List of first women lawyers and judges in Vermont explained

This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in Vermont. 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 Vermont's history

Lawyers

• First female: Jessie Bigwood (1902)^[1]
• First female to practice before the Vermont Supreme Court: Consuelo N. Bailey (1925) in 1926^{[2] [3]}
• First female to independently try and win a murder case: Consuelo N. Bailey (1925) in 1929

State judges

• First female (justice of the peace): Beatrice Y. Brown (1922)^[4]
• First female (probate court): Mary Adams (1926) from 1928-1949^[5]
• First female (trial court): Grace Johnson Murphy McGuire (1940) in 1965^[6]
• First female (state-level trial court): Linda Levitt (1975) in 1984^{[7] [8]}
• First female (environmental): Merideth Wright in 1990^[9]
• First female (Supreme Court of Vermont): Denise R. Johnson (1980) in 1990^[10]
• First openly lesbian female (Supreme Court of Vermont): Beth Robinson (1989) in 2011^{[11] [12]}
• First female to judicially serve the same time as her spouse: Kirstin Schoonover in 2015^[13]
• First woman of color (Chinese descent) (Supreme Court of Vermont): Nancy Waples in 2022^{[14] [15]}

Federal judges

• First female (U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont): Christina Reiss (1980) in 2009^[16]
• First openly lesbian female (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Vermont): Beth Robinson (1989) in 2021

• First female: Charity Clark in 2022^[17]

Assistant Attorney General

• First female: Georgiana Miranda around 1972^{[18] [19]}

State's Attorney

• First female: Consuelo N. Bailey (1925) in 1927

United States Attorney

• First female (acting): Eugenia Cowles in 2014^[20]
• First female (permanent): Christina E. Nolan in 2017^[21]

Political Office

• First female (Lieutenant Governor): Consuelo N. Bailey (1925) in 1955

• First female (president): Ellen Mercer Fallon (1977) from 1987-1988^[22]

Firsts in local history

• Beatrice Y. Brown (1922): First female lawyer in Southern Vermont
• Madeline Cecelia Wood:^[23] First female probate judge in Addison County, Vermont (1938)
• Mary Adams (1926): First female probate judge in Bennington County, Vermont (1928–1949)
• Consuelo N. Bailey (1925): First female State's Attorney in Chittenden County, Vermont (1927)
• Jessica Brown:^{[24] [25]} First African American female appointed as the Burlington City Attorney, Chittenden County, Vermont (2024)

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 Vermont

References

1. Book: The Vermont Encyclopedia. Duffy. John J.. Hand. Samuel B.. Orth. Ralph H.. 2003-01-01. UPNE. 9781584650867. en.
2. Web site: Bailey, Consuelo - Vermont Historical Society. Campbell. Jane. vermonthistory.org. en. 2017-10-16.
3. Web site: Consuelo Northrop Bailey Papers. scfindingaids.uvm.edu. 2018-12-18.
4. Web site: Brown, Beatrice - Vermont Historical Society. Campbell. Jane. vermonthistory.org. en. 2017-10-16.
5. Web site: Campbell . Jane . Adams, Mary - Vermont Historical Society . 2017-10-16.
6. Web site: 100: Celebrating Vermont's First Women Lawyers 1902–1978. Vermont Bar Association.
7. News: First female trial judge retires. Burlington Free Press. 2018-02-02. en.
8. Levitt was also the youngest judge in the history of Vermont at the time of her appointment.
9. Book: The Vermont Bar Journal & Law Digest. 1990. The Association. en.
10. Web site: Campbell . Jane . Johnson, Denise - Vermont Historical Society . 2018-12-18 . vermonthistory.org . en.
11. News: 2011-11-29 . Beth Robinson, Vermont's First Openly Gay Supreme Court Justice, Sworn In (VIDEO) . en-US . Huffington Post . 2018-02-08.
12. Web site: 2021-11-01 . First Out Lesbian Judge Confirmed to Federal Appeals Court . 2021-11-02 . www.advocate.com . en.
13. Web site: Husband and wife named judges. Burlington Free Press. en. 2018-12-26.
14. Web site: Soga . Aki . Gov. Scott appointment makes Nancy Waples first woman of color on Vermont Supreme Court . 2022-03-03 . The Burlington Free Press . en-US.
15. Web site: Governor Phil Scott Appoints Nancy Waples to the Vermont Supreme Court Office of Governor Phil Scott . 2022-03-03 . governor.vermont.gov.
16. News: Reiss takes gavel in Rutland as first Vt. female federal judge Times Argus. 2011-06-20. Times Argus. 2018-01-20.
17. Web site: Clark wins Vt. attorney general contest . 2022-12-08 . WCAX . en.
18. Book: An Independent Man: Adventures of a Public Servant. registration. 91. Jeffords. James M.. Daley. Ivan. Daley. Yvonne. Coffin. Howard. 2003. Simon and Schuster. 9780743228435. en.
19. News: Miss Miranda Has Nuptials. 1972-01-16. The New York Times. 2018-12-18. en-US. 0362-4331.
20. Web site: Senator Leahy And Governor Scott: Leahy And Scott Make Joint Recommendation For Vermont's Next U.S. Attorney U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont. www.leahy.senate.gov. en. 2018-12-18.
21. Web site: Vermont's first female US Attorney takes oath of office. Burlington Free Press. en. 2018-12-18.
22. Web site: Fallon, Ellen - Vermont Historical Society. Campbell. Jane. vermonthistory.org. en. 2019-01-03.
23. Web site: Wood, Madeline - Vermont Historical Society. Campbell. Jane. vermonthistory.org. en-gb. 2019-07-15.
24. Web site: McGuire . Jack . Jessica Brown Appointed as Burlington City Attorney . 2024-07-24 . Seven Days . en.
25. Web site: Mayor Mulvaney-Stanak appoints Jessica Brown as Burlington's next city attorney Vermont Business Magazine . 2024-07-24 . vermontbiz.com.