Anaya Nolan
In 1879, Lavinia Goodell became the first female lawyer admitted to the bar of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Goodell was born in New York and was the daughter of a prominent abolitionist family. She expressed interest in studying law as a teenager and later became an editorial writer for Harper's magazine. After moving to Wisconsin, she was denied an apprenticeship at several law firms because of her gender. However, she eventually taught herself law and was admitted to the Rock County bar in 1874. Goodell paved the way for countless women to practice law in Wisconsin and inspired other female pioneers in the state, such as Vel Phillips, who became the first woman to serve on Milwaukee's Common Council and the first woman judge in Milwaukee County.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Rhoda Lavinia Goodell |
| Date of Birth | May 2, 1839 |
| Date of Death | March 31, 1880 |
| Place of Birth | Utica, New York |
| Occupation | Lawyer, writer |
| Notable Achievements | First female lawyer admitted to the bar of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, first female lawyer in Wisconsin, first female to run for city attorney, first female to litigate (and win) an appeal to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin |
| Notable Works | The Principia, A Day In the Life of A Woman Lawyer |
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What You'll Learn
Lavinia Goodell: first female lawyer in Wisconsin
Rhoda Lavinia Goodell, born on May 2, 1839, was the first female lawyer in Wisconsin. She was also the first woman admitted to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. Goodell was born in Utica, New York, to Clarissa and William Goodell. Her father, William Goodell, was a prominent abolitionist, and she shared his beliefs. Before graduating from Brooklyn Heights Seminary in 1858, Goodell expressed her desire to study law in a letter to her sister Maria: "I think the study of law would be pleasant, but the practice attended with many embarrassments. Indeed, I fear it would be utterly unpracticable."
During the Civil War, Goodell stayed in New York and worked at her father's newspaper, The Principia, even filling in as editor. In late 1859, she began writing for the paper. Goodell was an active member of the women's rights movement and published many articles on these issues. In 1871, she wrote a series of four articles for the Woman's Journal on suffrage and later wrote a series of articles rebutting the position of the Christian Union that women should be subservient to their husbands. She was also an active public speaker about temperance.
In 1867, Goodell became an editorial writer for Harper's magazine. At the age of 32, she moved with her family to Janesville, Wisconsin. After being denied an apprenticeship at several Janesville law firms because she was a woman, Goodell was hired as a copyist at the firm of Jackson and Norcross, where she taught herself law by reading volumes in the office library. In December 1874, six months after her admission to practice law, Goodell was busy running her law office and speaking to temperance groups. In her first court cases, she represented a group of temperance women who prosecuted two liquor dealers for illegally selling liquor on Sundays. She won both cases.
Goodell was admitted to practice before the Wisconsin Supreme Court on June 18, 1879, becoming the first woman admitted to the Wisconsin state bar. In 1880, she argued and won her first case, Ingalls v. State, shortly before her death. That same year, she also became the first to litigate (and win) an appeal to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. Goodell died on March 31, 1880, from ovarian cancer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She had successfully paved the way for countless women to practice law in Wisconsin.
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Kate Kane Rossi: first female lawyer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Kate Kane Rossi, born in 1854, was a trailblazing American lawyer and the first female lawyer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On April 20, 1883, she threw a glass of water in Judge James Mallory's face in a Milwaukee courtroom because she was enraged by his decision to reassign one of her clients to another lawyer. This was not the first time Mallory had done this, and Kate recognized that she would never receive a fair trial in his courtroom.
Kate was a successful criminal defender, suffragist, and activist who specialized in representing sex workers and labourers. She was the 13th woman admitted to the Illinois bar after relocating to Chicago, which was home to a small but thriving community of female lawyers. She was also a successful defender of Italians in the police courts, frequently angering the police and the state prosecutor.
Kate Kane married Vincenso Rossi, and as Kate Kane Rossi, she ran for judge, state's attorney, and even demanded to be appointed chief of police on the "Abolition of Women's Slavery" ticket. Unfortunately, she was unsuccessful in these electoral bids. In 1908, she was detained for disorderly conduct after forcing her way into the mayor's office and ranting about supposed "murders and atrocities" covered up by the Chicago police and state prosecutor.
The Milwaukee Journal described Kate as a "woman of splendid abilities," and despite her struggles to reconcile personal and professional tensions, she is recognized as a distinctly modern woman and a trailblazer.
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Vel Phillips: first female judge in Milwaukee County
Vel Phillips was an American attorney, politician, jurist, and civil rights activist. She was the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Phillips went on to become the first woman to serve on Milwaukee's Common Council, the first woman judge in Milwaukee County, and the first African-American judge in Wisconsin.
Phillips was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1924. Her father owned a restaurant and was a cook. Her mother had three rules for her children: no smoking, no drinking, and no talking loudly. As a high school student, Phillips won a public speaking contest, and her prize was a scholarship to Howard University in Washington, D.C. After earning her law degree in 1951, she became the first woman and the first African American member of the Milwaukee Common Council. She was given the title "Madam Alderman" by local officials.
