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Women and the Law Unjust Discrimination Susan Brandeis february 9, 1930 When the 1920 census was taken there were 1,600 women engaged in the practice of law in the United States. This number undoubtedly has been largely increased since then. I became a member of the profession subsequent to 1920. In this Weld, frankness impels me to say that the picture is rather gloomy, for women lawyers throughout the land, and particularly in the larger cities, are still discriminated against. In my own city, New York, one of the representative bar associations refuses to admit us to membership. Some of the large law Wrms refuse us employment. Upon my arrival in New York I sought employment with one of the large law oªces which was denied me, although by way of consolation I was assured by the prominent lawyer at the head of the Wrm to whom I made my application, that were I of the opposite sex I could have almost any position I desired with his law Wrm. Other large Wrms which give employment to very few women lawyers do so almost invariably upon a quota basis. We are thus in large numbers denied contact with the weighty and intricate legal problems which naturally gravitate to those law oªces. In addition, we are discriminated against by many men and, I regret to be compelled to say, women who have not enough conWdence in us, solely on account of our sex, to entrust to us legal matters of importance and magnitude. This further limits our Weld of activity. Yet many women lawyers have in oªcial and other capacities shown eªciency and ability to cope with the most intricate legal problems. Women have also shown aptitude in the handling of complicated and important legal matters as assistants in the Attorney General’s oªce. Assistant Corporation Counsel, Assistant District Attorneys. In private practice many have shown unusual ability in both civil and criminal law. If I have any plea to make, it is that this unjust discrimination should cease and a step to bring that condition about would be for women to show a larger measure of faith in the ability of women at the bar to represent them in all legal matters no matter how complicated. Once these discriminations are removed and women lawyers estimated solely upon merit, I feel certain we will soon produce outstanding women lawyers engaged in private practice comparable to the leaders among the men of the bar. Women can raise many additional champions for themselves if they but give to women lawyers the support they deserve. —Susan Brandeis, daughter of Justice Louis Brandeis, was one of the Wrst women to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. 84 p a r t 4 campaigning for women’s equality ...

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