Female Lawyers in the 20th Century :: Attorneys Law Careers Professions Essays

womanish Lawyers in the 20th Century As early as the American complaisant War, women fought to enter the legal profession. Since then, they have repeatedly proven themselves competent, and until now many have felt the pressure of opposition from their male counterparts. until now today, discrimination still exists, non from step to the foreside the profession, but from within. The contributor depart confront the history of young-bearing(prenominal) lawyers, what obstacles stand in their way, what advances are beingness made with regards to equality, and where the profession stands today. In addition, the reader will confront interviews with real women lawyers from unexampled York metropolis, and case studies from across the get together States. These women each have alone(p) backgrounds. They work in large law firms, in solo practices, and for the City of New York. For contrast, also included is an interview with a female attorney from Oneonta, New Yor k. Oneonta is a small city in Up adduce New York with a population of approximately 14,000. Through the use of these interviews and case studies, the reader will get a first-hand accounting of what it means to be a female attorney today. History of Women in the Legal ProfessionThe young 19th century saw the rise of the first female lawyers. The Civil War, as all subsequent wars, had an important affect on women. Women were brought out of the home in order to take over the roles of the men who were by at war. Some women did not wish to return to the domestic life-time they had left behind and sought their way into the professional world. The first female attorneys were married women, and most came from the Midwest. As there were no law schools at the time, women seeking to enter the legal profession were taught by their lawyer husbands. In 1869 Arabelle A. Manfield became the first woman to be granted a law license. However, not all women would be so fortunate . In 1870, Myra Bradwell passed the Illinois state legal examination. Unfortunately, the state of Illinois refused to issue her a license on the grounds that law was a wholly unsuitable profession for any wife and mother.1 Unhappy with the decision, Bradwell appealed to the United States Supreme Court.