Phillips remained the only woman and only black member of the Common Council for many years. She frequently participated in nonviolent civil rights protests against discrimination in housing, education, and employment during the 1960s. In 1962, she first proposed an ordinance to outlaw housing discrimination. It wasn't until 1968, after a federal housing law was passed, that the Milwaukee Common Council approved a desegregation law. In 1971, Phillips resigned from the Common Council when she was appointed to the judiciary, becoming the first female judge in Milwaukee County.
After her time as a judge, Phillips continued to be active in the community. She served on the boards of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and America's Black Holocaust Museum. In 2002, she was appointed "Distinguished Professor of Law" at the Marquette University School of Law. She also chaired the successful congressional campaign of Gwen Moore, who became Wisconsin's first African-American and Milwaukee's first female member of the United States House of Representatives. In recognition of her achievements, Phillips received numerous honours, including having a street in Milwaukee renamed in her honour and a statue of her erected on the Wisconsin State Capitol grounds.
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Kitty K. Brennan: first female Chief Judge in Milwaukee County
Kitty K. Brennan, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 17, 1950, was the first female Chief Judge in Milwaukee County. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her J.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Brennan began her legal career as an assistant district attorney in the office of the Milwaukee County District Attorney. After serving in this role for seven years, she left in 1984 to enter private practice with the firm Murphy & Brennan.
In 1994, Brennan was elected to the Wisconsin Circuit Court, defeating George W. Greene in the spring election. Greene had been appointed to the role just seven months prior, replacing Judge Robert W. Landry, who had retired. Brennan was re-elected to the circuit court in 2000 and 2006. During her time on the circuit court, she was also a member of the Milwaukee County Trial Judges Association and the Women Lawyers Association.
In 2005, Brennan was appointed Chief Judge of the 1st Judicial Administrative District by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She was re-appointed to a second two-year term as Chief Judge in 2007. In 2008, Governor Jim Doyle appointed her to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals following the death of Judge Ted E. She served on the court from 2008 until her retirement in 2019. During her tenure on the court, she was recognised for her exceptional efforts in preserving the integrity of the judiciary, receiving the "Judge of the Year" award from the Milwaukee Federalist Society in 2006.
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Lavinia Goodell: first female admitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Rhoda Lavinia Goodell (1839-1880) was the first woman admitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. She was also the first female lawyer in Wisconsin, as well as one of the first female trial lawyers in the United States. Goodell was born in Utica, New York, to Clarissa and William Goodell. Her father, William, was a prominent abolitionist, and she shared his beliefs in abolition, women's suffrage, temperance, and prison reform.
Goodell expressed an interest in studying law while in high school, over a decade before women were admitted to law school or the bar in the U.S. In 1858, she wrote a letter to her sister Maria, in which she stated:
> "I think the study of law would be pleasant, but the practice attended with many embarrassments. Indeed I fear it would be utterly unpracticable."
During the Civil War, Goodell worked at her father's newspaper, The Principia, even filling in as editor. In 1867, she became an editorial writer for Harper's magazine. At the age of 32, she moved with her family to Janesville, Wisconsin. Despite being denied an apprenticeship at several Janesville law firms because of her gender, Goodell persevered. She was hired as a copyist at the firm of Jackson and Norcross, where she taught herself law by reading books in the office library. After less than two years of self-study, she applied to the Rock County bar and was admitted in 1874.
Goodell petitioned to be admitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in the summer of 1875. However, her petition was denied by Chief Justice Edward G. Ryan solely because of her gender. Undeterred, Goodell drafted a bill to prohibit gender discrimination in the practice of law and lobbied for its passage. On March 22, 1877, the Wisconsin legislature enacted a law prohibiting courts from denying admission to the bar based on sex. Goodell reapplied to the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 1879 and was finally admitted to the bar.
Goodell went on to argue and win her first case, Ingalls v. State, in 1880, just weeks before her untimely death from ovarian cancer. She had successfully paved the way for countless women to practice law in Wisconsin and across the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
Kate Kane Rossi was the first female lawyer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Kate Kane Rossi became the first female lawyer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1877.
I couldn't find information on Kate Kane Rossi's career path prior to becoming a lawyer.
Yes, there were several other notable female lawyers and judges in Wisconsin, including:
- Lavinia Goodell: the first female lawyer admitted to the bar of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
- Vel Phillips: the first female judge in Milwaukee County and the first woman to serve on Milwaukee's Common Council.
- Mabel Watson Raimey: the first African American female lawyer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Kitty K. Brennan: the first female Chief Judge of the First Judicial District in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
Female lawyers in Wisconsin faced discrimination and barriers to entering the profession. For example, Lavinia Goodell was denied admission to the Wisconsin Supreme Court because she was a woman. She successfully lobbied for a law prohibiting discrimination in the practice of law based on sex, which was enacted in 1877.
