The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-09-24
In WOMAN'S BEHALF.
WOMEN LAWYERS.

WOMEN LAWYERS.
The Chances or Success Mt the Bar Are
Bright and Promising for the Porsever-
Ing.
On the 10th of April last, at the New
York university, .women's law class"
was graduated. 1t was the first Of its
kind in the history Of the world.
The class, consisting of fourteen
members, was made up of teachers,
business women and ladies of society.
The course completed was in CONNER
cial law. It had lasted eight months,
and had been conducted by DIR. Emily
Kempin. It was great success The
three lawyers who were present at the
examination said they had never wit
messed any thing better among young
men who were being examined-sel-
dom any thing as good. This was not
said in compliment. for they were seri-
Gus men, and believed they were per-
forming serious duty in criticising,
advising and encouraging the women
who had entered on totally new ca
reer.
1t is very pleasant to write this, as II
proves that law. the last profession to
admit women. is one for which they are
exceptionally fitted. In law and equity
there are few broad principles and an
infinity of detail. Now detail is wom-
ans province She has, moreover, the
tact, the quickness of perception. the
patience fshe has had long training).
and above all, the np'omJ that 60 to
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broad field for women as lawyers,
particularly for those of their own sex
who are forced to have recourse to the
tribunals Of justice. A woman in dis
tress. suffering from another's wrong
doing, will often shrink from appealing
to the courts because she has to state
her case to a man-to reveal secrets or
to make charges from which her natur-
al delicacy recoils. With a woman she
will be more free. She will state her
case frankly, without artifice-it would
he useless between them-and will re-
ceive equally frank and honest advice.
Law is not a sort of black art, as to
many it seems Blackstone defines it
rs the perfection of reason" and while
we may be tempted to smile in derision
at the definition, in face of the astound-
ing decisions sometimes rendered by our
judges, little study will make it clear
that it is not the law, but the lawyer,
| who is at fault.
All that should be reformed. The
question. "Can lawyer be honest?"
should not be discussed seriously by the
public press, as has happened within q
r.. D..A -
tering the profession of law as mems
critics, but as their helpers. There
never has been any holy, reformatory
or charitable work done by man which
| would not have beenbetter done had his
mother. his wife or his daughter helped
him. So let it be with law. To the
ordinary mind the name seems synony-
nous with mystery and harshness. Let
women prove that the word means alb
solute justice between man and man,
and that the harshness is only for the
deliberate evil-doer.
do not believe that law is necessar-
! lily expiatory / have immense faith in
its reformatory power when used, not
to crush. but to elevate and save.
Already the Kempin club the organ
cation into which the women graduates
have formed themselves. has been in
vited to join another society for practi-
cal work. The new body will be known
rs the Bureau of Justice" and its
duty will be to visit the city courts Of
| justice and look after the needs of those
who have no one but God to consider
them. They will listen to the cases,
nh .r%a - >rl, IL
of the poor and oppressed In great
city like New York there is much Of
that kind of work for those willing to
undertake it. No one means to do
wrong to the helpless, but judges be-
come hardened, the defense is doubt
full, time is limited. there are so many
cases on the calendar, and SO the VIC
| tim is sentenced as the quickest way of
disposing of him.
The presence of women on-lookers in
! . courtroom, of women too intelligent
to be carried away by their sympathies
and too sympathetic to permit useless
suffering will indeed be comfort and
a hope, if not to the prisoner, at least
to the wife and children, or to the aged
mother, to whom the detention of the
accused is sometimes literally matter
of life or death.
OF the members of DIR. Kempin's class
one half, perhaps, will enter the regular
law school of the university next year,
and study for admission to the bar.
! 1t is great thing for women that an
other profession has been thrown open
to them. Teaching. women's great de-
/ hoc cd hot
success, pecuniary or otherwise, is quite
out of the question. Private teaching
can be hired at almost any price the
student is willing to pay. while in pub
lic-school teaching the individual is lost
in the system. A dead level of medioc-
rity is required of all, and nothing else
is tolerated.
| In law, am told, individuality counts
for every thing. 1t is said to be the one
calling in which nothing but ability
succeeds. This is probably something
of an exaggeration, butt is pleasant to
hear that brains and industry are really
of some account, and that every
thing does not depend on friends and
politics
The study of law will never be taken
up as fad or q pastime. It is too
heavy, too difficult, for that But the
young woman who feels within herself
that she has the necessary ability and
the necessary perseverance will do we'll
to consider it. If she takes it up as q
man does-as life business-she will
succeed.
To many ladies know the sound OF
woman lawyer" seems unfeminine
They fear to lose the pretty, graceful
ways, the accomplishments, and the
| ;rnnrapca that IN soma paonln aro SO