Allen applied to law school at Western Reserve College, but was refused because she was a woman. Instead, she attended the Chicago University Law School and then entered the New York University Law School. After finishing her studies, she received the first law degree ever granted a woman. Allen became a lawyer in 1914. That was at the height of the suffragette movement.
Suffrage is a word meaning the right to vote.
At that time, women in the United States were not allowed to vote. The suffragette movement was an attempt by women to get the right to vote. In this environment, Allen became interested in women's rights and the law. Allen earned the reputation as an outstanding attorney that had a firm grasp of the issues most important to women. Her success as an attorney made Allen a natural candidate for public leadership positions.