EBOOK
About
Woman Lawyer tells the story of Clara Foltz, the first woman admitted to the California Bar. Famous in her time as a public intellectual, leader of the women's movement, and legal reformer, Foltz faced terrific prejudice and well-organized opposition to women lawyers as she tried cases in front of all-male juries, raised five children as a single mother, and stumped for political candidates. She was the first to propose the creation of a public defender to balance the public prosecutor. Woman Lawyer uncovers the legal reforms and societal contributions of a woman celebrated in her day, but lost to history until now. It casts new light on the turbulent history and politics of California in a period of phenomenal growth and highlights the interconnection of the suffragists and other movements for civil rights and legal reforms.
Related Subjects
Reviews
"Stanford Law professor Barbara Babcock enriches our knowledge of women and the law in California history with this single volume, Woman Lawyer: The Trials of Clara Foltz. . . Chapters devoted to her writings in law reviews and model statutes investigate and reveal Foltz's thinking and her impact on public life. . . [R]eaders will find in them extensive detail and compelling analysis."
Brenda Farrington, Western Legal History
"Babcock is at her best in Woman Lawyer . . . giving just enough information to whet the appetite."
Tracy Thomas, Journal of American History
"Women Lawyer should engage feminists of my era and my children's generation, and history buffs of any age; most of all, the book should amaze and inspire young women and public defenders just embarking on their lives in the law."
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stanford Law Review