCCN 94041805.

[19] "Hishon v. King & Spaulding". Casebriefs. 1984-05-22. Retrieved 2018-08-02.

[lclark1-20] 1 2 "Law School Commencement". Featured Events. Lewis & Clark College. 29 May 2010. Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2015.

[21] "Regina Pisa of Goodwin Proctor Honored at Harvard Law" American Law Institute, May 13, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2024.

[22] "Hilgers Graben Earns NAMWOLF Certification as Woman-Owned Law Firm" Yahoo Finance, May 21, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.

[23] "17 of the Top 20 Law Schools Have More Women Enrolled Law.com, February 2, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.

[Sloan-24] 1 2 Sloan, Karen "Most US law firm associates were women in 2023, survey shows" Reuters, January 9, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

Timeline of women lawyers in the United States

See also

Related Research Articles

References