The Irish standard., 1895-10-26
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public iorS long year make any open at.
VI 40 gain permission to practice Ian
i ln the courts 81 the land. But they
were keeping up q Nigh thinking, and
u here and there was one who spoke her
u mind On the subject II: u.
They were claiming the logical gift and
u the capacity for acquiring the legal learn
Ing which are the lawyers equipment
More than that, the consciousness that
S woman needed a woman's voice in her de-
tense Weakened and developed the strong
81 desire and determination to find a way
4 for the voice to be heard.
The way was a hard one. The colonial
general assembly was easier to convince
1 than the lawyers and judges Of the nine
teeneh century. The first woman since
the days Of Mistress Brent to ask for and
obtain admission to the bar of this coun-
s try was Arabella A. Mansfield, of Mount
Pleasant, Iowa. She was admitted tosthe
Iowa bar in June, 1869, under statute
providing for the admission of white
1 male citizens" The examining commit
tee found authority for a liberal construc-
{ ton Of the limiting statute white male
persons and in their report said:
- 1--WE feel justified in recommend
ing to the court that construction which
/ we deem authorized not only by the Ian
guage of the law but by the demands and
necessities Of the present time and occa-
sion. Your cOmnitte takes unusual pleas
ure In recommending the admission Of
Mrs Mansfield, not only because she is the
first lady who has applied for the author
ity in this state, but because in her exam
ination she has given the very best rebuke
possible to the imputation that ladies cam
not qualify for the practice of the law"
~, Emma Barkaloo, Of Brooklyn, N. Y,
was the second woman to be enrolled as
an attorney, and the first to try case
since the days Of Mistress Brent. She
asked for admission to the law depart
ment of the Columbia College, but was
refused, and then entered that. of the
Washington University In St. Louis in
1869. ..t'.l'e
Without completing the course she was
admitted to- practice in the circuit court
of the state in 1870. She Died the same
year. The st. Louis bar resolved, THAT
in her erudiction industry, and enter
prise, we have to regret the loss Of one
who, in the morning Of her career, babe
fair to reflect credit upon our profession,
and a new honor upon her SEX.
Mrs Myra Brsdwell studied law under
the instruction of her husband, ex-Judge
James e. Bradwell, and at the time that
Mrs. Mansfield was received with gallant
unan.mity by the bar of Iowa, was knock
ing at the door of the supreme court Of
Illinois for admission. The supreme
court of Illinois refused to grant Mrs.
Bradweli license to practice law in the
courts Of the state, quoting in the argu-
nent against granting her application all
statutes, enactments and prejudices bear
ing on the subject from 1.-The statutes of
England passed prior to the fourth year
Of James l. and adopted by our country
SO far as they were applicable to our
conditions to the almost automatic
truth that God designed the sexes to oc-
cupy different spheres of action and that
it belonged to men to make and execute
the laws ~
Mrs. Bradwell appealed from the SUI
prelne court Of the state to the supreme
court Of the United States, where the
Judgment Of the state court was affirmed.
In 1872 the legislature OF Illinois enacted
that mo person shall be precluded from
any occupation, profession or employment
Except military, on account Of SEX" But
Mrs. Bradwell being occupied with edi-
toriaf work, did not renew her application
for a license to practice law. Later, how
ever. a license as an attorney and counse-
lor at law was granted to her, every mem
Der Of the supreme court of Illinois &C.
Quiescing in the same. 80.
Mrs. Bradwell died in 1894. She left
a record for courage, ability, and helpful
: ness that will be strength and inspiration;
to many who will come after her.
Then came Belva Ann Lockwood, Of
Washington, d. c., who graduated from
the law school Of the university, and was
admitted to practice law before the SUI
oF tho Il rtr i,, r,o
same year q motion was made for her adj
misison to the bar Of the United States
court of claims The motion the court
refused to act upon "for want of jurisdic-
\ ton" An application made by Mrs.
Lockwood in 1876 to the supreme court
y of the United States for admission ais
practitioner OF that court was also denied
: upon the grounds of 'simmemorial usage"
Z But Mrs, Lockwood did not lose cour-
(. age. She continued to practice before
the courts Of the District and elsewhere,
outside of the United States courts, until
congress passed a. bill providing that "any
woman who shall have been member OF
!, the bar Of the highest court of any state
1 or territory, or Of the supreme court of
the District of Columbia, for the space of
i three years. and shall have maintained a
good standing before such court, and who
shall be a person of good character, shall,
on motion and on the production of such
record, be admitted to practice before the
supreme court of the United States" Gap
proved Feb. Is, 1872 4tq
E@ Mrs. Lockwood drafted the bill. secured
It's passage, and was the first woman to
i be admitted under the law and to prac-
ttce before this supreme court. A few
days after her admission she received
S.Werd from the court of claims that she
could plead before it.
9 The pioneering had now, to a great de-.
gree been done; a path had been made in
the wild erm ess, even if it were path not
swh holly free from obstacles.
Since the victory won by Mrs. Lock-
wood other women have been admitted to
practice before this supreme court. The
states from ocean to ocean are represent
ed. Leila Robinson Sawtelle. Of Boston,
Carrie Burnham lSilgore, Of Philadelphia;
AIDA nj. Bfttenhender, of Lincoln, Neb.;
CLARA NJ. Foltz, OF San Diego, Cal; Laura
& De Force Gordon, of Stockton, Cal, and
Esnn1na NJ. Gillett. of Washington, ID. c..
wisconsin was the next state to wheel
into line. Lavina Goodel, daughter of
the, we'll known abolitionist, the Rev.
5 William Goot1ell, was the pioneer woman
lawyer OF that state. She passed a brill
] liant e3aminatien aud was admitted to the
4 sbarsin 1873. She met with the usual OPP
position when she first applied for the