List of first women lawyers and judges in Tennessee explained
This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Tennessee. 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 Tennessee's history
Law School
Lawyers
- First (African American) female: Lutie Lytle (1897)[2] [3]
- First female (actively practice): Marion Scudder Griffin (1907)[4]
- First female to argue before the Tennessee Court of Civil Appeals: Frances Wolf (1907)[5]
State judges
Federal judges
Deputy Attorney General
- First female: Patricia J. Cottrell (1976)[25]
Assistant Attorney General
- First (African American) female: Etrula T. Trotter in 1974[26]
United States Attorney
Assistant United States Attorney
Solicitor General
- Andrée Blumstein (1981):[29] [30] First female Solicitor General of Tennessee (2014)
- First female (director/secretary): Billie Bethel[31]
- First female president: Pamela L. Reeves (1979) from 1997-1998
- First African American (female) executive director: Joycelyn Stevenson[32]
Firsts in local history
- Susan Marttala:[33] First female to serve as District Attorney in the State of Tennessee as well as for the Thirty-First Judicial District in Tennessee (1986) [<nowiki/>[[Van Buren County, Tennessee|Van Buren]] and Warren Counties, Tennessee]
- Tammy Harrington (1994):[34] First female judge in Blount County, Tennessee
- Elizabeth Barger Ford:[35] First female to practice law in Cocke County, Tennessee
- Hazel Horton Goldstein (1947): First female lawyer in Cocke County, Tennessee
- C. Vernette Grimes: First African American female to graduate from the Kent School of Law in Nashville (1939) [<nowiki/>[[Davidson County, Tennessee]]]
- Martha Craig "Cissy" Daughtrey (1968): First female lawyer in Nashville's U.S. Attorney's Office. She is also the first tenure-track female professor at Vanderbilt Law School. [<nowiki/>[[Davidson County, Tennessee]]]
- Andrei Ellen Lee: [36] First African American female to serve as a Judge of the Davidson General Sessions Court (2004)
- Martesha Johnson:[37] First African American (female) to serve as a Public Defender in Davidson County, Tennessee
- Rachel Bell: First openly LGBT female judge in Nashville, Tennessee [<nowiki/>[[Davidson County, Tennessee]]]
- Ana L. Escobar:[38] First Latino American female elected as a Judge of the General Sessions Court (Davidson County) (2018)
- Angie Blackshear Dalton:[39] First African American female judge elected in Nashville, Tennessee
- Kate M. Drake:[40] [41] First female judge in DeKalb County, Tennessee (1931)
- Joyce Ward:[42] First female judge in Hamblen County, Tennessee (1978)
- Ardena Garth-Hicks:[43] First African American female to serve as the Public Defender for Hamilton County, Tennessee
- Marguerite Lanham (1936):[44] First female in Chattanooga, Tennessee admitted to the U.S. District Court (1939) [<nowiki/>[[Hamilton County, Tennessee]]]
- Sherry Paty:[45] First female to serve as a City Court Judge for Chattanooga, Tennessee (2004) [<nowiki/>[[Hamilton County, Tennessee]]]
- Ophelia Dukes:[46] First female magistrate in Hardeman County, Tennessee
- Lalla Block Arnstein:[47] First female magistrate in Knox County, Tennessee (1924)
- Charme P. Allen:[48] First female to serve as the District Attorney for Knox County, Tennessee (2014)
- Sue Shelton White:[49] First female lawyer in Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee
- Dabney Anderson:[50] First female magistrate of the Maury County Quarterly Court (1974)
- Nancy Smith Sellers (1950):[51] First female lawyer in Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee
- Donna Scott Davenport
[52] First female judge in Rutherford County, Tennessee (2000)
[53] [54] First female to serve as a Judge of the Juvenile Court of Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee (1920)
- Alma Hogshead Law:[55] First female magistrate in Shelby County, Tennessee (1929)
- Nell Sanders Aspero (1933):[56] First female lawyer in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee
- Ann Pugh (1976):[57] First female judge in Shelby County, Tennessee
- Camille McMullen: First female from Shelby County to serve as an intermediate appellate court judge
- Nancy B. Sorak:[58] First female elected as a judge in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. She was also the first female Public Defender for the City Court.
