The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-04-28
Budding Women Lawyers.
THE NEW NOTION THAT Is TAKING HoI N
OF THE BOSTON FEMALE

THE NEW NOTION THAT Is TAKING HON
OF THE BOSTON FEMALE
Boston Letter to Columbus (O.l Dispatch
/ There was little ripple of unwontt-l
life during hearing before the Supreme
/ Court of Massachusetts recently. Four
of seven Supreme Justices were on the
bench; a few lawyers were within tbe
bar; possibly half dozen other people
were in the court, and some dull ques-
ton OF law was dragging lis slow
length through the sleepy hours. when
on sudden the door swung lightly
back on its hinges, and a young lady
| tripped into the court room. Behind
her came another; then a third and a
fourth, something after the fashion thar
the sisters, cousins and aunts come
tripping on to the stage in the wake of
the Queens navee. They were pretty
young women, and they filed in. each
with bag in her hand, took seats on
settee, drew forth from the bag each
her note book, and composedly began
taking notes, The court smiled: Chief
Justice Gray-the conservative. hard
headed and fiinty-hearted old bachelor
whose decisions on some knottv points
dSiOHlSUEnRnt
from the courts of sister States-broad
ened his smile into a broad grin. while
only our newly-appointed Judge Field
remembered his recently-acquired dig
nifty sufficiently to keep his face straight.
But the ladies weren't at all troubled
but went serenely on with their notes
and observations
Nv friend mentioned that he had
seen one of the ladies-the one who
acted as First cousin" and led the bevv
very frequently in the court-rooms,
and he had heard that she was study |
ing law. From various words that | |
have caught here and there during the |
past few years, | think there must be |
several ladies in Boston who are more |
or less interested in the subject. and I |
am inclined to think that were any one |
to take a start and agitate the question
of the admissibility of women to the
bar here, there would be several appli-
cations for admission within very
short time were the bars once let down
no pun intended. The question has
never yet been raised in Massachusetts.
[ understand. But although the gen
eral opinion with the older LAWYERS
seems to be that such a question, if
raised, would be very quickly and finally
reduced to nothingness, the Younger
generation of the legal profession seem
% hold rather a different view One
young lady friend of mine who is mar
led to a very bright, rising young law
res, has been reading in her husbands
,ffice more or less of the time during
Ter two or three years of married life.
he consulted her always on all his cases,
md frequently takes her into court with
i'm to use her woman's wit in raising
POINTS on the evidence. This has sew
raj times given him the cue by which
o trip up mapping witness. The hus-
'and says his wife is born lawyer, and
declares that she shall be one before she
5 ten years older.
The lady of whom | think | wrote
-ou few months ago, who carried her
wn patent case through the courts in
Jew York and Boston so successfully,
nd whom | CHANGED to meet to-day,
old me that she was fully decided to
evote herself to the law, and will enter
be Boston Law School at the beginning
f the next term. Unless some other {
ldy takes the same notion, she will be- {
be only representative of her sex there, '
or the lady who is now studying in the
anne school graduates this Spring. She
as been in the school for three years,
18th not another lady to keep her com
anv, but the situation has not seemed 3
D alarm or annoy her in the least. j
ieither have the other students shown
ny apparent symptoms of annoyance
r alarm, nor the professors or instruc-
)rs. All parties concerned seem per- >
sctly tranquil and happy. !