List of first women lawyers and judges in Idaho explained

This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Idaho. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are women who achieved other distinctions such becoming the first in their state to graduate from law school or become a political figure.

Firsts in Idaho's history

Lawyers

• First female: Helen Young (1895)^[1]
• First female prosecutor: Kate E. Nevile Feltham (1914) in 1926
• First female to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court: Mazellah (M.) Pearl McCall (1919) in 1924^[2]
• First female to argue a case before the Supreme Court of Idaho: Adelyne Martha Burrus Champers (1927) in 1929^[3]
• First Japanese American female: Rei Kihara Osaki (1943)^[4]
• First Hispanic American female: Joanne P. Rodriguez (1983)
• First African American female: Ida Leggett (1986)^[5]
• First Native American (Cherokee/Shoshone) female: Cassandra Lee Furr Dunn (1974)

Law Clerks

• First female to clerk for the Supreme Court of Idaho: Mary Schmitt (1940) in 1941
• First female to clerk for the U.S. District Court in Idaho: Ina Mae Wheeler Hanford (1952) in 1952

State judges

• First female (non-attorney judge): Margaret Geisler in 1939
• First female: Mary Jensen Smith Oldham (1935) in 1945
• First female (youngest at time of her appointment): Zoe Ann Warberg Shaub (1960) in 1961^[6]
• First female (state magistrate): Linda Cook (1973) in 1976
• First female (district court): Deborah A. Bail (1975) in 1983^[7]
• First female (Third Judicial District Court): Juneal Kerrick (1981) in 1987^[8]
• First female (Idaho Court of Appeals): Cathy Silak (1976) in 1990
• First African American (female): Ida Leggett (1986) in 1992
• First female (Idaho Supreme Court): Linda Copple Trout (1977) in 1992^[9]
• First female (Idaho Supreme Court; Chief Justice): Linda Copple Trout (1977) in 1997

Federal judges

• First female (federal level–magistrate judge; United States District Court for the District of Idaho): Candy Dale in 2008^[10]
• First female (judge; United States District Court for the District of Idaho): Amanda Brailsford in 2023^[11]

Deputy Attorney General

• First female (Deputy Assistant): Susan Maria Flandro (1968) in 1968

United States Attorney

• First female: Betty H. Richardson (1982) from 1993-2001^[12]

Assistant United States Attorney

• First female: Mary Hobson in 1978

Prosecuting Attorney

• First female: Kate E. Nevile Feltham (1914) in 1926^[13]

• First female president: Kaye O'Riordan in 1988

Firsts in local history

• Mary Elizabeth Schmitt (1940):^{[14] [15]} First female lawyer in south-central Idaho (specifically Canyon County, Idaho)
• Karen Jean Orndorff Vehlow (1975): First female appointed as a Deputy Prosecutor (1975) and magistrate (1977) in Ada County, Idaho
• Jan M. Bennetts:^[16] First female Prosecuting Attorney for Ada County, Idaho (2014)
• Barbara Buchanan:^[17] First female district court judge in Bonner County, Idaho (2013)
• Stacey DePew:^[18] First female judge in Jerome County, Idaho (2018)
• Megan Marshall:^[19] First female judge in Latah County, Idaho (2018)
• Alberta Morton Phillips (1941):^[20] First female to teach law at the University of Idaho [<nowiki/>[[Latah County, Idaho]]]
• Mary Jensen Smith Oldham (1935): First female lawyer in Rexburg, Idaho [<nowiki/>[[Madison County, Idaho]]]
• Kate E. Nevile Feltham (1914): First female Prosecuting Attorney for Washington County, Idaho (1926)

See also

• List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States
• Timeline of women lawyers in the United States
• Women in law

Other topics of interest

• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in the United States
• List of first minority male lawyers and judges in Idaho

Notes and References

1. Web site: The First 50 Women in Idaho Law (1895-1975). Idaho State Bar. October 6, 2016.
2. Web site: 1895–1975: The First 50 Women In Idaho Law. Kristensen. Debora K.. 2005.
3. Grasham . Debora Kristensen . THE FIRST WOMEN OF IDAHO’S BENCH AND BAR . Western Legal History . 32 . 1.
4. Book: Kristensen, Debora K.. First fifty women in Idaho law. Bar. Idaho State. 2005. Presented by Idaho State Bar.
5. Web site: Milestones for Women in Idaho Law. Idaho State Bar. October 6, 2016.
6. News: Once the youngest judge in Idaho, ZoeAnn Shaub dead at 83. MATTHEWS. MYCHEL. Twin Falls Times-News. 2018-02-02.
7. Upon her appointment as a Judge of the Fourth Judicial District of Idaho
8. News: Judge Juneal Kerrick to retire after more than 30 years at the Canyon County Courthouse. Idaho Press-Tribune. 2018-02-09.
9. News: A Benchmark For Idaho's First Female Justice Linda Copple Trout Has No Grand Strategy For Change. Spokesman.com. 2018-02-02.
10. Web site: College of Idaho alumna Candy Dale enjoys giving time back to school. 2022-02-16. Idaho Press. en.
11. News: Raji . Tobi . 2024-05-23 . Biden has appointed 201 judges, boosting diversity of federal courts . 2024-05-31 . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286.
12. May 2006. BETTY RICHARDSON RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS KATE FELTHAM AWARD. Federal Bar Association Idaho Chapter. 1:2.
13. Web site: The First 50 Women in Idaho Law: KATE E. NEVILE FELTHAM - September 22, 1914(1859 – 1936).
14. News: Gooding lawyer Schmitt broke a lot of glass ceilings. Twin Falls Times-News. 2017-10-20.
15. News: The Gooding widow who broke up the boys' club. Twin Falls Times-News. 2017-10-20.
16. Web site: Jan M. Bennetts, prosecuting attorney, Ada County. Hansen. Stephanie Schaerr. 2018-02-13. Idaho Business Review. en-US. 2018-12-27.
17. Web site: 1st District Has First Female Judge The Spokesman-Review. www.spokesman.com. 2018-12-27.
18. News: Meet Jerome County's next magistrate judges. KAUFFMAN. GRETEL. Twin Falls Times-News. 2018-10-05.
19. Web site: U.S. Courts, District of Idaho . 2023-11-20 . id.uscourts.gov.
20. Yenser. Pamela. Winter 2009. 100 Years of Legal Education. University of Idaho Magazine.