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

Female Lawyers in the 20th nose candy As early as the American Civil War, women fought to enter the sound duty. Since then, they have repeatedly proven themselves competent, and yet many have matt-up the pressure of opposition from their male counterparts. Even today, discrimination still exists, non from outside the profession, but from within. The reader will confront the history of female person attorneys, what obstacles stand in their way, what advances are being made with regards to equality, and where the profession stands today. In addition, the reader will confront interviews with actual women lawyers from New York City, and case studies from crosswise the United States. These women each have unique backgrounds. They work in massive law firms, in solo practices, and for the City of New York. For contrast, also include is an interview with a female attorney from Oneonta, New York. Oneonta is a grim city in Upstate New York with a population of approxim ately 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. accounting of Women in the Legal ProfessionThe late 19th century precept the rise of the first female lawyers. The Civil War, as all later(prenominal) wars, had an important affect on women. Women were brought out of the home in piece to take over the roles of the men who were away at war. Some women did not wish to return to the domestic life they had left behind and seek 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 jural profession were taught by their lawyer husbands. In 1869 Arabelle A. Manfield became the first woman to be granted a law pass. 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.