The story of American jurisprudence cannot be fully told without the visionary women who dismantled systemic barriers to reshape the legal landscape.
For centuries, women fought not just for the right to practice law, but for the fundamental recognition of their equality under it. Every honoree of Influential Women in Law™ stands on the shoulders of these pioneers.
The First
1846–1911
In 1869, Mansfield became the first female attorney in the United States after challenging an Iowa statute that restricted the bar exam to white males. The court ruled that "the affirmative declaration that male persons may be admitted is not an implied denial to the right of females" — sparking a quiet revolution.
The Advocate
1830–1917
A tireless advocate for equal rights, Lockwood became one of the first female attorneys in the District of Columbia. In 1879, she successfully petitioned Congress to pass a law allowing qualified women attorneys to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court — later becoming the first woman to argue a case before the nation's highest bench.
The Strategist
1921–2005
A towering figure in the Civil Rights Movement, Motley was the first Black woman appointed to the federal judiciary. As a key strategist for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, she wrote the original complaint in Brown v. Board of Education and won nine of the ten cases she argued before the Supreme Court.
The Ceiling-Breaker
1930–2023
Breaking a 191-year glass ceiling, Justice O'Connor was appointed the first female Supreme Court Justice in 1981. Her pragmatism and dedication to the rule of law made her the pivotal swing vote on the Court for over two decades — permanently cementing the authority of women at the absolute apex of legal power.
“Society as a whole benefits immeasurably from a climate in which all persons, regardless of race or gender, are free to earn respect on the basis of their individual merit.”
Today, women do not merely occupy space in the legal profession; they define it. From the corridors of the Supreme Court to the boardrooms of the Fortune 100, modern women in law command immense authority — steering the evolution of American democracy and corporate governance.
The presence of leaders like Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson underscores a vital truth: the interpretation of the Constitution is fundamentally shaped by diverse legal minds.