Women Who Made an Impact in American Law
The legal field has and continues to be a male-dominated field. While this has created challenges for many women over the years, it hasn’t stopped them from succeeding. These women’s strengths, tenacity, and efforts have paved the way for women to study and excel in law careers.
Ruth Bader-Ginsburg
Perhaps one of the most well-known female lawyers in American history, Ruth Bader Ginsburg served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States for almost 27 years. Her successful legal career did not start easy. She studied law at Harvard Law School and Columbia Law School and faced opposition as one of the few females in her class. After graduating, Ruth Bader Ginsburg dedicated her legal career to the fight for gender equality and women’s rights. As a lawyer, she presented many cases before the Supreme Court, and as the second female justice appointed to the Supreme Court, she strongly defended her liberal views in support of more rights and equality for women. Her legacy will continue to inspire more women to step into the legal profession and fight for equal rights, even when they face strong opposition or criticism.
Lyda Conley
Lyda Conley was born in 1869, in a time when women rarely stood up and made challenges in a court or legal system. She studied to become the first woman admitted to the Kansas Bar Association, and as a Wyandot-American woman of Native American and European descent, she was against the sale and development of the Huron Cemetery, a traditional Indian burial ground, in Kansas City. She took this opposition to the Supreme Court, where she became the first Native American woman to argue a case before the United States Supreme Court. Her case was also historical, as no one before had made a case that the burial grounds of Native Americans were entitled to Federal Protection. The impact she created continues today, as Huron Cemetery is now known as a National Historic Landmark. Many women, especially of Native American descent, are inspired by her legacy to study law and defend the rights of Native Americans.
Charlotte E. Ray
The life of Charlotte E. Ray is incredibly impactful for our black woman-owned personal injury law firm. Charlotte E. Ray was the first black American female lawyer in the United States. She was also the first female admitted to the District of Columbia Bar and the first woman to practice before the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. Her historical achievements set a precedent for other women to be admitted to the bar in other states as well. Perhaps one of the most difficult challenges she faced was prejudice against women and African Americans at the time. She faced so much prejudice that her law firm became unsustainable, forcing her to take a step away from law and create a teaching career. Her life is an example of women’s strength and resilience to be able to forge a path of success and meaning in life.
Continuing Their Legacy
Thanks to these women and so many others, our law firm is proudly owned by a black female personal injury attorney, Anita Lamar, who is inspired by these strong female history makers to make an impact in American Law herself. Their boldness to become some of the first female law students and lawyers inspires Lamar Law Office to fight with boldness for each of our clients and dedicate our office to impact the communities where we work positively. To learn more about our Atlanta personal injury law firm and how we can help you, call our office today at 877 CARE-404.