9 Women Who’ve Made History in the Legal System

From the first woman to practice law in the U.S. to the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

03.22.23 By Meghan Nguyen

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson testifies during her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson testifies during her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

To mark Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the trailblazing women who have led the way for change and who embody the spirit of progress in the legal space.

While the struggle for gender equity continues in the legal field and beyond, it’s worth taking time to look back at some of the women icons and pioneers who, through courage and perseverance, have helped bring us to where we are today. From the first woman to become a lawyer in the U.S. to the first Black woman to become a judge, these women took the first steps to break down barriers we are still dismantling today.

According to the U.S. Courts, one-third of active judges are women. Having more women in the legal field, and especially on the bench, is key to ensuring a just and equitable system for all.

We honor the legacies of these pioneers by rooting our work to transform the criminal legal system in equity and accountability. 

Jane Bolin. (Image: Library of Congress)

1. Jane Bolin

In 1931, Jane Bolin became the first Black woman to graduate from Yale Law School. But that is just one of her long list of firsts — Bolin also went on to become the first Black woman to join the New York City Bar Association and the New York City Law Department.

She became the first Black woman to become a judge in 1939, and for the next 20 years she was the only Black female judge in the country. As a judge, she challenged discriminatory and segregationist practices, such as assigning probation officers based on race.

 

2. Charlotte Ray

In 1872, Charlotte Ray became the first woman to graduate from Howard University School of Law, the first Black woman to practice law in the United States, and the first woman admitted to the District of Columbia bar. 

Before becoming a lawyer, Ray worked at Howard University as a teacher. Although her true ambition was to become a lawyer, Howard University School of Law discouraged women from enrolling. So Ray applied under the name “C.E. Ray” to disguise her gender and was admitted. 

Unfortunately, Ray had few clients due to prejudice against both Black people and women, and was eventually forced to close her practice. She moved back to her native New York to teach in public schools. But as a staunch supporter of women’s suffrage and equality for Black women, she remained active in public affairs until her death at age 60.

Sonia Sotomayor. (Image: Oyez.org)

3. Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia Sotomayor is the first Latine person and the third woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. After earning her J.D. from Yale Law School, she went on to serve as an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s office before moving onto private practice. Her judicial service began in 1992 when President George H.W. Bush appointed her to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. While there, she gained fame for “saving” Major League Baseball with her strike-ending decision in Silverman v. Major League Baseball Player Relations Committee, Inc.

Sotomayor went on to spend a decade on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit until President Obama nominated her to the Supreme Court in 2009.