A Victory for Women in the Law
Justice Deady formally admits Mrs. Mary A. Leonard to the bar of the U.S. Circuit Court, citing Congressional legislation supporting gender equality in legal practice.
On Wednesday, Jan 4, M. R. Maddock applied for the admission of Mrs. Mary A. Leonard to the bar of the United States Circuit Court. The application was based upon her admission to the Supreme Court of Washington Territory and testimonials of good moral character. Justice Deady announced his decision, stating: 'By the act of February 15, 1879, it is provided that women shall be admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States upon the same conditions as men. Congress having required the Supreme Court of the United States to admit women to the bar upon the same conditions as men, and the rule of this court relating to the admission of attorneys being in terms as applicable to one as to the other, I think the applicant is entitled to admission, and it is so ordered.'
“Congress having required the Supreme Court of the United States to admit women to the bar upon the same conditions as men... I think the applicant is entitled to admission.”
This ruling represents a pivotal moment in the civic history of Washington Territory, which was famously progressive regarding women's suffrage and legal rights before it was fully realized at the federal level. It serves as a reminder that the path to legal equity for women was paved by specific, hard-won judicial challenges in local territorial courts.
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