Clara Shortridge Foltz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clara Shortridge Foltz
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| Born | July 16, 1849 |
| Died | September 2, 1934 (aged 85) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Attorney, publisher, suffragist |
| Known for | First female lawyer admitted to the California State Bar |
| Spouse(s) | Jeremiah D. Foltz (m. 1864) |
| Relatives | Samuel M. Shortridge (brother) |
Clara Shortridge Foltz (born July 16, 1849 – died September 2, 1934) was an amazing American lawyer. She was the very first female lawyer on the West Coast. She also came up with the important idea of the public defender, which helps people who can't afford a lawyer. Today, a big building in downtown Los Angeles where court cases happen is named after her. It's called the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
Contents
Early Life and Learning the Law
Clara Shortridge Foltz was born Clarissa Shortridge in Milton, Indiana. Her parents were Talitha and Elias Willetts Shortridge. Her father was a lawyer and a preacher. Before the Civil War, her family moved to Mount Pleasant, Iowa. There, Clara went to a school where both boys and girls learned together. This was quite rare back then!
In December 1864, when she was 15, Clara married Jeremiah D. Foltz. He was a farmer and a soldier from the Civil War. They started a family, but Jeremiah found it hard to earn enough money. The Foltzes moved many times. They lived in Portland, Oregon, and then settled in San Jose, California in 1872. During these years, Clara wrote articles for newspapers.
Around 1876, her husband left her and their five children. Clara then began studying law in a local judge's office. A woman named Sarah Knox-Goodrich, who supported women's rights, helped her. Clara also earned money by giving public speeches about women's right to vote, starting in 1877.
Becoming a Lawyer
Joining the California Bar
Clara wanted to become a lawyer, but California law only allowed white men to take the bar exam. This exam is what you need to pass to become a lawyer. Clara wrote a new state bill, which was called the "Woman Lawyer Bill." This bill changed the law so that any "person" could become a lawyer, not just "white male."
In September 1878, Clara passed the exam. She became the first woman to be allowed to practice law in California. She was also the first female lawyer on the entire West Coast of the United States!
Clara wanted to go to law school to get even better at her job. She and her friend Laura de Force Gordon applied to Hastings College of the Law. But the school said no because they were women. Clara and Laura decided to sue the school.
To help their case, they wrote an amendment for the California state constitution. It said, "No person shall, on account of sex, be disqualified from entering upon or pursuing any lawful business, vocation, or profession." This meant that women could not be stopped from having any job or career because of their gender.
Using this new rule, Clara and Laura argued that if women could be lawyers, they should definitely be allowed to go to law school. A judge agreed with them! He ruled that Clara and Laura should be let into Hastings. The school appealed this decision, meaning they tried to fight it. Clara studied hard and passed the California State Supreme Court bar exam. This allowed her to argue her own case in the highest court, and she won!
Even though Clara won the right for all qualified women to attend Hastings, the legal fight cost her a lot of money. She had to go back to her law practice instead of going to law school herself.
Later Career as a Lawyer
Clara worked as a lawyer in San Francisco and San Diego. From 1896 to 1899, she also worked in New York. There, she tried to become a lawyer for big companies.
Political Work
Public Speaking and Politics
In Clara's time, giving public speeches could be a good way to earn money. Clara spoke for the Republicans during their campaigns in 1880, 1882, and 1884. Later, in 1886, she became a Democrat. That winter, she gave lectures in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa.
Fighting for Women's Voting Rights
Clara became a very important leader in the movement for women to get the right to vote. She worked for 56 years to help women. She pushed for many new laws that gave women more rights in voting and in the legal world.
The Idea of Public Defense
At the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Clara first shared her idea of the public defender. This was a new and bold idea at the time. It meant that people who were accused of crimes but couldn't afford a lawyer would still get legal help. Today, this idea is used all over the United States.
Other Amazing Achievements
Clara Foltz was known for many "firsts":
- She was the first female clerk for the State Assembly's Judiciary Committee in 1880.
- She was the first woman appointed to the State Board of Corrections.
- She was the first female licensed Notary Public.
- She was the first woman named director of a major bank.
- In 1930, at age 81, she was the first woman to run for Governor of California.
In 1910, she joined the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. This made her the first female deputy district attorney in the United States. She was also very active in the women's voting rights movement. She wrote the Women's Vote Amendment for California in 1911. Clara also raised five children, mostly by herself. She encouraged women to value their traditional roles at home too.
Clara also started and published two magazines: the San Diego Daily Bee and New American Woman Magazine. She wrote a monthly column for the New American Woman Magazine until she passed away.
Family Life
Clara's brother, Samuel M. Shortridge, became a United States Senator in 1920. He served for two terms. Clara supported his campaign, even though they had disagreed on some issues before.
Her other brother, Charles M. Shortridge (1858-1918), owned the San Jose newspaper Daily Mercury. He also bought The San Francisco Call newspaper in 1895.
Death
Clara Foltz passed away at age 85 from heart failure. She died at her home in Los Angeles on September 2, 1934. Important people, like Governor Frank Merriam and several judges, were pallbearers at her funeral. She was cremated and buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Los Angeles County.
Honors After Her Death
In 1991, students at Hastings College of the Law asked for Clara to be honored. The school then gave her a special degree called Doctor of Laws. Also, a main social area in the student housing building at UC Hastings was named the Clara S. Foltz Lounge. In 2002, the Criminal Courts Building in downtown Los Angeles was renamed the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
See also
In Spanish: Clara Shortridge para niños
