Message from Member-at-Large, Community Service Chair
Many of you might remember Bradwell v. Illinois, 83 U.S. 130 (1872), from your law school days. The Supreme Court held that the Privileges and Immunities Clause did not guarantee a right to practice one’s chosen profession and upheld Illinois’s decision to deny Myra Bradwell admission to the bar solely because she was a woman, declaring that a woman’s “paramount destiny and mission” was to fulfill the roles of wife and mother.
There is a lot to unpack in that opinion, but I want to focus on Myra Bradwell herself. She learned the law working in her husband’s office, raised funds for Union soldiers, helped found suffrage organizations, and in 1868 launched The Chicago Legal News, the first legal newspaper edited by a woman, for which she needed a special charter as a married woman. Even after losing in the Supreme Court, she worked to change Illinois law to admit women to the bar and used her platform to fight for women’s and African Americans’ rights. The Court’s decision was one obstacle of many in her life, but her life and impact were so much more than that one case.
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, I want to encourage every female attorney to recognize the work you do every day to make it easier for the next generation. In a time when so many people are being cut down and made to feel small, lifting each other up in both formal and informal ways has never been more important. Help a younger associate feel confident in their writing; advocate for those who cannot in court; or maybe get involved with NLD and find new ways to build up community.
One concrete way to do that is to show up for each other at our upcoming “Find Your Pot of Gold” Speed Mentoring event on March 26. This fast-paced program gives newer attorneys and law students the chance to sit down with experienced practitioners for short, meaningful conversations about practice, careers, and life in the law. Whether you are looking for guidance or ready to pour into someone else, I invite you to attend and to consider joining the New Lawyer Division as a place where friendships are strengthened, leaders are built, and communities are empowered.
Remember, just because someone tells you it is not possible does not mean the work stops. So many important decisions are celebrated only for their outcome, not for the work that happens behind the scenes. Intersectional alliances are made. Partners and colleagues support each other when the work becomes overwhelming. And people learn about new ideas and challenge their notions of right and wrong. Let’s celebrate Women’s History Month by not just focusing on the big picture, but by appreciating all the small wins that make that big picture possible.
In solidarity,
Riley Minkoff, Esq.
Member-at-Large, Community Service Chair
