Famous Female Lawyers Who Are Turning Tables Right Now!

Women have dominated every field of work for a very long time. And the legal field is no exception to that. But have you thought about who are the most famous female lawyers in the world who have made a significant contribution to this field?

Well, if you have been thinking about this, then you are not the only one!

Hi. In today’s blog, this is exactly what I will be talking about. I will tell you the names of the lawyers and how they have contributed to the legal field.

So, if that is what you want to know, keep on reading this blog till the end…

Women in Male Fields: Famous Female Lawyers You Need to Know About!

We all know how women were treated as the marginalized class for the longest time. Even though we nearly are half of the entire world’s population, we were never treated as an equal.

However, there were a few lawyers who broke the glass ceiling and became some of the most famous female lawyers in the world.

So, here is a list that you should keep in mind:

1. Charlotte Ray

The first one on the list of the famous female lawyers in history that you need to know about is Charlotte E. Ray. And yes, she is often thought to be the first female lawyer in the history of the United States.

Even after knowing that women were not allowed for the Bar exam, she kept taking classes at the Howard University and graduated in the year 1872.

Ray became the first woman to argue in the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia. Eventually, she even opened her own office in Washington, DC.

2. Sandra Day O’Connor

Second in the list, we have Sandra Day O’Connor who was the first woman to become a Supreme Court Justice in the United States.

She graduated in the year 1952 from Stanford Law School, however, faced a lot of difficulties when it came to finding a suitable job for her as a lawyer. And guess what? This was solely because of her gender.

But she was resilient and this is something that helped her become who she was. She paved the way for other women to reach the Supreme Court. She also helped shape several laws that were related to voting rights and gender equality.

3. Sonia Sotomayor

Third on the list, we have Sonia Sotomayor, a Puerto Rican by birth and ethnicity who became an Associate Justice in the United States’ Supreme Court in the year 2009 after Obama nominated her.

She has been able to break down several barriers for women and for people of color to become one of the most popular and famous female lawyers in the world.

Sotomayor has always been a constant when it came to voicing for the protection of civil rights.

4. Arabella Mansfield

Next on the list is Arabella Mansfield and she is yet another lawyer who is thought to be the first female lawyer of the U.S. Even though she started her career as a teacher, she started studying law at the Iowa Wesleyan.

Even though, at that time, there were a few imitations at the Iowa bar and the seats were only for white men who were over the age of twenty-one, Arabella passed the bar. Thus, she began her journey as an influential lawyer, paving the way for more women.

While she was a certified lawyer, she never fully practiced it. Rather, she is most famous for her participation in the women’s suffrage movement.

5. Loretta Lynch

Think of famous black female lawyers and probably the first name that would come to your mind is that of Lynch. She is the first woman of color who got the position of the Attorney General of the United States.

If I have to mention what she is most famous for, I would have to talk about her contribution to women’s rights, her fight for gender equality, and her unhinged voice for gender pay equity.

6. Michelle Obama

Is there a way that Michelle Obama would not make it to the list? I don’t think so. Michelle has made a name for herself not only for being the wife of the former president of the United States, but also for her career as a lawyer.

After graduating from the Harvard Law School in the year 1988, Michelle has associated herself with some of the largest law firms in the world (including Sidley Austin).

Over the years, she has managed to become an influential figure with her role as an advocate and author. She continues to use her voice for non-profit and medical communication.

7. Gloria Allred

Next on the list of the most famous female lawyers in the world is Gloria Allred. Most popular for taking on high-profile cases that involve a lot of controversy, Allred fights for women’s rights and against gender discrimination.

A founding partner of the California-based Allred, Maroko & Goldberg law firm, Gloria uses media appearances to voice and raise awareness. Additionally, she has represented several clients (high-profile ones) in sexual harassment cases.

One of the most notable cases of her was when she ad her firm filed against California’s denial of same-sex marriage for a couple. And guess what? She won the case! More power to her!

8. Judith Sheindlin

Judith Susan Sheindlin is a lawyer, judge, and an American television personality. You must have seen her in your YouTube feed for the show Judge Judy, the show which has been on since 1996.

Sheindlin is popular for her unhinged, no-nonsense yet realistic tone in her legal proceedings. This New York law School graduate started her career as a corporate lawyer, but later shifted her focus area to family law.

9. Ketanji Brown Jackson

Another famous black woman who stepped into the Supreme Court of the United States was Ketanji Brown Jackson. In the year 2022, she became the first woman of color to serve on the SC.

After graduating from one of the best law schools in the world, Brown was a part of the Sentencing Commission for almost two years. After that, she went on to become the assistant public defender (federal) in Washington, D.C.

10. Bader Ginsburg

Next on the list is Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was an Associate Justice in the Supreme Court of the United States. She was the second woman ever to serve the SC and needless to say, her legal career has been nothing short of remarkable.

Bader spent a lot of her life dealing with gender equality and women’s rights. After getting appointed by Bill Clinton in the year 1993 to serve in the Supreme Court, she stayed in office till her death in the year 2020.

11. Hillary Rodham Clinton

Currently at the age of 77, Hillary Clinton is still one of the most famous female lawyers in the world.

While it is true that her name mainly resonates with the political world of America, this former first lady worked extensively for the Children’s Defense Fund.

Apart from that, the Yale Law School graduate works on laws that aims to deal with heath insurance for the Children’s Health Insurance program.

12. Janet Reno

Janet Reno was the longest serving Attorney General who was appointed to office by Bill Clinton. She was also the first woman ever to become the Attorney General.

Reno started her legal career in private practice. However, soon she became one of the directors for the Florida House of Representatives’ Judicial Committee.

Honorable Mentions of Famous Female Lawyers

The list is not over!

There are literally so many popular and incredibly talented female lawyers in the world who have made significant contributions to the field that it’s not really possible to fit them all in this list.

However, here are some of the other female lawyers who are famous for their work:

• Ada Kepley
• Anita Hill
• Indira Jaising
• Menaka Guruswamy
• Constance Baker Motley
• Cornelia Sorabji
• Elena Kagan
• Elizabeth Warren
• Helena Normanton
• Karuna Nundy

Who Run the World?

Girls. Period.

However, even though it is true that most of the lawyers that I have mentioned in this blog are women who have struggled and voiced the need for gender reforms, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done!

According to the American Bar Association, there are more than 1 million lawyers who are women. However, that still makes it to only 38% of the entire profession.

We need to ensure that we teach our daughters and sisters about the rights that they have. We need to empower them to become a better version of themselves.

And most importantly, we need to give them the opportunity to become the next Judy, the next Obama, and the next Clinton!

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