- Earnestine Hunt Dorse: First African American female to serve as a judge in Memphis, Tennessee (1990) [<nowiki/>[[Shelby County, Tennessee]]]
- Carolyn Wade Blackett: First African American female to serve as a Judge of the Criminal Court in Shelby County, Tennessee (1994)
- Karen D. Webster: First African American (female) elected as a Judge of the Shelby County Probate Court (2006)
- Amy Weirich:[59] First female to serve as the District Attorney for Shelby County, Tennessee (2011)
- Phyllis Aluko:[60] First female (and African American female) Chief Public Defender of Shelby County, Tennessee (2019)
- Lee Ann Pafford Dobson:[61] First female judge in Collierville, Tennessee (2019) [<nowiki/>[[Shelby County, Tennessee]]]
- Kee Bryant-McCormick:[62] First African American (female) judge in Sumner County, Tennessee (2022)
- Jane Franks:[63] First female judge in Wilco, Williamson County, Tennessee
See also
Other topics of interest
References
- Book: Smith, J. Clay Jr . Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer, 1844-1944 . 1999 . University of Pennsylvania Press . 978-0-8122-1685-1 . en.
- Book: Smith, John Clay. Rebels in Law: Voices in History of Black Women Lawyers. 2000-01-01. University of Michigan Press. 0472086464.
- Lytle worked thereafter as an educator and librarian at Tennessee College.
- Web site: Marion Scudder Griffin Collection. memphislibrary.contentdm.oclc.org. 2018-02-08.
- Web site: Frances Wolf Jewish Women's Archive. jwa.org. 2017-10-17.
- News: First Woman Judge in the South. The Pioche Record. 1920-05-28. 2019-02-27. 2472-176X.
- Web site: Tennessee Women on the Bench: A History of Firsts Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts . 2022-03-03 . www.tncourts.gov.
- Web site: Willis . Hon Bernice B. Donald and LaFonda . Nevertheless, we persist: The history and progress of women in Shelby County judiciary Opinion . 2022-03-03 . The Commercial Appeal . en-US.
- Robertson . Suzanne Craig . August 2003 . Judge Martha Craig "Cissy" Daughtrey to Receive Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award: This 'Uppity Woman' has Made a Difference in Tennessee Justice . Tenn. B.J. . 39 . 16.
- Web site: Tennessee judge's epic firsts are historic, unparalleled . 2019-01-03 . The Tennessean . en.
- Web site: Vanderbilt University Special Collections. 2008-12-10. library.vanderbilt.edu. en. 2019-02-27.
- Book: Wilson, J. C.. Giant Word Search Puzzle Book of Notable Black Firsts and Facts. August 2005. iUniverse. 9780595347285.
- Web site: President Obama Nominates Judge Bernice Bouie Donald for United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. 2010-12-01. whitehouse.gov. en. 2020-03-05.
- Judge Bernice Bouie Donald elected the First African American Female Judge in Tennessee’s history (1982). Donald went on to become the first African American female bankruptcy judge in the history of the United States of America in June 1988. Donald became the first African female judge to serve on the U. S. District Court, W. D. Tennessee in 1995 when President William Jefferson Clinton nominated her to the Court and she was confirmed by the U. S. Senate. In 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Donald to the U. S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit where she became the first African American female judge so serve on that Court. She was confirmed by the U. S. Senate by a vote of 96/2 in September 2011.
- News: Staff . News . 2014-09-03 . First female judge in the 1st judicial district takes the bench . WCYB . 2018-01-05.
- Web site: Penny White . 2022-03-03 . University of Tennessee College of Law . english.
- Web site: Milestones « Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association. benfjones.com. 2020-03-05.
- Web site: Voruganti . Harsh . 2020-09-09 . Twelve State Court Judges the Next Democratic President May Elevate to the Court of Appeals . 2023-07-03 . The Vetting Room . en.
- Web site: Wallace. Harriet. 2017-06-16. Nashville's first openly gay judge talks marriage, controversy. 2022-02-16. WZTV. en.
- Web site: 2017-06-03. General Sessions Judge Rachel Bell got married — and became the first openly bi-sexual elected judge in Tennessee. 2022-02-16. OutVoices. en.
- Web site: Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Elects Judge McMullen Presiding Judge Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts . 2023-07-03 . www.tncourts.gov.
- Web site: Country music legend Dolly Parton among inspiring Women of the Century on Tennessee list . 2022-03-03 . www.usatoday.com . en.
- News: Obama nominates new U.S. judge for East Tennessee. May 2013. timesfreepress.com.
- Web site: Knoxville lawyer Pamela Reeves nominated for federal judgeship. knoxnews.com. en. 2019-01-02.
- Web site: Ms. Patricia J. Cottrell Lawyer Profile on Martindale.com. martindale.com. 2018-12-15.
- Book: Clark Grad is State's 1st Female Asst. Atty. Gen.. 1974-11-07. Jet. en.
- Web site: Campbell. Becky. First woman becomes interim U.S. Attorney for Eastern District of Tennessee. 2022-02-05. Johnson City Press. en.
- Web site: Recognizing the WDTN's First Female AUSA, Devon L. Gosnell, during Women's History Month. 2019-03-26. justice.gov. en. 2019-07-05.
