Women’s History Month may have wrapped up in March, but at Bennett Legal in Dallas, acknowledging the significant contributions of women in law is year-round. According to the American Bar Association, of the more than 1.3 million lawyers in the United States, 38 percent are women.
Female attorneys play a critical role in the profession by offering diverse perspectives on complex issues, promoting gender equality, and empowering the next generation of women lawyers.
While certainly not a complete list, here are 15 inspirational women who’ve shattered barriers, overcome obstacles, and left a lasting mark on the legal system we know and use today.
1. Arabella Mansfield
Credit: Iowa Department of Human Rights
Arabella Mansfield became the first woman lawyer in the United States when she passed the bar examination in 1869. This ultimately led to a change in Iowa state law to allow women the ability to practice law.
2. Ada Kepley
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Ada Kepley was the first American woman to graduate from law school in 1870 from what is today Northwestern University School of Law. At the time, however, women in Illinois were barred from entering any learned profession. In response, her husband, who was a lawyer, drafted a bill to allow women to enter professional fields. State lawmakers passed the bill in 1872.
3. Sandra Day O’Connor
Credit: Library of Congress
Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She was known for her centrist and moderate positions on many issues, often casting the swing vote in closely divided cases. She was also a strong advocate for gender equality and was a pioneer for women in the legal profession.
4. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Credit: U.S. Supreme Court
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the second woman and first Jewish woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She was appointed to the court in 1993 and remained in the role until her death in 2020. Affectionately called “R.B.G.” by her supporters, Ginsburg argued several landmark cases before the Supreme Court that helped to establish the legal principle of gender equality in this country.
5. Sonia Sotomayor
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic and third woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Throughout her career, Sotomayor has been a champion for equal rights and has often ruled in favor of the underprivileged and marginalized. She has also been a strong advocate for diversity in the legal profession and has spoken openly about her challenges as a woman of color in the legal world.
6. Elena Kagan
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Nominated by President Obama, Elena Kagan took her seat on the Supreme Court in 2010, becoming the fourth woman to do so. She is known for her expertise in constitutional law and administrative law and her relatively liberal jurisprudence.
7. Amy Coney Barrett
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Nominated by President Donald Trump, Amy Coney Barrett became the fifth woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She served as a federal appeals judge for three years before being confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice in 2020. She is known for her conservative judicial philosophy and originalist interpretation of the Constitution.
8. Ketanji Brown Jackson
Credit: U.S. Supreme Court
In 2022, Ketanji Brown Jackson became the sixth woman and first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. Before her appointment, Justice Jackson served as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
9. Gloria Allred
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Gloria Allred is an American lawyer well-known for her legal activism and representation of women’s rights. She has devoted her career to fighting for civil rights across boundaries of gender, race, age, sexual orientation, and social class. She’s also represented several high-profile clients, including Amber Frey, a key witness in the trial of Scott Peterson, and many of the women who accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault.
10. Judith Susan Sheindlin
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Judith Susan Sheindlin is an American lawyer, judge, television personality, and author. She is best known as the star of the long-running television show “Judge Judy.” The show has been on the air since 1996 and remains one of the most popular daytime television shows in the United States.
11. Loretta Lynch
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Loretta Lynch is an American lawyer who served as the 83rd attorney general of the United States from 2015 to 2017 under President Barack Obama. She was the first African American woman to hold this position. She has been a vocal supporter of criminal justice reform and has worked to combat human trafficking and hate crimes.
12. Constance Baker Motley
Credit: Library of Congress
An American civil rights activist, Constance Baker Motley was the first African-American woman to be appointed as a federal judge. Also, she played a key role in desegregation efforts in the South.
13. Janet Reno
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Appointed by President Bill Clinton, Janet Reno was an American lawyer and politician who served as the first woman Attorney General of the United States. She is the longest-serving attorney general in the 20th century, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
14. Nancy Grace
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
This former Georgia prosecutor is best known for covering high-profile criminal cases on television. She hosted her own show, “Nancy Grace,” on HLN from 2005 to 2016 and currently serves as a legal commentator for FOX News.
15. Jacqueline Nguyen
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Jacqueline Nguyen is the first Asian American woman to serve on a federal appellate court. She was confirmed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 2012.
A Final Note
Of course, we couldn’t write an article highlighting women’s contributions to the judicial system without mentioning Bennett Legal’s very own, Susan Taylor. Taylor is an experienced personal injury attorney representing individuals in 18-wheeler and commercial crashes, wrongful death, traumatic brain damage, motor vehicle crashes, and workplace injuries. You can learn more about her at this link. She is one of several talented attorneys at our firm, working hard for injured clients throughout Texas.
Have a personal injury case you want our dedicated team to look into? Call us today at (972) 972-4969 or email us at info@bennettinjurylaw.com. Don’t forget to also visit us at https://bennettinjurylaw.com/.
