MEMBER HISTORIES I
n the 150 years since Arabella Babb Mansfield overcame the first obstacle for women seeking to enter the legal profession in the United States, numerous others, most long forgotten, have continued to break barriers and pave the way for those who followed. We invited our members to send us the stories of the women who pioneered law practice in their jurisdictions and to tell us how their own women’s bar groups came into being. We were gratified to receive their accounts of women lawyers who truly made a difference through individual efforts and by collective activities. Unfortunately, we can only share a small portion of the articles and photographs we received. Taken as a whole, they paint a distinct picture of the challenges and successes women lawyers have faced.
We hope this sampling of histories will inspire you to learn more. You’ll find links to individual biographies of women lawyers as well as much more information about the history and accomplishments of women’s bar associations on our website at https://ncwba.org/history/. We also hope you will take an active interest in researching the history of women lawyers and preserving the history that is still being made today by women in your own communities. Record the recollections of senior women attorneys, but don’t neglect to learn about the experiences of current law students and newer lawyers. Most importantly, share what you learn with others. Knowing our history enriches our present and provides guidance for the future.
ALABAMA HOW DID WE GET STARTED? Birmingham Bar Association Women Lawyers Section Alabama State Bar Women’s Section Mobile Bar Association Women’s Section
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n the late 1970s and early 1980s, small groups of women lawyers in Birmingham organized get-togethers that were the forerunner of the Birmingham Bar’s Women Lawyers Section. Some of those same women finally formally organized a section and got the approval of the Birmingham Bar Association (BBA). The group continues as a strong section with representation on the BBA’s Executive Committee, offering its members leadership, networking, and volunteer opportunities. The section awards the Nina Miglionico Paving the Way Award to recognize those who advance women lawyers. The section also sponsors scholarships and networking with women law students. In the 1990s, the Alabama State Bar (ASB) president appointed a Task Force on Women in the Profession that met for several years and organized a luncheon at the midyear meeting of the Alabama State Bar to honor women judges. Following the example of the Birmingham Bar’s Women
The 1999 NCWBA Public Service Award presented to the Birmingham Bar Association Women Lawyers Section. Pictured from left to right are NCWBA President Anne Martin, Martha Jane Patton, Anne Moses, and Helen Kathryn Downs.
Lawyers Section, the task force proposed the creation of a section to the Alabama State Bar. The ASB Women’s Section was formed in May 2000, and voted on by the Board of Bar Commissioners on May 5, 2000. The section continues to host a brunch to honor Alabama’s women judges and awards the Maud McLure Kelly Award in honor of the first female admitted to practice law in Alabama and the Susan B. Livingston Leadership Award to honor women who exemplify service to the community. The section sponsors a silent auction to fund the Janie Shores Scholarship for women law students who intend to practice in the State of Alabama. National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations
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