- Web site: Andrée Blumstein: Law wasn't first choice for top TN lawyer. The Tennessean. en. 2018-12-15.
- Web site: Andree Blumstein '81 appointed Tennessee solicitor general. Vanderbilt University. en. 2018-12-15.
- Web site: Billie Roberta Bethel Obituary (1932 - 2017) Knoxville News Sentinel . 2022-06-15 . Legacy.com.
- Web site: Joycelyn Stevenson '01 to serve as 2016 president of the Nashville Bar Association . 2022-06-15 . Vanderbilt University . en.
- News: . Susan Marttala Appointed First Female District Attorney in the State of Tennessee . The Tennessean . 7 February 1990 . 57 .
- News: Gov. Haslam swears in Tammy Harrington as first female judge in Blount County. Butler. Iva. June 3, 2011. The Daily Times.
- Web site: Walker . Eddie . March 2, 2022 . Cocke County's First Woman Lawyer . 2024-04-12 . infoweb.newsbank.com.
- Web site: RESOLUTION NO. RS2004-378 . 2023-02-16 . legisarchive.nashville.gov.
- Web site: Commentary: Emerge Tennessee changes politics one woman at a time . 2024-06-07 . The Daily Herald . en-US.
- Web site: 2018-09-10. Newsmaker: Nashville's first Latina Judge Ana Escobar. 2022-02-22. WKRN News 2. en-US.
- “MILESTONES.” Crisis (15591573), vol. 113, no. 5, Sept. 2006, p. 8. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=20fbf1d0-2a7e-3914-a174-e99a7020c9a7.
- Web site: Dekalb County Counties Counties History TN History for Kids. tnhistoryforkids.org. 2018-01-09.
- Web site: County Spotlight: DeKalb County. November 2016. County Officials E-News.
- News: In Memoriam, Joyce Ward. Citizen Tribune. 2018-02-09.
- Web site: 2022-01-19 . Ardena Garth-Hicks To Speak At Scenic City Women's Network Luncheon Jan. 27 . 2024-06-07 . www.chattanoogan.com . en.
- Web site: A NEWS MEMO FOR MEMBERS of the U.S. DISTRICT COURT HISTORICAL SOCIETY. March 2015. Eastern District of Tennessee.
- Web site: Judge Paty. chattanooga.gov. 2019-06-27.
- Book: Hardeman County, Tennessee: Family History. 2001. Turner Publishing Company. 9781563117572. en.
- Web site: Georgiana Vines: Setting the record straight on Lalla Arnstein. knoxnews.com. en. 2019-07-09.
- Web site: Knox County Tennessee District Attorney General. knoxcounty.org. 2019-01-03.
- News: Suffragist Sue Shelton White honored in Jackson. The Jackson Sun. 2018-02-12.
- News: Dabney Anderson -- First Woman Magistrate. The Tennessean. 6 November 1974. 12. en. 2019-07-09.
- Web site: Class Notes. University of Virginia School of Law. 2017-09-26.
- Web site: Black Children Were Jailed for a Crime That Doesn't Exist. Almost Nothing Happened to the Adults in Charge . October 8, 2021. Meribah . Knight . Ken . Armstrong . . October 11, 2021.
- News: CAMILLE KELLEY, A'MEMPHIS JUDGE; First :Woman Appointed to Municipal Juvenile-Court in the South Is Dead. 1955-01-29. The New York Times. 2019-02-26. en-US. 0362-4331.
- Book: Hough, Mazie. Rural Unwed Mothers: An American Experience, 1870-1950. 2015-10-06. Routledge. 9781317316459. en.
- Book: Dowdy, G. Wayne. On This Day in Memphis History. 2014-03-18. Arcadia Publishing. 9781625845917. en.
- Web site: Women at Rhodes: 75 Years & Counting. Fall 1996.
- News: First female judge in Shelby Co. dies at 70. Staff. WMCActionNews5.com. 2018-01-03.
- Web site: Nancy B. Sorak – Women of Achievement. en-US. 2019-03-27.
- Web site: The General. Jones. Lindsay. 2011-10-01. Memphis magazine. en-us. 2019-01-01.
- Web site: Phyllis Aluko – Law Offices of the Shelby Co. Public Defender. en-US. 2019-03-27.
- Web site: Lee Ann Pafford Dobson is sworn in as Collierville's first female judge. January 17, 2019. colliervilleherald.net. en. 2019-02-22.
- Web site: LEE . TENA . 'Dream delayed, not denied:' Kee Bryant-McCormick takes oath as Sumner County's first Black judge . 2022-09-14 . Hendersonville Standard . en.
- News: Juvenile Court Judge Sharon Guffee. Blanton. Shari Lacy • Photos by Brandy. Southern Exposure Magazine. 2018-02-09.