Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-19
WOMEN LAWYERS IN PARIS.
Their Dress, Manners and Practice
COnvulse the Ancient Barristers.


Paris Correspondence London Telegraph.
Mile. Jeanne Chauvin has been bested
by another lady lawyer. Although she
was the first Frenchwoman by a long way
to take her legal degrees, and still is the
only doctoress of law in France, she has
been distanced by rival in the new race
for the bar, which began among the ladies
when the bill removing the restriction
against feminine barristers became law on
its publication yesterday morning in the
official journal Nine Petit has got there
first" The lady is a icentiate of law, and
is preparing to read her thesis for the doc
torate shortly. But the former degree,
which is the next above that of bachelor
of law, qualities for admission to the bar,
and Nine. Petit was admitted and took the
oath prescribed by the rules of the Ancient
Order of Barristers this morning. The cere-
mony was held in the first chamber, before
the senior Judge, NJ. torichon.
An unusually large crowd of men of law
had gathered to witness the function, to
which the unprecedented participation Of
woman lent an unwonted interest. Nine.
Petit, accompanied by her husband, who
is also a lawyer, arrived betimes at the
PaiaLs de Justice fully an hour and half
before the ceremony began. But the &C.
&C mplishment of a most important prelim-
inary operation amply occupied the inter-
va of time.
Nine. Petit repaired with her husband to
the cIoahroom, where barrlsterS' gowns and
caps are stored, and are also let out on
hire to economlcallymind advocates who
prefer not to invest in robes of their own
Of course, the new lady barrister had had
one specially prepared for her, of a slightly
more feminine cut than the ordinary black
gown. In fact, it was whispered that Nine
Fetlt's legal robe had been devised for her
by her own dressmaker. At all events, the
gown fitted very well and looked by no
means out of pace over a smart feminine
toilet. Leaving her bonnet in the cloak
room, Nine. Petit emerged wearing the
high black cap on her head. On reaching
the first chamber, however, where the cere-
mony was to take pace she removed it.
holding it in her hand, and looking, indeed,
rather relieved to be rid of the novel head
gear. Securing a seat on the front bar
rIsters' bench, she was at once the observed
of all observers. They craned their neckS
and climbed on to desks and tables to get
a glimpse of the lady lawyer, who, owing
to her small stature, was almost entirely
hidden from view in the crowd Of men in
ample robes standing round her. NJ. Petit
TOOK a seat by her side.
Soon the court was announced, and three
magistrates were solemnly initiated, amid
general indifference. Then Maitre Leon
Devin. batonnier of the Order of Advocates,
rose, and there was a rustic of excitement.
He had the honor of requesting the court
to ADMIT seventeen licentiates Of law to
take the oath of advocate. The names
which he read out included that Of Nine.
Petit. The clerk of the court recited the
oath: Il swear neither to say nor to pub
lish aught, in my capacity as advocate and
counsel which shall be contrary to law. to
regulations, to morality, to the security of
the state or to the public peace. and never
to forget the respect due TO the tribunals
and the public authorities" After this the
seventeen licentiates filed to the bar. ex
Tended their sands and said, Il swear.
Nine. Petit, who was one of the last on the
list, put forth hand literally laden with
I'D t. l., t.
low voice. The ceremony was over and
the Ancient Order of Barristers now in
cluded a lady member. A crowd of junior
lawyers and legal summarizes, all equally
curious, waited to see Nine. Petit leave the
first chamber, and escorted her triumph
antly to the cloak room The new "advo-
cate" looking rather shy, made her way
through the throng of her colleagues to
the vestiare, dotted her robe and reappeared
in her ordinary dress and bonnet leaving
the precincts of the PaiaiS de Justice i'm
mediately afterward.
AS may be imagined, this quite unprece-
dented ceremony is still the sole subject
of conversation at the Palais de Justice.
What cases will the new lady advocate
conduct? What will be her special legal
line? These are questions which, rather
anxiously. learned and experienced coun-
sci put to each other and to every one
whom they can lind who knows Nine.
Petit or her husband. But 1t must be con-
fessed that among the Junior members Of
the bar the chlef interest aroused by the
admission of their first lady colleague be-
longs to another order of ideas. They are
musing in particular over the prospect now
opened up of a radical change altogether
tor the better soon to be brought about
in the general aspect of the haunts of le-
gal men. Nine Petit's appearance l. her
"toge" and "barrette" augured very ia
vorably for the future improvement which
may be expected in the picturesqueness Of
the Palais de Justice. If all future lady
h1rriSterS
legal robes the courts of law will certainly
gain in attractiveness.
Though admitted to the French bar,
Nine. Petit (nee Mile. Olga Balachow-
ski. and born at Kiev, where she COM
menced her legal studies) is not, 1t must be
pointed out, quite a full-hedged barrister
yet. The Order OF Barrlsters must pre-
viousy cause her name to be inscribed on
the list Of stagiary advocates. She will
then be styled an advocate la cour."
Before this is done a meeting of the coun-
Gil Of the order must be called, at which
the inscription in question must be pro-
posed. The ''rapporteur in the case of
Nine. Petit will probably be the batonnier
of the order In person. Maitre Leon Fode-
win. The period Of the stage OF advo-
Gates Is usually accomplished in the capac-
ity of secretary to senior colleague. after
which the barrister launches out on his
own account. Nine. Petit has not made
any plans yet as regards her own start in
the profession. Her husband is a lawyer
connected with the cabinet of the minister
Of commerce Mile. Jeane Chauvin will
take the the barrister's oath before the
judge next week.