The evening world., 1903-12-04
WOMAN ATTORNEY
DEFENDS HER SEX
Miss Alice Serber, Of New York,
Comments on the English Re-
fusaI to Admit Females to the
Bar in London.

ssrhe House OF Lords decision TO bar
women from becoming lawyers In Eng
, lard is M to meet with a reaction
within the next generation"
Miss Alice Serbcr. the first woman
lawyer to be admitted to practice in
the United States Courts. says she re-
CARDS the discrimination against women
lawyers In England not only as unjust.
but as rejecting a condition that can
not endure.
Miss serber is prominent in legal
circles mi since abe was admitted TO
the bar has figured successfully In a
number OF legal battles.
at is merely a matter Of precslent
In England she went on. why. wen
the texts of their boolrs always con-
tain the word "he' and so they take
that they do not look with favor at
Ill upon women entering legal life.
Thinks Women Capable.
.There Is no reason In the world why
Q woman should be barred from a law
yer's career. Surely Shakespeare. the
best student of inns nature the world
has known, gave woman a standing in
the profession in his victory OF Portla.
women's minds are more subtle than
mems and In many cases they are
more han mans equal in a legal
s~truggle.
America. OF course, offers greater
advantages to women who wish to fol-
low out their ambitions. The lava are
broader and people are broader-minded
over here.
'oniy last year / received a letter
from a woman in Scotland who was
very de~sirious OF studying law. ] ad-
vised her to study. bus later heard from
her. saying that she had been refused
admittance to the bar.
"If E~ngl!shwomei Keep on In their
~endeayors they will be accorded the
same rights as men In law practice be-
fore another generation mas passed
away.
"Of course. all the English laws are
more or less restricted in regard to
FLOWING women 10 enter professions.
The biggest OF barriers. however is pre-
cedent. just because there Is no prece-
dent, benchers of Gray's Inn whose
decision led TO the appeal 10 the House
Why. IL rrscedeut were a ways looked
far the word would come t. a stand
tsill. ~
No Good Reason Advanced.
"Our English lawmakers s]trenuously
object TO admitting women on a oasis
OF equality In the legal profession
where they may attain their ambition.
Thev object to women entering actual
worldly careers when II comes to such
a point. but do they over object to the
thousands OF women and girls taking
thfir ulaces In the factories and mills
n wcraing all day?
the only Indications ! have ever
seen in America OF men trying to make
a Woman lawyer feel uncomfortable are
$3.50 rv1' atto-neys sreer. Thic DIS
positlol ] have seen quickly dis ipattd
4 the prog. 80 T., a trlai.
~ men rwye~s rect with not more
hlrjsh'pg than men lawyers. and | am
stnaiie ~ ttst tue Held IL open In the
Limited States. When English women
have attained the same state of free
dom from conservative restraint Eng
land will have gained just that mu:h
more" -"
The case which brought out tho
recent decision OF the House of Lords
s9s. The eDr.eai of Miss bertha Cave
against the dscis.on OF the bsnchers OF
9ray ) Inn Iot TO Omit her as a stu-
I Qnnt Tor the purpose of being admitted
10 the ba-. The benchers assert that
tho statutes, OF Gray's Inn ignore wom-
en- 20 completely that they had no
power to admit her,