Timeline of women lawyers in the United States facts for kids

This article shares important moments in the history of women lawyers in the United States. It shows how women slowly gained the right to practice law and hold important legal jobs. For more details, you can visit: List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States

Early Trailblazers in Law

In the early days, it was very hard for women to become lawyers. But some brave women led the way.

• 1869 – Arabella Mansfield made history. She became the first female lawyer in the United States. This happened when she was allowed to join the bar in Iowa.

• 1870 – Ada Kepley was the first woman to finish law school in the United States. She graduated from Chicago University Law School.

• 1872 – Charlotte E. Ray became the first African-American female lawyer in the United States. This was a huge step forward for both women and African Americans.

• 1873 – A big court case, Bradwell v. State of Illinois, happened. The United States Supreme Court decided that states could stop women from becoming lawyers. They said that practicing law was not a right protected by the Constitution for women. This decision made it harder for women to enter the legal field for a while.

• 1879 – Good news came with a new law. This law allowed qualified female lawyers to work in any federal court in the United States. This was a major victory!

• 1879 – Belva Lockwood was another pioneer. She became the first woman to argue a case in front of the Supreme Court of the United States. This is the highest court in the country.

Expanding Roles and New Achievements

As time went on, more doors opened for women in law. They started to join important legal groups and hold higher positions.

• 1899 – The National Association of Women Lawyers was started. It was first called the Women Lawyers' Club. Eighteen women lawyers in New York City created this group to support each other.

• 1918 – Judge Mary Belle Grossman and Mary Florence Lathrop became the first two female lawyers to join the American Bar Association. This is a very important group for lawyers in the U.S.

• 1922 – Florence E. Allen achieved a first. She was the first woman ever elected to a state supreme court. This was the Ohio Supreme Court.

• 1922 – Florence King was the first woman to argue a patent case before the U.S. Supreme Court. A patent case is about protecting new inventions.

• 1923 – Florence King made history again. She became the first woman to win a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The case was called Crown v. Nye.

• 1928 – Genevieve Cline became the first American woman appointed as a federal judge. She was confirmed as a judge for the United States Customs Court. This court is now known as the Court of International Trade.

• 1929 – Olive H. Rabe became the first woman to argue a free speech case before the U.S. Supreme Court. This case was United States v. Schwimmer.

Modern Milestones and Continued Progress

In more recent times, women have continued to reach new heights in the legal world, breaking barriers that once seemed impossible.

• 1965 – Lorna E. Lockwood became the first woman chief justice of any state. She was the chief justice of Arizona.

• 1970 – Doris Brin Walker became the first female president of the National Lawyers Guild.

• 1971 – A very important change happened. It became against the law to stop women from practicing law in the U.S. This meant women could no longer be denied a law license just because of their gender.

• 1981 – Sandra Day O'Connor made history. She became the first woman to serve as a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. This was a huge moment for women in law.

• 1981 – Arnette Hubbard became the first female president of the National Bar Association.

• 1984 – Another Supreme Court case, Hishon v. King & Spaulding, was important. The Court ruled that employers, including law firms, could not discriminate against people based on their gender. This helped women get fair treatment in law partnerships.

• 1988 – Juanita Kidd Stout was appointed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. She became the first African-American woman to serve on a state's highest court.

• 1995 – Roberta Cooper Ramo became the first female president of the American Bar Association.

• 2008 – Roberta Cooper Ramo achieved another first. She became the first female president of the American Law Institute.