The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-30
Mile. Jeanne chauvin
And the French Lawyers


Mile. Jeanne Chauvin is young, ambi-
tious French girl, who has studied law
and has been admitted to the bar but be-
cause of a primitive prejudice, which
still obtains in Paris, she has been denied
the privilege of practicing in French courts
of justice.
The recent action of the courts, declining
to permit Mile Chauvin to plead cases in
the sacred precincts, hitherto only invaded
by men. has set all France to gossiping,
as well as other parts of the world which
feel an interest in the mental advancement
of women.
1t is said by a Chicago exchange that
there was no question of Mile Chauvin's
ability as a lawyer She is declared to be
a brilliant scholar She is bachelor OF
literature and sciences, as well as doc
tor of philosophy and a doctor of laws, and
an elementary legal course which she has
compiled is said to be a ''veritable ency-
clopedia of jurisprudence in miniature"
Meanwhile Mile Chauvin is practicing
law. although she is debarred from ap-
nearing in the courts Her clients are
chiefly widows and young women who want
advice about the management OF their
money or property. or who have causes OF
a delicate nature which they hesitate to
submit to men. Meanwhile. in addition TO
her consulting practice Mile Chauvin is
professor of law at a young womans col
lege in Paris, but when she wishes her
cases pleaded she is forced to secure the
services of some man to represent her at
the bar.
That the French courts should refuse to
allow a woman to plead cases before them
seems strange to Americans, whcre the W.
man lawyer is an accepted tact ana at
tracts no special attention because OF ner
soy The objections made in France also
sound ridiculous. 1t was urged that "neh
Mile Chauvin made her first appncatloh
for admission to the bar and before the an
cent rule against woman mad oeen uls-
covered that IL she were to be admitted 10
practice every intelligent French girl VINO
has liking for law and whose parents can
afford to educate her would enter the pro-
fession 1t was also asserted that a great
many people would prefer their business IN
the hands of woman lawyer VINO had
proven herself competent than In those OF
a man. and that the result would be the
dirninution of the incomes of the masculine
practitioners together with further crowd
ing of a profession that is already i'll dan
ger of oyercrowding. There were also
dark hints that the French Judges would
be influenced by the beauty OF the fair ad-
vocates who pleaded cases at their bar
Such objections seem trivial to Ameri-
woman pleading in the courts. and who
know of the good influence the admission
of women to the bar has had on legislation
In the United States. But at the same time
1t is only within the last thirty years that
women have been admitted to the bar in
America. Now, here in Chicago a woman,
Cora B. Hertzel, is assistant to the city
attorney, and another woman, Mary NJ.
Bartelme is public guardian and one of
the best probate lawyers in the city, while
there are scores of other women who have
gained eminence in the profession. Each
graduating class of any of the larger law
schools in the United States contains sew
eral women competent to plead cases in the
courts. Some of these women study law
as a science and not as a profession for
the earning of q living using the science
for the knowledge it gives of business meth
DDS. Women in the possession of enorm-
Gus fortunes, like Miss Helen Gould. have
acquired an understanding of the laws i'll
relation to property.