Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-08
Female Lawyers.

The news was flashed all over the cOun-
try the other day that Mrs. Laura de
Force Gordon, of California, had been ad-
mitted TO plead and practice law in the
United States Supreme Court at Wash
ington, and the public was reminded that
she was the second woman who had at
tanned to that high honor. the first being
Mrs. Belva A. Lockwood, late candidate
for the Presidency, who has been practic-
ing in that court for nearly six years, or
rather who would have been practicing
for that length OF time had it not been for
the fact that she has had no cases in it
with one small exception.
The failure of Mrs. Lockwood to at once
acquire a large and lucrative practice is
not to be attributed to her want of ability
as a lawyer, or 10 her extreme dIfidence.
She has certainly been moderately well
advertised, especially during the past six
or eight months, and she appears to be
determined to be the leading female
lawyer of the bar of the country. Her
failure in the comparatively unimportant
respect Of practice is doubtless on account
Of the fact that she has had no rival. She
has occupied a new field in the legal
world, and while there are other female
lawyers on the rolls Of the lower courts,
they have not been able to approach her
exalted position, or to build up anything
more than a very limited justice court
reputation.
Mrs. Lockwood was peculiarly unfOrtu-
nate in her first important case-that of a
handsome widow vs.. venerable states
man, for breach of promise of marriage.
She had men for opposing counsel, and, as
might have been expected, she didnOt make
out much of a case. Suppose Mrs. Laura
de Force Gordon had then been at the bar,
and had been employed for the defense in
that case, how different the result and
the subsequent career of Mrs. L. might
have been, She would, doubtless, have
shown the world what justice in its
last analysis is, and the bench and bar
would have been entertained, if not en-
lightened, by some very fine specimens of
female forensic elOquence and logic. The
first breath of opposition by her female
rival would have put her on her metal,
and, though defeated at first, she would
have appealed from court to court, and
would finally, perhaps, have been success
ful.
OF course Mrs. Laura de Force Gordon
would have acquitted herself with credit,
and would have acquired national repu-
tation. Female lawyers would have soon
become prominent feature of the Wash
ington c0urts, and scores of fair creatures
who have been fiattered and fascinated
by some Of the most eminent bald.headed
politicians of the land, would have known
their rights and would have dared to
maintain them in the halls of justice.
Mrs. Lockwood should persuade Mrs.
Gordon to locate in Washington at once.
1t is to be feared that the oppOrtune sea-
son has passed for suits of the character
mentioned. If, however, the female law
yers will apply themselves diligently to
their profession, at least until the next
Presidential campaign, they may make
their mark at the bar, and some Of them
may eventually attain to the bench, where
many notable masculine granies have sat
in judgment in times that are past.