Sarah Herring Sorin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sarah Herring Sorin
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Sarah Herring
January 15, 1861 New York City
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| Died | April 30, 1914 (aged 53) |
| Occupation | Attorney |
| Spouse(s) | Thomas Sorin (m. 1898) |
Sarah Herring Sorin (born January 15, 1861 – died April 30, 1914) was a very important lawyer in Arizona's history. She was the first woman attorney in Arizona. She also made history by being the first woman to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court of the United States all by herself, without a male lawyer helping her. Sarah Sorin worked with her father, William Herring, in their law firm "Herring & Sorin." They first practiced law in Tombstone, Arizona, and later moved to Tucson. After her father passed away, Sarah moved to Globe, Arizona. There, she became the main lawyer for big mining companies like Old Dominion Copper Company and United Globe Mines. Sarah Herring Sorin is honored in the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame. She is also part of Stanford Law School's Women's Legal History Biography Project.
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Early Life in New York City
Sarah Herring Sorin was born in New York City on January 15, 1861. Her parents were Colonel William and Mary Inslee Herring. Sarah was one of five children. Her father, Colonel Herring, was a lawyer who graduated from Columbia Law School. He worked as a prosecutor in New York City and was also a member of the New York State Legislature.
Sarah finished high school in New York. After that, she got her teaching license. She taught school in New York City for a while. By this time, only Sarah and her brother Howard were still in New York. The rest of their family had moved far west to Tombstone, Arizona, in the Arizona Territory.
Moving West to Tombstone
In 1878, Sarah's father, Colonel Herring, went to the Arizona Territory. He went there to handle his uncle's estate and check on some mining properties. While there, he became very interested in mining. He decided to work on some mining claims in Bisbee. In 1880, the rest of the family moved west to join him, except for Sarah and Howard. Colonel Herring later stopped mining and became a lawyer for mining companies.
When Sarah and Howard moved west in 1882, their family was living in Tombstone. This city was famous for a gunfight that happened in 1881. Sarah's father was the lawyer for Wyatt Earp in a murder trial related to that event. Wyatt Earp was found not guilty.
Soon after moving, Sarah became the first woman schoolteacher in Tombstone. She taught there for ten years. She also worked as a school librarian and a principal. Sarah loved riding horses and playing music. She also enjoyed social games with friends. Tombstone was a growing city, even with some rough parts. It had many lawyers and good restaurants. Sarah and her sisters felt safe walking around, even at night. They avoided the areas with saloons and the famous Birdcage Theater.
Sarah's sister Bertha helped their father in his law office. Her brother Howard also became a lawyer and joined their father's firm in 1885.
Around 1886, Tombstone's mining industry started to decline. Water filled the mines, making it hard to dig for minerals. Mining companies began to focus on other areas. However, the Herring family stayed. Sarah enjoyed teaching, and her father's law firm was doing well. Colonel Herring served as the Arizona Attorney General from 1892 to 1893. He also helped write Arizona's first constitution.
On November 2, 1891, Howard, Sarah's brother, sadly died at age 27. He was supposed to take over their father's law firm. After his death, Sarah decided to become a lawyer and take his place.
Becoming a Lawyer
In 1892, Sarah left her teaching job and started working at her father's law firm. Later that year, she applied for a license to practice law in Arizona. She had an oral exam in court and passed easily. Sarah did not face the same difficulties that other women lawyers in the U.S. had. At that time, in 1890, there were only 208 women lawyers in the entire country.
After getting her license, Sarah went back to New York City to study at New York University School of Law. NYU was one of the first law schools to welcome women. Sarah graduated with a law degree in 1894. She was one of the top students in her class.
After graduating, she returned to her father's law firm in Tombstone. Her first case in front of the Arizona Supreme Court was in 1896. She represented a mining company and won the case for them.
Moving to Tucson
In 1896, the Herring family left Tombstone, which was getting smaller. They moved north to Tucson, Arizona, a growing city. Thomas Sorin helped them move. He later became Sarah's husband.
Sarah married Thomas Sorin on July 22, 1898, at her family's home in Tucson. Sarah was 37, and Thomas was 52. Thomas Sorin was a successful miner. He was also known for starting the Tombstone Epitaph newspaper with John Clum. Thomas Sorin was an expert in mining. He represented Arizona's mining industry at a big fair in Chicago in 1893.
On weekends, the Sorins stayed at their ranch. During the week, Sarah went to Tucson to practice law with her father. Thomas traveled to different mining sites.
The law firm of Herring & Sorin did more than just represent mining companies. Sarah's father, Colonel Herring, helped start the University of Arizona. He even served as the University's Chancellor. Herring Hall at the university is named after him. Colonel Herring also helped Arizona become a state in 1912. He helped write the state's first constitution.
Sarah's work led her to appear before the Supreme Court of the United States four times. Her father saw her first two appearances. He passed away in 1912, before her biggest legal achievement in 1913.
Cases at the U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the country. On April 16, 1906, Colonel Herring asked for his daughter to be allowed to argue cases there. Sarah became the 24th woman ever to be admitted to this court. Belva Lockwood, the very first woman admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, was at Sarah's ceremony in Washington, D.C..
Sarah first appeared before the U.S. Supreme Court in October 1906. This was for the case of Taylor vs. Burns. Sarah made the final arguments. Her firm, Herring & Sorin, won the case for their client.
Her next case involved mining taxes. In this case, they lost their argument. However, this case led to mining companies pushing for new tax laws. Herring & Sorin helped write these new laws.
Sarah's third time before the highest court happened after her father died. She was helping her brother-in-law, Selim M. Franklin, with a property case.
Her fourth case was her most famous one, Work v. United Globe Mines. On November 6, 1913, she became the first woman to argue a case there all by herself. This was a huge moment in legal history for women. The written legal document she gave to the court was only in her name. She also gave the final arguments alone. Many newspapers, including The New York Times, wrote about her achievement. The Women's Lawyers' Journal said her argument was "one of the most brilliant ever presented to that court by a woman."
On January 5, 1914, the Chief Justice of the Court, Chief Justice White, announced the decision. The Court sided with Sarah and her client, United Globe Mines.
Later Life and Recognition
After her father's death in 1912, Sarah moved her law practice to Globe, Arizona. This was closer to the Sorin Ranch. Sarah was the main lawyer for two big mining companies: Old Dominion Copper Company and United Globe Mines.
Soon after her big win at the U.S. Supreme Court in January 1914, Sarah became ill. She passed away from pneumonia on April 30, 1914, in Globe. Her husband was with her. Her death was reported on the front page of several newspapers. The Arizona State Bar Association prepared a special resolution in her honor. Both Sarah and Thomas Sorin are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Tucson.
In 1985, Sarah Herring Sorin was added to the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame.
In 1999, the Arizona Women Lawyers Association created an annual award named the Sarah Sorin Award.
Arizona is proud to have produced the first woman to argue a case unassisted before the United States Supreme Court. Later, Arizona also produced the first woman Justice of the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O'Connor. It also had the first woman Chief Justice of a state supreme court, Lorna Lockwood.
