Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 02.pdf/31

 i6

been invaluable to the women who have come to the bar since that time. She studied about two years in law-offices, was at first refused admission to the bar, but secured the passage of the new law under which she was ad mitted in 1873. From this date till that of her death in the spring of 1877 she had a lucrative business, following general lines of work without limiting herself to any specialty, and succeeded marvellously well both in handling her cases and disarming prejudice. Miss Ellen A. Martin, who has been in uninterrupted practice in Chicago for thir teen years, studied two years in a law office, and two years more in the Law School of Michigan University, where she graduated in 1875, together with Miss M. Fredrika Perry, who had also pursued the study of law for four years. These two ladies were admitted to the bar of Illinois shortly after graduation, and formed a legal partnership, doing a general practice until the death of Miss Perry, which occurred in June, 1883, since which time Miss Martin has continued the business alone. Miss Kate Kane, also of Chicago, is one of the active women lawyers, whose business is largely in court. She was admitted to the bar in Janesville, Wis., in 1878, after a course of study in a law office and in the Law School at Ann Arbor, where she duly graduated. She began practice at once in Milwaukee, continued there five years, and then went to Chicago, where she has re mained since. Her business is general, and she writes me that in criminal law she has either prosecuted or defended in every crime known to modern times except treason and piracy; that she has represented clients from every quarter of the globe, of every hue and every religion except the followers of Zoroas ter and Mahomet. Miss Alice C. Nute studied in law offices in Chicago for several years while engaged in her business of court reporting, and was admitted to the bar of Illinois in 1885. Miss Jessie E. Hutchinson, who is now engaged

as law clerk in Miss Martin's office in Chi cago, has studied law during the past five years, during part of which time she held an appointment as deputy clerk of the Cir cuit and District courts in Fayette County, Ind. This was followed by active expe rience in a law office, and a regular course in the Law Department of the University of Wisconsin, where she graduated last June, and was admitted to the bar. She intends to practise for herself later on. Another woman who is a member of the bar in Illinois, but is not in practice, is Miss Cora A. Benneson, of Quincy, who graduated from the Law School at Ann Arbor in 1880, and was admitted to the bar. She has used the profession chiefly in connection with literary and historical work. In 1886 she was law editor for the West Publishing Com pany of St. Paul, Minn. The Bloomington Law School, a depart ment of the Illinois Wesleyan University, makes no distinction on account of sex, but has graduated only one woman, Mrs. Ma rietta B. R. Shay, of Streator, Ill., of whom the Dean writes me in the highest terms. She is the author of a work on law entitled " Students' Guide to Common-Law Pleading," of which I have seen favorable criticisms from many authorities. The only remaining woman lawyer of Illi nois of whom I have learned (excepting Miss Emma Strawn, of Lacon, with whom by an oversight I have failed to correspond) is Miss Lettie L. Burlingame, of Joliet. She is one of our able and successful women practi tioners, whose years are yet so few as to give great opportunities for the future. She be gan study in 1883 in a lawyer's office, where she continued till she entered the Law School at Ann Arbor, where she graduated in 1886, and was admitted to the bar of Michigan and afterwards to that of Illinois. She speaks of the kindness and encouraging attitude of the professors in the school, but says one of them used to " arouse my indig nation by picking out easy questions to ask us women." After a few months' delay Miss