The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-01-11
COLLEGIATE
ALUMNAE
MEET.
lis'en 10 Lecture on "Ths
Law as a Profession for
Woman" by Miss Young.

Ht ifEAAdA mummy hANtAAHP Va 'fiN
Rhode Island branch OF the Association
for Collegiate Alumnae was held at 1880
o clock. this morning. al the Eloise with
the president, Miss Annie Crosby Emery,
dean of the Womans College, in the
chair.
The meeting was of unique and unus-
ual interest because of the fact that Miss
Elva II. Young OF Springfield, Mass,
was the guest and speaker OF the morn
ing giving most Interesting talk on
The Law as a Profession for Women.
business meeting preceded the lecture
in which matters of routine business OF
interest solely 10 the association were
transacted.
After the business and report OF the
secretary, Miss Emery introduced Miss
Young VINO, by the way. is a graduate or
Wellesley College and a practlcing law
yer In the courts OF Massachusetts ana
a young woman. moreover, OF bright ana
charming personality
After giving interesting statistics re-
garding women in the various professions
especially that OF the law. Miss Young
spoke I'm part as follows:
81 am interested In suggesting rev
reasons why 1 believe 80 few women are
practicing as attorneys and why believe
that few women will ever find the profess
sion of law lucrative, or perhaps even
congenal, in comparison with other pro-
fessions.
lin considering the question It must be
remembered that these are years when
all occupations and professions are in-
creasinsly occupied by women. Moreover,
there is more and more public encourage
ment given TO college graduates 10 enter
the less crowded and more unusual pro-
fessions You will notice il I'm the papers
OF this association You will hear II urged
and argued from the convention platform
and editorial chair, talked about In the
meeting of social science and economic
associations; i'm temperance, educational.
political and phianthropic clubs of wo-
men. everyone saying that women are
needed In every profession they can
prepare themselves for. more especially In
such as touch most closely the home and
any or it's interests legal or political
rights of women and the protection OF
children"
At this point the speaker raised the
question: "Why, ia spite of all this rea
and growing encouragement, are there sc
few women i'm the profession that, above
all others, stands for justice, security ane
protection.
"In the first place" she said. 'it mus
| not be forgotten that 1t Is only within Z
comparatively few years that women have
| been admitted TO the bar I'm any of on
| states. and j know of no state wher'
| women have been admitted without n
| first appealing TO the court. and I'm a ma
| jorty of the states until finai appea
| TO the legislature has been taken"
| At this point Miss Young gave severa
specific illustrations of the legal restric
| tions which. until recent years, surround
| ed all women who sought admittance L
| the bar.
Continuing, she said: even with tn
| legal restrictions removed In some com
| munities n prejudice against women Ell
| tering the profession still fingers.
"You may relegate this antipathy Z
4 the days when culinary matters were sup
| posed To be ornamental branches OF
| girls education. when it was seriousl
| argued I'm one OF our leading monthlie
| that q college education for women woul
| mean the deterioration I'm academic stand
| ards. since men would refuse To go {
| college or TO take degree that was opc
also TO women. But though we ma
| laugh at such an assertion. nevertheless
| the college girl OF the early days kne'
| that this prejudice was an actual ot
| stacle.
Put aside from these two difficulties
| believe that there exists for the presen
at least, reasons why from the way na
! ture of the profession itself comparative
"A client comes to your law office fc
| various reasons. first and foremost b,
| cause he knows YOU or knows of YOU, ,haN
| ing met YOU I'm other business DEALING
| a yourR lawyer just starting amidst a
| this competition gets the simplest case
| the least responsible. the almost hopeles
| ones and those involving the smalles
| fess lie collects bills, draws fe'
! deeds, makes ~ will of the simplest sor
\ or elects refractory tenant lie is gla
/ To get all this. glad II he can meet n
| office expenses and keep himself froi
| growing hungry.
| ole will work year after year at sma
| things. meanwhile increasing hls q,
| quaintance with business men. taking q
| interest in local politics. growing up VII
! the future banker and corporation pres
| dent manufacturer aud city mayor etc
| and thus the future lawyer OF rcspons
| bilitv lays the foundation of his practc'
1 "But what possibility exists Tor
| woman 90 obtain her start IN this way
| iIer friends and acquaintance are nc
| ntade In business Atmosphere ur !
| that of n political caucus. Her whol
! training separates her almost who'll
| from, the first means OF obtaining reSpoi
| sibic clients. that Is through personal as
| uualntancc with them continuing sl
! further ON the disadvantage III me va
! of "A woman lawyer, suCn rs lack
| knowledge OF the world OF politics, bus
| moss life etc ths speaker pictured IN
| ever iucrea sing advantages OF law rs
| profession for women.
| Al the close Of the lecture luncheo
was served i'm the small dining room q
| VA, mis- function Hon stephen O. I'D
! wards and Miss Mary A. Greene rcnr,
1 s,nttng tba profession or law in this city